Is Spring Growth Damaging the Plumbing?

Regarding plumbing, certain seasonal hazards can cause problems to become more common in one season over another. Due to local conditions, one of the most common causes of plumbing problems in the spring is the rapid growth of trees and plants as spring temperatures rise and rain soaks the soil. While everyone enjoys the flowering and beautiful growth, underneath the soil, the roots could seek fresh nutrients at the expense of underground plumbing. 

To better understand the seasonal hazards that plumbing is exposed to, local plumbers offer their advice. Here is a quick introduction to common springtime plumbing problems and how to prevent these emergencies in every home and business. 

Invasive Tree Roots 

Springtime is the season of rapid growth and flowering of trees and shrubs. When weather conditions change in the spring, all plants take advantage of it and compete for resources like sunlight and soil nutrients. What people see above ground in the leafing out and flowering of plants is only a portion of what is happening. Below the soil, trees, and shrubs rapidly send out new roots to seek fresh nutrients and water. 

One of the main nutrients plants seek in the spring is nitrogen. For owners with a green thumb, plants will get this nutrient from synthetic fertilizer spread on the lawn to feed the grass and landscaping. In other cases, roots will seek nitrogen from other sources. Unfortunately, sewage is rich in nitrogen. Even the slightest leak in sewer lines can cause tree roots to enter the sewer pipes in search of nitrogen. 

Complications from New Plant Growth 

Trees just look for their best interest when they invade sewer lines. However, this is little comfort to owners suffering from the complications of invasive tree roots. Tree roots can enter a sewer pipe from the smallest crack. Once inside, they will rapidly expand to soak up as much nitrogen as possible. This leads to complications like: 

• Slow draining
• Sewer clogs
• Sewer leaks
• Water pressure issues 
• Massive pipe blockages
• Collapsed pipes 

These problems can upset owners because of the hassle and will require expensive repairs. The best bet is to prevent this problem altogether. 

Solutions to Invasive Tree Growth 

Repairing sewer lines that have fallen victim to tree roots is the first order of business to get things back to normal after owners have experienced the problems listed above. For fast repairs, plumbers offer a service called hydro jetting. Hydro jetting uses a powerful stream of water to cut through tree roots and scrub them out of the pipes to restore service. 

While hydro jetting is a great temporary solution, prevention is the only long-term solution. After the blockage has been removed, there are two main things that owners should try to prevent the problem in the future: 

• Root barriers that prevent tree roots from growing near pipes
• Leak repairs that allow plumbers to dig up sewer lines and patch holes

Allowing plumbers to do these tasks is the only sure way to prevent complications in the future. 

About Allens Plumbing

Allens Plumbing specializes in residential and commercial sewer line repairs and tree root removal. They do their best to provide same-day service, especially in the case of emergencies. Call today for plumbing service in Aiea/Oahu, HI. 

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