OT Using copper sulfate to get rid of roots in sewer line

Has anyone else heard of using copper sulfate to clear out roots from a sewer line? How much should I use to get rid of the roots?

You should run a power snake down your sewer line before using something like "Root Kill" to kill the roots. You may need to remove a tree if its near your sewer line. Maple trees are bad for that. My neighbor had to have their sewer line replaced since it was full of big roots. Roto Rooter worked for over a day and couldn't clear the sewer line. They didn't charge her. Hal

Copper sulphate does kill roots. Most of your root killers for sewer lines is exactly that. It comes out of the package as a blue granular form. It does work if allowed to catch the roots before washing down the line.

(quoted from post at 22:47:49 03/01/11) Copper sulphate does kill roots. Most of your root killers for sewer lines is exactly that. It comes out of the package as a blue granular form. It does work if allowed to catch the roots before washing down the line.

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ut the roots are still there, it takes them a long time to rot out.

The pipe is broken that's why the roots are in their seeking moisture. If fixing the pipe is not an option at this time run a power rooter then put in the copper sulfate. Or a cheaper way to go is to rooter it then simply add water softener salt on a regular basis. The cheap rock salt kind. The pellets seem to cause stoppages.

Back in the day we set a 5 gallon bucket of salt, with a hole in the side, next to the floor drain and ran the AC/dehumidifier into that. Worked great in the summer time and the roots where dormant in the winter.

I think it also kills the tree, ok though if it is the neighbours.

Yeah, you just flush a cup full or two down the stool last thing at night so it has time to work. But like the others said, it only kills the roots. If your line is partially plugged you are going to have to mechanically clean it. I lived a house once that had root trouble and about once a year I would ram a large cable through the line and then give it the copper treatment.

This is of a concern for me. I have two trees near my drain field. I do not have any problems now but I fear that in the future it may be. I hate to the thoughts of cutting them down as they are nice shade trees. Would copper sulfate help prevent having my drain tile getting plugged with roots.
Thanks for any help.
Bill

Thanks everyone. Will give it a try and will look into getting a roto rooter to come by.

It will kill some roots and doesn't kill the trees. Trees send out roots in all directions for water. Problem is that the copper sulfate must contact the roots and only kills the ones they contact. Foaming stuff is a little better. Water flowing through the sewer pipe only covers the portion about an inch deep in 6" sewer pipe. I have ours with a manhole hole about halfway so we can run the rooter every other year. With all the faucets open it never runs more than an inch deep otherwise it just trickles down. That leaves all the roots in the top of the pipe that don't contact the copper sulfate and you still have a mass of roots in the pipe above the water level.

Even is the pipe is partially or totally plugged, the stuff never gets down to the full length of the plug to get all the roots. It may finally open up a slight channel under the roots and then it doesn't kill any more cause it needs to contact the roots for a length of time.

It is expensive but one recommendation I've seen is to just pour some on the ground above the line about a foot wide so it leaches down and keeps the roots from getting close to the pipe. Another thing is to keep your trees near the line well watered on the opposite side to encourage roots on the opposite side and discourage roots going towards the sewer line.