Are Tree Roots Impacting Your Home Plumbing?

Those large and captivating trees can enhance the value of your home and provide picturesque appeal as part of your exterior space. But the roots of the tree can often damage your home plumbing system, so to minimize your potential drain root removal services costs, you must check the trees outside your home and determine the potential damage they may cause.

Let’s explore the impact of tree roots on your home plumbing.

Why Tree Roots Impact Plumbing

Before we go into the signs of a problem around your home, we should first explain a little more about what causes tree roots to intersect with the plumbing structures. Few people know that a tree’s roots can be as long as three times its height. They travel in various directions on your property, seeking out sources of water and nutrients from the soil.

So when you have a crack in an underground pipe, the tree roots will seek out the source of the leaking water and wrap around the pipes. Tree roots can even enter underground pipes and prevent water from flowing through your sewage system.

For homes with clay pipes, roots can be attracted to water within the piping structure without requiring an associated leak. That’s because clay pipes have a porous surface that attracts nearby roots. The roots will eventually put pressure on the clay pipe, causing cracks and further damage over time.

But what can you do to protect yourself against this common plumbing issue? Let’s review the signs that you have tree roots impacting your home plumbing.

Slow Functioning Drains

It’s a common issue. You’re washing dishes in the kitchen or taking a bath in the evening when you notice that the water isn’t draining away as fast as usual.

Underground piping structures carry water away from the home and back into your local water supply. But when a tree root has blocked part of the pipes, they cannot maintain water flow.

A tree root may slow your drains and even prevent any water from leaving your system. If you suspect a tree root is causing your issue with slow drains, check multiple drainage areas throughout the home. If the problem is just one drain moving slowly, it’s likely a small blockage in the system.

Meanwhile, if you find that multiple drains are slowly releasing water, it’s a sign of a potentially more significant obstruction such as a tree root.

Sewer Backups

If you experience a sewer backup, you’ll first notice the problem in drains closest to the ground level in the home. For example, most homeowners first recognize a sewer backup issue within their ground-level bathrooms and kitchens. If you notice that there’s no water flowing down ground-level drains and that dirty water is backing up into the basins, it’s a clear sign of a significant problem.

While tree roots are not the sole cause of sewer backups in the home, a backup is indicative of a more problematic blockage. Take note if there has been rainfall in the area recently. A recent downpour is one of the leading causes of the local main sewer line reaching its capacity and overflowing.

Sinkholes in Your Yard

Usually, most homeowners identify a problem with their plumbing before it reaches the level of a sinkhole on their property. But you might have missed the hidden signs that tracked the problem to this point. A sinkhole is the result of the surrounding soil in your yard experiencing water erosion.

When you have a significant blockage in the main sewer line to your home, these sinkholes may form within the space of a few days. If you notice pooling water in your yard in one specific area only, make sure that you review the problem and call a plumber immediately to inspect the line.

Gurgling Toilets

When your toilets are persistently gurgling, it’s an indication that there’s a blockage somewhere in the sewer line and there’s a system backup.

If just one toilet in the home is gurgling, you may have a blockage in the toilet’s connection to the nearby line. But if all toilets are gurgling, it’s clear there’s a more significant blockage preventing the optimal flow of water. By calling a plumber immediately when you recognize this problem, you could save yourself thousands of dollars in home damage over time.

Foul Odours Around the Home

When there’s a blockage in the home’s sewer line, the sewage cannot travel from the property into the city’s main treatment facility. This blockage means the waste remains in the pipes until the obstacle is released. So one of the first signs of tree roots blocking or otherwise damaging home plumbing lines is foul odours around the home.

If you notice a foul odour that persists over several days without a clear cause, then it’s time to call a qualified plumber to inspect the line.

How Plumbers Provide Drain Root Removal Services

Qualified plumbers use the following steps to help repair the damage caused by tree roots in your home:

• Inspect the line with a camera

They will send a camera down the main sewer line into your home to check for tree roots and other obstructions.

• Work with local arborists to cut roots

Next, the plumbers will work with local arborists to cut and remove the roots causing damage to the plumbing.

• Repair the damage and ensure optimal water flow

Once the team removes the roots and the tree is no longer a danger to the plumbing, they will repair the damage caused. They will then test your sewer connection to ensure water is flowing normally.

Our experienced team at Drain King Plumbers can help guide you in resolving plumbing problems throughout your home.

Our expert drain root removal services have completed many projects involving the removal of tree roots and repairing plumbing structures damaged by them. So we can provide the highest level of expertise for complex projects.

To learn more about dealing with tree roots in your plumbing, call Drain King Plumbers at 416-661-5464 or contact us here.