Have Your Trees Started To Invade Your Pipes?

It sounds like the makings of a B-rated horror flick: Invasion of the Tree Roots! Unfortunately, it’s an all-too-common occurrence for central PA homeowners. If you have mature trees in your yard, or your neighbor has mature trees, you may one day find yourself dealing with pipes that have been infiltrated by growing tree roots.

Why Tree Roots Are Attracted to Pipes

It’s not difficult to understand the reason tree roots would find water pipes to be extremely attractive. After all, having a constant flow and source of nourishment is a boon to any tree. As the tree’s roots begin to work their way into your pipes, they get a reliable supply of refreshing H2O. The tree grows bigger and stronger, and your water bill gets higher and higher without you realizing why.

How to Tell If Your Pipe Problem Is Caused by Tree Roots

You can’t tell if issues with your water pipes are caused by tree roots without an evaluation, but there are a few signs that are commonly-seen when this happens:

• Drains that flow slowly. Have you noticed that your water drains throughout your house are flowing more slowly than ever before? As tree roots start to clog up your pipes, the water flow begins to suffer.
• Gurgling from the toilet. Is your toilet bowl starting to make gurgling noises? This can be a strong indicator that something is in the pipes, such as tree roots.
• Higher utility bills. Your skyrocketing water bill could be attributed in part or full to tree roots.
• Previous tree root issues. Did you have a problem with your tree roots invading the water pipes before? Have your neighbors talked about their own problems with tree roots? If you’ve had something done previously, it may be rearing its head again.
• Collapsing pipes. Of course, this is one of the biggest signals that you need to find someone to repair or replace the pipes that are running under your home and/or lawn.

What to Do If Your Pipes Are Filled With Tree Roots

After a technician has evaluated your pipes, he or she may find that damage is being caused by tree roots. At this point, you have several options. In general, you should choose the most affordable one that will give you the best long-term results. Many Harrisburg, Camp Hill and Mechanicsburg based professional plumbing companies will offer some kind of financing for this type of an investment. As you prepare for future landscaping, consider planting trees more than 10 feet away from known water and sewage pipes to avoid tree root invasions.
Ready to tackle your tree roots? Call Pronto Plumbing at (717) 533-1057 for an evaluation of the water pipes beneath your home and yard.