Roots in Plumbing Pipes
Roots in Plumbing Pipes?
Roots have some very destructive tendencies. How often have you seen sidewalks, driveways, and even walls cracked and broken due to the slow, methodical, brutish force of ever-sprouting roots? Some of the most notorious damage done to your home will be to its plumbing and roots are the culprit.
Trees, shrubs, and large outdoor plants often have roots that can, over time, make their way into the foundation and damage the internal structure of your home. Once these roots encounter an obstacle, they either go around or through it. If that obstacle is one of the pipes running water through your home, you certainly hope it goes around it. But what if it doesn’t?
The Cure for Roots in Your Plumbing Pipes – Use a Rooter
Well fortunately for all of us, in 1933 Samuel Oscar Blanc combined a washing machine motor, wagon wheels, and a steel rope to create the first “rooter”. It was designed to remove roots that had invaded the sewer pipes. This invention would go on to be a huge commercial success. It’s creation removed the costly need of digging up pipes and clearing the obstructions by hand. Known also as a drain auger, rooter, or plumber’s snake there isn’t a credible plumber around who hasn’t used one of these instruments that clear roots in your plumbing pipes.
With improvements in construction and new technologies in materials roots are not the nuisance they were back in the 30’s. Yet, many houses and buildings still standing today are without these modern advancements. Therefore, the need for a rooter hasn’t lessened all that much. But the new wave of tools like hydro-jetting and chemical cleaners have made the good ole rooter seem a bit obsolete—well, it isn’t.
There are several benefits of using a rooter, here are a few:
- Cost: When your kitchen sink or toilet backs up it could be a simple fix and a rooter could help fix the issue quickly. Some might suggest hydro-jetting which too could fix the problem but a substantial cost. So rooter offers an alternative that’s affordable and at times as equally effective as the much more expensive hydro jet.
- Pipes: Older homes usually have older pipes. If they are the original existing pipes, they may be brittle in some sections. So using a high pressure spray like a hydro jet might be too powerful and cause more damage than the clog you’re trying to remove. That is why we would use a rooter type of device.
- Non-hazardous: Chemical cleaners can be very effective in dissolving clogs caused by oils, foods, or even hair. Unfortunately, their effectiveness is often due to some highly toxic ingredients. This isn’t the case with a mechanical snake otherwise known as a rooter. While it may be a bit more laborious it’s far safer.
If you’ve taken a couple unsuccessful swings at a clog with a chemical cleaner, put us at Mitch Clemmons Plumbing in the game. We’ll knock that clog out of the park; well at least out of your pipes.