How to use root killer?

[Bigtruck]

Yes He Is Using A 3" Cutter " And " A 3/4" Cable
WHICH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO CUTTING ROOTS

Jerry,

I must say, I'm very impressed with your professionalism and knowledge!

You nailed my problem and saved me a ton of money!!

My mother has been suffering from Parkinson's and Dimensia in the last few years. Recently an adult care center, that my sister left her in while on vacation, nearly overdosed her to death!! We wanted badly to go to NJ to see her, but had no idea how we would afford the trip.

Now...not only can we go see her, but it will be at Thanksgiving!!

Thank You very much!

Sincerely,

Ray

[SewerRatz]

I have been cleaning sewers in the the Chicago area for 24 years now. Most homes here have 4" cast Iron under the house and when it leaves the house approx 5' out it goes into 6" clay pipe. These homes only have a 4" clean out on the stack so trying to get a 6" expanding cutter through the line is real pain in the arse. So I have learned how to clean the line properly with a 4" cutter. We start off with a 2" then to a 3' and finally two passes with the 4" cutter cleans the line out extremely well. I had a village inspector put a camera in the line to try and prove to me that I "needed" to get the expanding cutter through. To his surprise the line was root free. Our company guarantees its power roddings of the main sewer for two years.

Now to address the roots growing in the top of the pipe here is picture showing such. And Rootx will get to the roots growing in the top since it does foam through the whole pipe. Now I have seen clay sewers that are over 100 feet long trees growing around the area like a forest preserve and not a single root growing in to the drain at all. The old timers used to know how to properly install the clay pipes. The issue with the pipes installed from the late 1960's to present day is all this labor saving crap like slip-seal joints.

Some people say PVC sewer lines will never get tree roots, they lie. A fact roots grow in through the joints in the sewer pipes. Yes clay comes in 2, 4 and 6 foot long pieces. Most common is the 2 footers. So every two feet roots can grow in the pipe. Plastic SDR 26 sewer pipe comes in 13 foot lengths which roots will still grow into but much less joints for this to happen. Here is a picture of roots pulled out of a plastic sewer line.

If RootX does not help we recommend to all our customer's that do not want to dig and replace the sewer to have the sewer properly rodded every two years as preventive maintenance. Just like you have to cut your lawn every two weeks. Oh another thing that can help is water your trees, get root feeders and and that and keep your trees watered. This will help the grow in the soil instead of seeking out water in the sewer pipes.

[Redwood]

I usually start right out with a 3-5 pear offset blade with a whip in front. I always like the idea of trying a one pass cleaning.



If it loads up with wrapped roots and stops advancing, I pull it back to clean it off and send it in again. If it won't advance and is being held back by the whip, I take off the whip. If it still won't advance I then start dropping size to get through probably down to a 3" apple.



To punch a hole then go back up to the 3-5 pear offset to complete the cleaning.

Many times I get the 3-5 pear offset to go through on the first pass.

Big Truck, I'm concerned about the dia. of those roots. They do look like they are of a size where the pipe may be damaged.

Definitely start with a once a year treatment of Root-X. I would advise you to hit it in the spring when the tree goes active again.

[MACPLUMB 777]

Redwood;
i agree with your blade choices, with the whip
this was growing "outside" the pipe but grew up around the closet flange
and down inside the closet bend without showing outside the base of the toilet it grows though the wax seal,
I told Bigtruck to pack rock salt around the outside the flange, and set
new wax down to stop roots from growing back anytime soon,
By the way this is all sch. 40 sewer pipe

[Redwood]

Ah yes now that I go back and read more... I see it.

[rckowal]

I've read a lot about RootX, but I never seen much said about exactly how to introduce it into the pipe where the roots are.

The reason I ask is that anything that foams has to be applied in the right place or it may not move through the sewer line to the roots. For instance, if I were to put it into a floor drain with a trap - when it foams I would think that it would just foam back up & out of the drain. In a case like this, it would never get to the roots.

The other case is where there is an 8 - 10 foot run of floor drain without a trap. If I pour RootX in the drain opening, how does it know it's supposed to flow through the pipe to where the roots are? Again, I would think that a lot of it would just foam back up & out of the drain.

Maybe I'm wrong or missing some thing. A chat with RootX Tech Support was a waste of time. They just tell you to pour it in the pipe. That's why I'm here asking those of you who use the stuff professionally how it should be done. Replies will be much appreciated.

Richard

[Dunbar Plumbing]

Whatever you do, absolutely DO NOT mix water and RootX outside the piping system.


You're whole basement will be full of foaming root killer.


You want to hit a floor drain or pull a toilet to hit where the root intrusions were likely found.


If roots were found inside the structure, in the piping, you need to access the furthest distance inside the house and apply it from there.


Dumping RootX in a toilet will also have foaming root killer everywhere in the home.


A floor drain is the best bet or cleanout, just have a bucket of water behind it, absolutely no urinating in toilets, no water at all in the drains for 6 hours.


Just leave the house completely to keep from pushing that foam down the line where it serves no purpose.


The most effective way to use this product:


Very aggressive drain cleaning/root cutting and THEN apply RootX.

This will minimize the work the foaming agent has to do and this kills the roots, but they die off months later and fall off, float away in the drain.



I had a dream one night and I thought I was a root cutting blade, and saw all this in the drain until my wife took a dump and her morning pile came and flooded me out to sewer. That one is going to require counseling for sure.

[rckowal]

Hi Rugged, Thanks for your very helpful reply. I have a few questions

"You want to hit a floor drain or pull a toilet to hit where the root intrusions were likely found. If roots were found inside the structure, in the piping, you need to access the furthest distance inside the house and apply it from there."

The known root activity was found in the end of the storm sewer, at the house cleanout, where some weep tiles drain into the main sewer line. This is right near an exterior wall where the main goes off to the street sewer. This is about 8 feet from either of two floor drains. Should I put the RootX in one of those drains?

"Dumping RootX in a toilet will also have foaming root killer everywhere in the home."

Please clarify. Are you warning that the foam will back up (unwanted) into the house? Or, introduce it into a toilet to get it into all of the lines?

A floor drain is the best bet or cleanout, just have a bucket of water behind it, absolutely no urinating in toilets, no water at all in the drains for 6 hours.

I assume the bucket of water is to be poured into the same drain/clean out where the RootX was introduced - to activate it?

The most effective way to use this product: Very aggressive drain cleaning/root cutting and THEN apply RootX.

The roots were first cleaned out two years ago. They could actually be seen from the clean out. It was like a small birds nest of fine hair like roots. Sand from the weep tiles had built up in the birds nest - eventually blocking the storm sewer drain. Drain cleaner guy ran the end of his snake into the nest then reached in & removed it by hand.

As a preventive action, that line was snaked again about 9 months ago. I have also been putting a bottle of (blue-copper sulphate) root killer in the floor drain near there. I check that spot every fall to see if any new roots have formed.

A great concern however is whether there is root growth in the weep tiles around the exterior of the basement walls. Is there some way RootX could be used to kill those roots as well?

Richard