If your drain blocks, gets cleared, and blocks again a few months later, there’s a good chance tree roots are the reason. On the North Shore, they’re the most common cause of repeat blockages we see.
Here’s why it happens, how to tell if it’s happening to you, and what you can do about it.
Why roots get into North Shore pipes
A lot of homes across Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby still have their original clay sewer pipes. Clay pipe comes in short lengths, joined every metre or so. Over decades, those joints shift and crack.
Tree roots go looking for water. Your sewer line is warm, damp and full of nutrients, so a root that finds a tiny gap at a joint will push its way in. Once inside, it grows into a mat of fine roots that catches everything flowing past.
Add the big, established street and garden trees the North Shore is known for, and it’s no surprise roots are such a common problem here.
Signs roots are in your pipes
- The same drain keeps blocking. A one-off blockage can be anything. A blockage that keeps coming back usually isn’t.
- Gurgling toilets or sinks. Air being pushed past a partial blockage. [Link: Why is my sink or toilet gurgling?]
- Slow drains across the house. If more than one fixture is slow, the problem is likely in the main line, not a single pipe.
- Water coming up in an outside gully. The overflow gully near the house is often the first place a main line blockage shows.
- Sewer smells in the yard. Especially near a large tree or along the line of the pipe.
- Soggy or unusually green patches of lawn. A cracked pipe can leak into the soil and feed the grass above it.
What not to do
It’s tempting to reach for a bottle from the supermarket. We’d skip it. Drain chemicals rarely shift a root blockage, they can damage older pipes, and they make the drain unsafe to work on when we arrive.
Root-killing products have their place, but they won’t clear a pipe that’s already blocked, and they don’t fix the crack that let the roots in.
How we fix it
- Clear the roots. A high-pressure jetter cuts through the roots and scours the pipe walls clean. For heavier root mats, an electric drain machine may be used first.
- Look inside. A CCTV drain camera shows exactly where the roots got in and how damaged the pipe is. You see the footage too. [Link: What happens during a CCTV drain inspection]
- Talk through your options. If the pipe is sound apart from a joint or two, regular clearing may be enough for now. If the damage is worse, we’ll explain repair or relining options for that section.
- Fix the cause, if it’s worth it. Pipe relining puts a new lining inside the old pipe and seals the joints, usually without digging up the garden. [CONFIRM: relining done by Peter or arranged through a partner]
We’ll tell you straight whether it’s worth fixing now, or whether a clear and a watching brief makes more sense for your budget.
Can I stop roots coming back?
Clearing alone buys you time, but roots will usually grow back into the same joint. The long-term fix is sealing the pipe, either by relining or replacing the damaged section.
If you’re planting, keep large trees well away from the sewer line. If you’re buying an older North Shore home, a camera inspection before you settle can save you a nasty surprise.
Drain keeps blocking?
Call Peter on 0403 404 307 or send a photo of what’s happening. If roots are the problem, we’ll clear the drain, show you the footage, and give you a straight answer on what to do next
