How Trees Can Destroy Your Home's Sewer Line

You try to be careful and ensure you keep from putting anything down the drain that would clog your pipes. You don’t flush anything but toilet paper; you don’t put pasta, meat, or fats down the kitchen sink; and you make sure to have screens on all your drains. But have you thought of everything in order to avoid an expensive sewer line repair?

Go outside because you may be overlooking the most damaging problem of all: tree roots.

Trees crave nutrients and their roots are where they absorb nutrients through, so the end of the tree root is continuously “seeking” and “reaching to” a source of moisture and nutrients and they are enticed by a leaking sewer line that needs repair.

Usually, tree roots will leave fine, unbroken sewer lines alone. They usually only invade leaking, cracked, or damaged lines buried within the top two feet of the soil. When this happens the initial damage not only gets worse, the tree roots can actually clog the sewer system and lower the water flow, resulting in overflows and potentially flooding your home or building.

But what can you do? Call a sewer line repair professional in Voorhees.

A sewer line repair will typically be easier (and cheaper) than a ruptured pipe, so if you suspect trouble with your sewer line, especially if you feel that tree roots are getting into the pipe, call Atmostemp Service Experts as soon as possible.

Sewer line repair professionals at Atmostemp will use a sewer inspection camera to confirm whether or not the pipe has a tree root issue. Once the problem has been determined, our sewer line repair technician will discuss all of your options with you and help you determine the best plan, whether that’s a trenchless sewer line replacement or just cutting out the tree roots.

Note, faster growing trees, such as poplar, sweetgum, or willow, may cause more issues because they grow faster. Slower growing trees are a better choice, but they still need to be swapped out every six to ten years to avoid their roots from becoming an issue. Also, remember to plant trees away from your sewer lines, that way you can help prevent damage and stop those pesky (and sometimes expensive) sewer line repairs. If you’re not confident where your sewer lines are, ask Atmostemp to flag the path of the sewer pipes.

So if you think your tree roots have invaded your sewer line or you have any plumbing needs at all, call Atmostemp Service Experts in Voorhees and we are happy to come to your home and see if you need a sewer line repair or do a full plumbing maintenance to make sure your pipes are in tip-top shape.