Sewer sleeving to stop roots

[Jim]

Synopsis: Tree roots plug up sewer requiring rooter service at 6 month intervals. Is sleeving effective?

Details: First 40 feet of line after leaving house is 4" cast iron with not much slope. Then as it approaches tree area (olive trees) it changes to 4" ABS, for about 20 feet. Then that is connected, via a rubber adapter, to the city's clay pipe. Our property is about 2 feet higher than the street, so the clay pipe (with cement joints) angles downward at possibly 40 deg. for about 5 feet before it goes under a sidewalk and the street. The main line is about 40 more feet, almost on the far side of the street, but not particularly deep, so I assume that the clay pipe has a bend in it (to level it out) about where it first passes under the sidewalk

Roto Rooter has offered to install a fiberglass sleeve, running from the beginning of the clay to the main line, for $4K to $5K. They will guarantee it for 50 years.

Opinions?

Henry

[Edwin Pawlowski]

How much to chop the trees down?

I'd get some other prices, but trenching alone is not cheap.

[Hopper]

found this, says to use copper sulfate

have copper drain lines in a rental with lots of trees. I wonder if copper sulfate damage teh copper pipes?

[BobK207]

[Hopper]

that K77 is 99% copper sulfate .

[hallerb]

I use plain old rock salt a 25 pound bag dissloved in hot water in the wash tub a few times a year, then leave house for day, it doesnt hurt the tree, but kills the roots and is near free. my underground pipe is all terracota, I dont know if it would hurt cast iron?

tree and bush roots can travel a long way, I removed a tree but it didnt help.

try the rocksalt its cheap and if done in early spring before stuff leafs out works wonderful, Its time tested been over 10 years.

[Hopper]

why do you leave the house? are you on a septic system?

[hallerb]

So NO ONE FLUSHES or runs water, this allows maximum exposure of the roots to the salt.

It just seems a good idea, and is easy to do on way to work in morning etc

we are on regular sewer

[hallerb]

copper sulphate is very hazardous, and even in a weak form for tree root killing very pricey.

copper sulphate can kill the plants / trees that have roots in sewer. might be a nice tree or really pricey to remove.

I knew a classmate in high school, another classmate nearly killed him putting a little copper sulphate in his grape drink, we were told the only reason the victim lived was the cold temp of the grape drink, it slowed absorbtion. the one who spiked the drink was permanetely expelled and charged with attempted homicide.

rock salt or softener salt is non hazardous and dirt cheap.

[tbasc]

We had a problem that was traced to city system. City sleaved their system and we have had no problem since. Perhaps you should speak to your utility about repairing their line? TB

[Hopper]

not according to