The seemingly minor nuisance of a backed up drain line gets a little worse when the chemical drain cleaner and a small auger to not fix the problem. The situation gets even more disconcerting when the waste water and sewage continues to build up. The final straw, after renting a powered auger at the local big box hardware store, is the discovery of tree roots in your main sewer line.
Tree roots in a sewer line can get there by infiltrating an already broken line or they can actually break the line themselves. In other instances they can initially gain entry by infiltrating at the pipe seams.
Over time, the steady growth of tree roots will break almost any size sewer line. In any event, the discovery of tree roots in a sewer line is cause for concern. The roots, even if they are not blocking the line right now will eventually grow to completely block the line.
It is highly advisable to bring in experienced plumbing professionals to deal with tree roots in a sewer line. They have specialized equipment to locate the roots and also ones to cut and remove them if the damage is not too severe. In this case, you will have to have the roots cut on a yearly basis.
In more extreme cases, where the sewer line has collapsed or is completely blocked, excavation and replacement of the pipe will be necessary. A reputable plumbing repair company can investigate the problem by placing cameras in the pipe and exactly identifying the problem. The homeowner can then make an informed decision as to how to proceed.
The identification and removal of tree roots in a sewer line is not particularly difficult. It does however, require specific tools, expertise and experience. It is almost without question that a professional plumber can more cost effectively solve this problem than even the most handy do it yourselfer.