What product have you used to kill tree roots in sewer/septic lines?

muncybob

Nothing was floating downhill, got the clean out cove off and needed a motorized snake with a blade attachment to get through the roots which were causing a clog. there are a lot of products out there, would be interested to hear what you, or somebody you know, has used successfully to keep the pipes clear. I know this topic invites all sorts of brown humor, but I'm serious here(not that it matters).

pitdogg2

Well do you want the tree? Most all that kill roots will kill the tree.

cincycat13

it was too late for me. i had to replace the pipe. this was the path i was headed down...

1. Use copper sulfate

Copper sulfate crystals can be found at your local hardware store or garden supply center. These crystals can be used to kill roots inside the sewer lines – by pouring one-half cup of crystals into your toilet, they can travel along the pipes until they come to the obstruction. This is an environmentally friendly way of root management because the chemical only kills the roots that it comes in direct contact with – it doesn't travel upward to kill the plants themselves. Other chemical means of cleaning out drain pipes also include aquatic herbicides like Dichlobenil or metam sodium. Before putting any chemical down the drain, It’s a good idea to check with your local sewer district to make sure they don’t prohibit the use of copper sulfate or other root inhibiting chemicals for one reason or another.

tonyb

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Well do you want the tree? Most all that kill roots will kill the tree.

Unfortunately, this is true. If you want to keep the tree, poisoning it's roots won't help. The solution...if you want a more permanent one...is to dig up that section of pipe and replace it with a PVC pipe. They fit together snugly so roots can't invade. You just chop out the roots now, they will come back. You can just keep chopping them up if you like, but if you intend to stay there a long time you might want a permanent fix.

motorhead43026

Kill/cut the tree, kill the root.

Gardenstater

I had a recurring problem with terra cotta sewer pipes and a maple tree. Even after the maple tree was cut down, the roots continued to grow. I had sewer line insurance which I paid for on each monthly water bill. Occasionally I would have to get the drain rooted out and it required an especially long machine flex shaft which they sometimes didn't bring even though I told them every time to make sure they had one 150ft long and there was a deductible. About 5 years back my town dug up the areas between the sidewalks and the concrete curbing to do belgian block curbstones and at the same time the gas company redid the gas lines to higher pressure ones and in the process a cowboy type backhoe operator for the gas company, who they told me had come back from an allnighter at Atlantic City (lol) actually tamped the soil too hard and totally smashed my drainpipe. I suspected it had happened and sure enough my sewer drain was now permanently blocked but the crew was gone at this point. Had to put a claim in with the gas company and they had to admit fault and dug it up and replaced about a 6 ft length of smashed up terra cotta drain pipe with PVC and rubber coupling to join to the terra cotta.
When they saw all the roots that were packed in there they were ballsy enough to tell me that they did me a favor. Actually it was true! No more problems since and I cancelled my sewer line coverage.

So.....get the gas company to smash yours and they will have to pay for it. 🤣

gyosa

I’ve tried them all in my old terra cotta sewer line ….

Nothing worked ….. nothing.
All snake oil , in my opinion.

Bite the bullet and replace the line with PVC… I did , 20 years ago.
Best money I ever spent…. Sewage backing up into the house at the most inopportune time is a real buzzkill…

Bk

Jstas

A chainsaw.

That was after I had a plumber come and cut the clogged pipes out and fix it right.

That tree ain't never going to impinge upon my **** chute again 'cause it and it's roots are a pile of wood chips in my backyard right now.

tonyb wrote: »

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Well do you want the tree? Most all that kill roots will kill the tree.

Unfortunately, this is true. If you want to keep the tree, poisoning it's roots won't help. The solution...if you want a more permanent one...is to dig up that section of pipe and replace it with a PVC pipe. They fit together snugly so roots can't invade. You just chop out the roots now, they will come back. You can just keep chopping them up if you like, but if you intend to stay there a long time you might want a permanent fix.

It's not the snug fit that matters. If it's done right, the reason you can never separated a glued PVC joint is that it's not actually glued but chemically fused so the joint actually becomes one solid piece of PVC or ABS if that's the pipe you end up using. Just make sure you use the right primer and adhesive compounds for the material you are sticking together.

mrbigbluelight

As mentioned several times:
Bye bye tree.
Cut out the roots .
PVC pipe.

To paraphrase the AAMCO commercial, "You can do it now, or you can do it later,but you will do it".
Almost nothing more aggravating then the phrase. "I wish I had...".
Good luck ! 👍