Trees provide us with so much beauty, clean air, a way to cool ourselves on a hot summer day. However, for your plumbing pipes they can cause problems. Sewer pipes are a great source of nutrients for them. So, they’re drawn to them like moth to a flame. And if there are any cracks in the sewer line, they’ll find a way in. First, it’s important to know that tree roots aren’t the real cause of clogged sewer lines. Trees just see an opportunity and take it. They take advantage of sewer lines that have weakened to the point where they have holes and cracks in them. As a result, they force their way in these holes and cracks in order to get to the nutrients found in wastewater. After they’re inside that sewer line, they start to grow. Soon, your drains will no longer flow as well as they once did. In the end if you leave the problem untreaded, they’ll eventually break the pipe. Here are some signs roots could be your problem.

Slow Drains

If your drains are taking longer than usual to empty. Roots could be the problem. When tree roots shrink the diameter of your pipe, it causes waste to be forced through a smaller space. Which leads to a slower moving drain.

Gurgling or Bubbling Noises

Do you hear that?? If you happen to have noises such as a bubbling or gurgling coming from your toilet or sinks. Water could be struggling to go through the pipes due to roots.

Toilet Backups

Your sinks, showers, and bathtubs are all connected to the main sewer line. If tree roots start to enter your pipes, they can back up your toilet. The roots will start to grab and collect toilet paper and other debris. If your fixtures are starting to back up, your main sewer line could be clogged with tree roots.

Unpleasant Smells

When tree roots start to damage your pipes. The pipes start to expel water waste and gases. If you happen to smell sewage in your house or yard, you could have roots in your pipes.

Water Bill Spikes

If your water bill happens to increase. You could have cracks or leaks in your underground pipes which means water is getting wasted.

Green Patches in Your Yard

If you happen to notice parts of your yard is looking unusually green, it could mean that it has a good source of nutrients. Tree roots could have cracked your sewer pipe and allowed waste to absorb into the soil. With sewage working as a natural fertilizer, it helps boost your yards growth.

Sinkholes

These sinkholes start to form because wastewater is seeping from your cracked sewer pipe. Tree roots see this as an opportunity and start penetrating the pipes to get to those nutrients. As they do this, they cause more pipe damage. Which in return produces more wastewater to spill into your yard. 

Prevention

Before planting trees or other plants in your yard. You might want to consider placement. You want to make sure you are not placing them where they can have impact on your pipes. You can contact home inspector or your local city’s sewer department to help you find pipe locations. But if it seems impossible to avoid your sewer lines.

You can help minimize your root risk by considering a couple of things. What type of trees and shrubs you’re planting, are they slow growing? How tall do they get? Some examples of trees and shrubs that have shallow-roots are dwarf tree varieties, Japanese maple trees, eastern redbud trees, cherry trees, azalea shrubs, boxwood shrubs, and holly shrubs. Also have regular plumbing maintenance scheduled with professional such as Duncan Plumbing Solutions at 972-937-0040 can help you avoid a costly bill.