In late 2013 and early 2014, I was having a regular problem with my sewer line being clogged by roots, and backing up into the shower, the bathtub, and the floor in the little bathroom, from under the toilet. Every few months, I had to have the plumber in. Sometimes, they did a good job, sometimes, not so good. So, after waiting all day for a plumber, who did the clean out job, the next time I had a problem, I used a chemical agent to kill the roots that were clogging my drain. That was in 2014, before I had the little bathroom remodeled. I have not had a problem since then, until this weekend. I did not know I had a problem this weekend, until I got in the shower this morning, and saw the residue from the back up on the shower floor. Yuck!
Well, since the bathroom was remodeled, it makes sense that the toilet might not flood. But there was also back up in the tub.
After work, I went to Home Depot and purchased some root killer and put it in the sewer line, and ran water in the shower for about 10 minutes. I had to go to the Catholic Charities Board meeting tonight, so I did not bother cleaning up the back up in the tub, or scrubbing the shower. I will do that tomorrow night. The timing is good. The back ups seem to occur when I dump a lot of water in the drain, as when I run the dishwasher or do a load of laundry, both of which I did Sunday. So, that gives the chemicals a week to work. And the chemicals are cheaper than a plumber, so even if I need to do a repeat treatment, it is cheaper than using a plumber.
Thank you for posting this. We have had a similar problem and didn't know you could get a chemical treatment for the roots. Fingers crossed our problem has now been cured but if it hasn't I will definitely try this treatment. I really, really don't want the expense of calling a plumber out again. Thanks for the very helpful tip.
ReplyDeleteI don’t blame you for wanting to save money by just throwing some root killer down the drain, but you may want to get it inspected anyway. It sounds to me like there is a tree that has roots that are going to seriously damage your system, eventually. Thank you for posting this.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel @ Mikes Plumbing SWFL
Nathaniel, Thank you for your comment. I had had the entire sewer line replaced maybe some 10 years ago, and did not have any problems until 2013. In 2016, the chemicals worked for a few months, but right before Christmas I had another back up. I contacted the plumbing company that did the sewer line replacement. They did the cleanout, at a discounted rate, as they recognized their previous work,and used a camera to show me that the joint where the line was connected near the cleanout had settled, and that is where the roots were coming in. They suggested having the area dug up and reconnected. The tech said the usual cost was $500 to $700 but he thought it could be discounted to $400 to $500. What do you think. I think the work was guaranteed for 5 years, and I am well beyond that time frame. What do you think?
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