There are many benefits of having trees in your yard, including adding value to your home; breaking the cold winter winds to lower your heating costs; and providing food and shelter for wildlife.
Unfortunately, a poorly placed and planted tree can be a hazard to your sewer line.
The roots of trees and shrubs naturally grow toward sewer lines. The sewer pipes can be a bountiful source of water, oxygen, and nutrients that they crave. When a root discovers a sewer line leak, it will rapidly grow and expand into the pipe – and can slow the flow of waste, cause blockages, damage pipes, and other serious problems.
Sewage leaks are unsanitary and have been shown to cause health problems. Repairing the sewer line damage caused by tree roots can be very costly, sometimes thousands of dollars!
The professionals at A & A Plumbing & Drain Services offer the following tips to help you avoid costly repair bills by taking a few steps when planting trees and maintaining your home’s pipes.
- Choose Only “Sewer-Safe” Shrubs & Trees
When planning out your landscaping, educating yourself is the best way to avoid future problems and potentially expensive repair bills. First, limit the number of plants you place near the sewer lines. If you are planning to plant larger trees, be sure they are far enough away from sewer lines so that, as they mature, roots are not within reach of the pipes. If you believe you want a tree closer to a sewer line, select slow-growing trees with a smaller mature root impact area.
- Be Aware of the Warning Signs
In plumbing, there is one thing you can eventually rely on – clogged drain lines. For infrequent clogs, there are often simple solutions to clear a drain that most homeowners may try. But if your drains clog frequently or completely, it could be a sign of a larger problem. Root damage to sewer lines can lead to slow-flowing, clogged, or even overflowing drains – sometimes accompanied by a gurgling noise from the toilet.
- Having an Inspection and Maintenance
When drains clog frequently, are difficult to clear, and emit gurgling noises, call A & A Plumbing & Drain Services to have the drain and sewer lines inspected. We can inspect your drain pipes by running a camera probe through them to look for damage or issues and can (if necessary) recommend repairs or replacement.
To avoid major sewer repairs, we can clean your sewer lines regularly and inspect the structure of the pipe system. Regular maintenance will help prevent root growth inside the pipes. Sewer-line maintenance involves us threading a cable through the sewer pipe that cuts through any clogs or tree roots, clearing the sewer pipe so the sewage can flow freely out of and away from your home.
With more than 20 years of experience, we have been serving first-class residential and commercial plumbing throughout the Omaha metro area. We believe our customers deserve service that is reliable, responsive, and complete, with GUARANTEED satisfaction. If you have any plumbing questions or concerns, call your friends at A & A Plumbing & Drain Services at 402-932-3899 or visit our website www.anaplumbing.com
