Roots in your sewer right now? See our blocked drains and CCTV drain inspection pages, or call 0451 001 503, 24/7.
Quick answer: Tree roots enter old clay sewer pipes through cracked joints, chasing moisture. They can be cut out with a jetter, but they grow back unless the pipe is relined or the damaged section is replaced.
If I had to pick the one job I do more than any other, it’s clearing tree roots out of sewer pipes. Ryde, Gladesville, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, Epping: they’re all full of big old trees and houses with the original clay sewer pipes. Put those two together and sooner or later the roots find their way in.
How roots get into the pipe
Roots go looking for water. An old clay sewer line is made of short sections joined together, and over the years the joints shift and crack. Warm, moist air leaks out through the gaps, the roots follow it, and a fine hair root squeezes in. Once it’s inside, it has all the water and nutrients it could want, so it grows into a thick mat that catches toilet paper and everything else coming down the line.
Newer PVC pipes with glued joints are much harder for roots to get into. That’s why it’s mostly older houses where we see it.
Signs you’ve got roots in the line
- Toilets that gurgle or drain slowly
- Water coming up through the gully trap outside, especially after it rains
- The same drain blocking again every few months
- A wet, smelly patch in the yard over the sewer line
- Trees or big shrubs growing within a few metres of the pipe
How we fix it
First, we look. We put a CCTV camera down the pipe so we can both see how bad it is and exactly where. Without the camera you’re guessing.
Then, we clear it. Depending on the blockage we use a high-pressure water jetter with a root-cutting nozzle to cut the roots back to the pipe wall and flush everything out. That gets you flowing again, usually the same visit.
Then, we talk about the long-term fix. Clearing roots is a bit like mowing the lawn. If the crack is still there, they’ll grow back. Your options are:
- Regular maintenance clears, if the pipe is otherwise sound and you’d rather not spend big right now
- Pipe relining, where a new pipe is cured inside the old one without digging up the garden
- Dig up and replace the damaged section, sometimes the cheapest option if it’s short and easy to get to
I’ll show you the footage and tell you honestly which one makes sense. Not every root problem needs a big job.
Stopping it happening again
- Plant trees well away from the sewer line. If you don’t know where it runs, ask us when we’re there.
- If roots keep coming back, book a check every year or so before it blocks, not after.
- Don’t flush wipes, even the “flushable” ones. They catch on roots and turn a small problem into a blockage.
If you think you’ve got roots in your pipes anywhere around Ryde, Epping, Gladesville or Hunters Hill, give me a call on 0451 001 503.
Quick questions
Gurgling toilets, slow drains, an overflowing gully trap after rain and repeat blockages are common signs. A CCTV camera confirms it.
Yes, by relining the pipe or replacing the damaged section so roots cannot get back in.
