Tree Roots vs Drain pipes: part b

What not to do

Plumbers do not recommend the following to clear drain roots:

• Putting any sort of poison, herbicide or weed killers down your drains to kill the roots. This is not only ineffective, but also illegal. These poisons go down your pipes and into our waterways, which is harmful to the environment and public health.
• Putting rocksalt down the pipes to dry up the roots - once again, likely ineffective and not recommended. You should not put anything down your pipes other than standard waste.
• Putting boiling water down your pipes - this one is just a waste of water! The heat loss from the time the water travels from your sink to the tree outside renders this 'solution' completely ineffective.

Prevention

You can purchase a copy of your property sewerage plan from your local shire council before planting any new trees. This will help you plan that your landscaping is not impacting your existing plumbing.   Try to plant trees at least 5 metres away from your property’s sewer or stormwater pipes and ensure they are pruned and watered regularly so they don't need to send out roots in search of water. DO NOT PLANT TREES AROUND YOUR SEPTIC TANK.

If you are building a new house, take into account where existing trees are (including your neighbour's trees) and don't lay any pipe near them.

Call the Experts

Sometimes it takes more than a clever landscaping to fix a blocked drain.