Will a Sewer Jetter Cut Roots? Hydro jetting a sewer line involves using highly pressurized water to break apart and cut the tree roots so they can then be flushed out of the pipes. Many hydro jets have around 4,000 per square inch (psi). Hydro jets are recommended for severe sewer line tree root blockage.
Hydro jetting is a powerful way to remove tree roots from your sewer pipes. This method uses strong water jets to cut through and remove roots, along with any grease and debris clogging your pipes. It's a clean and non-invasive approach—meaning it won't mess up your yard because there's no digging involved.
Rock salt is a popular solution for removing tree roots in your sewer line pipe. Rock salt sucks moisture from roots. The loss of water kills them. You can get rock salt at a local store, or you could just buy it from Amazon.
Hydro jetting works better on gritty soil, sand, mud, small rocks type pipe blockages, than on a greasy fabric blockage of pipes, where snaking a blockage might work better.
“Thinner,” high-pressure waterjet streams from a good jetting nozzle will have the most “cutting” power if the psi is adequate. Experience has shown that a 3,500 to 4,000 psi jetter with 6 or more gpm and the right nozzle or tool will cut out root masses, chop up hard grease, and carve out hard settled dirt.
Watch as the Brute 4009 jetter with a JNW-Reaper-9 literally shreds 3 feet of compacted roots with the Brute 4009 running at just over 7 gpm and only 3,000 psi (the 4009's max is 9 gpm/4,000 psi).
Use a pruning saw to cut the root cleanly. Carefully pull the cut root up and away from the tree until it comes out. Be sure to refill the hole with soil from the same area afterward.
A sewer camera inspection costs $125 to $500 if you hire a local plumber or $295 to $350 from Roto-Rooter. Cleaning a main sewer line costs $150 to $500 for snaking or $250 to $800 for hydro jetting, depending on the individual plumber's rates.
When our customers find tree roots growing into their sewer drains, many of them turn to a tried and true plumbing tool: the drain snake. Yes, snaking your sewer line is one way to get rid of a tree root infestation, but it's far from a perfect solution.
Remember, hydro jetting can damage pipes, but only if they're already weakened or damaged. A professional plumber will be able to identify any potential risks before the procedure.
Not usually. While insurance may help cover damage to your property caused by tree roots, it generally won't cover costs associated specifically with the sewer lines.
Copper sulfate will require several days to several weeks to work, although spectacular results are sometimes obtained when a rapid breakdown of the organisms within the root mass is achieved and flow is quickly restored.
Drain snaking does a decent job of removing tree roots or any other debris, but it doesn't prevent more tree roots or grease and grime from building up in the pipe again. That's why hydro jetting is the best proven technique to quickly, safely and cost-effectively remove tree roots from a sewer line.
Common hazards and risks include the water jet piercing the skin, being hit by flying debris and exposure to noise. Other hazards associated with high pressure water jetting include working in confined spaces, fall hazards, respiratory and eye hazards, electric shock and potential exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Chemical treatments to consider:
Hercules® R-D™ Root Destroyer is a special flake-like formula that prevents and stops root growth in external drain lines. Because this formula interacts with water, the drain line will need to be mechanically opened (snaked) to allow water flow if it is completely blocked.
The average cost of hydro jetting a main sewer line in 2022 is $700-1,100 (Forbes).
Key Takeaways. Tree roots can grow into sewer pipes in a matter of weeks or take several years, depending on conditions. Symptoms include slow drains, strange odors, and sinkholes in your yard. Tree roots seek out moisture from even the smallest pipe cracks.
You don't need super arm strength like you would with your normal manual tools and you can get out there and dig that ground and grow that beautiful garden,” he says. This makes it clear that an auger can go through roots safely and efficiently with the Power Planter.
While rooters scrape the sides of a pipe, the hydro jetter will blast off all debris in the pipe and wash it out. In addition to being 30-50% more efficient, the hydro nozzles spraying pressurized water can be as aggressive or gentle as they need to be – which makes a huge difference in the quality of the work.
Regular sewer jetting can eliminate clogs before they become full on blockages. We also recommend that you jet the sewers when you move into a new home, as you never know what condition the sewer line was left in by the previous owner.
Clearing a clogged sewer line costs $250 to $800, depending on where the clog is located, what causes it, and the necessary cleaning. A clogged sewer line is typically an indication of a much larger problem.
A Vertical Axe/Root-Bar is more specialized, as it is designed to cut wood found in trees, roots, and other dense vegetation.
Using your spade, you'll want to dig out the soil that surrounds the tree root system to expose them. Pull out any loose roots until no more loose ones remain. Dig out the dirt surrounding the ones that are still intact and cut through them using your loppers. Try to cut far from the root ball.
You may think your job is done after cutting it down, especially if you've removed the stump. But the truth is, the roots below can and will keep growing if you don't take the time to eradicate them as well.