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roots in sewer line.

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D-COP

12-02-2006 10:24:54




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I need help. I have been having problems with my sewer line draining. Called a plumber the other day. He came out and spent about 10 min. running a sewer machaine thru the line and called it good, after charging me $100. He said it had roots in and that was all he could do. The house is about 50 years old and probably needs the lines replaced. The problem right now is the all mighty dollar. The one I don't have. What can I do for right now. Is their something I can pour into the drian that will help.

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Stumpalump

12-03-2006 10:57:21




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to D-COP, 12-02-2006 10:24:54  
Some old pipe called Greenberg, I think, rots away. If the remidies below don't fix it you can dig it up. Plumber wants alot for this but you have all the time in the world and a shovle. Good thing is 50 years ago the same ground was dug up and the big rocks are out of the way. Heck if it takes till summer to dig a little at a time it will still get done and you will be in better shape. Easy for me to say as I sit on the computer but I've dug um up before and saved a pile of cash. Home depot has all the repair couplings and pipe to do it yourself.

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Slowpoke

12-07-2006 01:47:40




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to Stumpalump, 12-03-2006 10:57:21  
If he has a wife and kids he has no time. Best to get a portable toilet or a close by gas station. And Home Depot does not have all the supplies. Last summer I gave up paying a rooter guy $100 a pop for clearing tree roots every year. I have a cleanout two feet from the foundation and ran my little drill operated snake out more than 25' before hitting roots. I couldn't break thru the stoppage which was well into the city street. I called the City, two large trucks came out later and after about 15 minutes of discussion I was told the cleanout had to be within 5' of the inside edge of the sidewalk; sorry, get a permit, put in a new cleanout and we'll come back. Day 2 I got bids of over $800. So I built a 4x8x2' deep box for the dirt and out came the shovels and picks and boots. Day 3, 2 feet from the sidewalk I was down over 5' to the cast iron pipe. Cutting into the pipe with a sawzall released several gallons of low pressure "water" making 5" of sucking mud in the hole. Day 4 with the $50 permit in hand I bought the 4" fittings, rubber couplings and concrete access box. Guess what...the couplings were 1/4" too big for the cast iron pipe, but perfect for the plastic T. With a 3" long sample of the CI pipe, several hardware stores and plumbing suppliers later I was back to square one. All couplings were too large. Finaly on Day 5 a counterman measured the pipe, went to a chart and said the pipe was the exact size of copper pipe. But he had no plastic to copper couplings in stock. Multi phone calls later, I found them at $20 each (standard is $10 ea). Day 6 everything was put together and the inspector was called. Day 7 he arrived, gave his blessings and signed off. I backfilled the hole and installed the access box. The city was called to clean out roots. First they had to see the permit, then they ran a stiff, high pressure hose into the cleanout and broke thru. "OK Mr. Homewner, you did a good job but we don't like working thru the dogleg so we will return in a few days and move the access 5 feet over into the driveway so we have a straight shot to the main". And about 10 days later they did just that. My cost, about $100 and 7 days work. No one can say why the 1960 cast iron pipe was sized as copper.

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Stan in Oly, WA

12-02-2006 18:37:25




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to D-COP, 12-02-2006 10:24:54  
Hi D-Cop,

Interesting that Rayd points out that you can do a lot better buying the same product in one place rather than another. My wife is an artist and I can guarantee you that anything that is sold at an art supply store will cost many, many times what it would cost if it were sold in a hardware or home improvement store.

The worst mark-up I remember ever seeing, though, was on a product sold in the paint department of a Sears store. It was an anti-slip paint additive which cost a couple of bucks for a 4 ounce can. It was sand.

All the best, Stan

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Coloken

12-02-2006 15:48:57




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to D-COP, 12-02-2006 10:24:54  
Have an old house with lots of root problems. Plumber treated sewer with a commercial product called "rootx". Came back and treated it a second time at 6 month and I have had no problems since. Its expensive stuff--about 50 bucks a treatment. Do a search for it.



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Dan (wi)

12-02-2006 14:35:47




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to D-COP, 12-02-2006 10:24:54  
Im guessing this is your first problem with roots,most laterals are 4in, either clay,castiron or pvc.Dont replace it quite yet.Roots grow in from the 12:00 position,roots dont grow in the flow line,you may have to cut them out as much as once a year,spring is the heaviest growth.You can do it yourself for 35.00 or so if you rent the unit yourself,You could buy your own for 175.00,always run a 4in cutter in the lateral,slow all the way in,slow all the way out,have seen the professionals leave many a lines full of roots.Remember they grow in at 12:00.(I have televised sewers & laterals for the past 16 years.)Are you in town? length of lateral?

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Rayd

12-02-2006 12:22:19




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to D-COP, 12-02-2006 10:24:54  
If you can buy your copper sulfate at the feed store you can get alot more for your money. Our feed coop has it in 50 pound bags and sell by the pound. I put 25 pounds in a septic for roots. I got 25 pounds for the price of maybe 3 pounds in the bottle at hardware store. It's a feed additive.



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Blue3992

12-02-2006 10:46:19




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to D-COP, 12-02-2006 10:24:54  
You can buy stuff at any of the home stores that you pour down the toilet to kill roots.



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SuperA-Tx

12-02-2006 10:32:58




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to D-COP, 12-02-2006 10:24:54  
Copper Sulfate will kill the roots. Do it about once a year. Flush it down the toilet.



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Don L C

12-02-2006 12:05:22




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to SuperA-Tx, 12-02-2006 10:32:58  
Copper Sulfate --- got mine at hardware store..... follow directions..... .Don



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mj

12-02-2006 10:41:54




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 Re: roots in sewer line. in reply to SuperA-Tx, 12-02-2006 10:32:58  
Roger that. I put it in at the end of August as the trees seem to put on one last push before winter. Seems to last a full year.



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