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I have a grey water drain (70mm diameter) that has roots growing in it. I can rod the first foot, and that's it. Looking for some chemical that will work to clear them, as physical removal is nigh on impossible. The pipework leads to a septic tank, where the bacteria live on all the sewerage that arrives in a different tube, so anything which kills them isn't such a good idea.

Hoping there's a chemical which will dissolve the roots, but still be kind to the bacteria. Digging up the pipe isn't easy - concrete has been put over the ground above it.

Tim
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  • There is stuff that will make wood rot, but I think it has to be injected/put into the wood. It will probably also kill the plant/tree. Unknown what they to septic systems. There are pipe routers that clear pipes of roots. Knowing the type of roots would help for an answer. – crip659 Oct 21 '22 at 14:32
  • @crip659 - not sure what roots. They're either from a quince or a walnut tree - neither of which I'm keen to kill - just the roots in the pipe. – Tim Oct 21 '22 at 14:35
  • I used a dry powdered chemical (brand name and chemical composition are, unfortunately, lost to me at this point) to break down/dissolve roots in the main sewer lateral from our house. It was something that I found in the drain cleaner aisle of my local big-box home improvement store. It was designed to be used in multiple applications over time, and did, eventually, break down enough of the roots that toilets would flush properly on a regular basis and I could then get a snake down there to clear the rest. – FreeMan Oct 21 '22 at 15:08
  • @FreeMan - thanks. Into mains sewers, it seems people put just about anything! However, this goes direct into my own personal holding tank, which composts over time, so if it's a toxic chemical, the composting bacteria won't be able to do their job, thus giving me another problem later down the (pipe!)line. – Tim Oct 21 '22 at 15:15
  • @Tim Also need to remember chemicals that do nasty stuff to roots will probably do the same to the tree/s. Roots are how trees feed. Mechanical removal from the pipe is usually much safer for trees. Cement can usually be cut easy and replaced. – crip659 Oct 21 '22 at 15:37
  • Why can't you use the snake root grinder to grind up the roots? Big box stores rent them. – Fresh Codemonger Oct 21 '22 at 15:53
  • @FreshCodemonger - mainly because access, as I said, only allows about a12" penetration. – Tim Oct 21 '22 at 16:56
  • @crip659 - true, and if I knew where the pipework went after it goes through a 2' thick granite wall, underground, I might take that root (sic). – Tim Oct 21 '22 at 16:58
  • I don't really get the 12" access issue.... you rod it 12" and hit the root? Just push the root grinder in and grind the root, the root grinder will follow the pipe. – Fresh Codemonger Oct 21 '22 at 20:39
  • @FreshCodemonger - I rod 12" and hit some sort of un-negotiable bend, not the root. – Tim Oct 21 '22 at 20:53
  • When you say "rod" are you using a flexible snake or a straight not bendable rod? You can also rent the camera scope so you can see what you are hitting. I'd try that before chucking some chemicals down there. I've put acid from a plumbing wholesaler down a drain for roots before but that was after the root auger pulled some of the roots out. – Fresh Codemonger Oct 21 '22 at 23:33
  • @FreshCodemonger - I meant flexible snake, which I bought specially, and doesn't penetrate more than a foot, due mainly to a funny bend in the pipe rather than remaining roots, which I've dug out - there was a blockage of 18" going up a 40mm pipe that was the initial warning. But there will still be longer, stronger roots further on, I'm sure. – Tim Oct 22 '22 at 10:37

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Roots do not grow in pipes they need to be connected to something outside the pipe such as a tree. However they will invade when there is a break in the line and flourish as it is a great source of moisture. Removing the roots will be at best a temporary solution unless the plant is modified or removed. At this point I think you have to make a choice between the tree or the drain. The odds are high even if you remove the roots they will come back from there existing source or another, plants want water.

Good Luck, I hope it works out for you.

Gil
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  • It's a choice I really don't want to have to make. There's another option, again complex, to re-route the drainage so that that pipe doesn't drain any water, but again, that's not an easy option. – Tim Oct 21 '22 at 15:11
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You local hardware store should have a copper sulfate "Root killer" product sold for putting in drains to kill roots.

As others have noted, it will affect the tree/shrub that is invading your pipe. And it may grow back.

DaveM
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