DeepDooDoo
New Member
Hi all,
I'm having a re-occurring problem with roots in my sewer line. I used to have them cleaned out every couple of years and things would be fine for quite some time. But I had them cleaned in July (with a new company because I couldn't remember who I had used before it had been so long!) and the guy got only a small tangle in July and now less than 4 months later I had another backup. The same company sent 2 guys this time with a larger machine but didn't get any roots so I paid for a video to see what was going on.
The problem is obviously roots -- you can see tangles of them in two places (at about 23 feet and 47 feet)
[ame]http://youtu.be/HiNIsvQjbtQ[/ame]
The guy said it wouldn't do any good to try to clean it again because my access is too small (on the video it looks about the same size as the sewer line but its hard to tell).
He said the only solution was installing an outside access for $1,800. I agree this sounds like a good idea but I'm wondering if there is a different machine that would do a better job? Is there a specific machine I could call around and inquire about?
Right now, with this company, I'm out $500 since July:
$155 for the July clean out
$155 for recent clean out
$100 for video
$100 for Rootx application, which they used following the video -- most of which backed up onto my laundry room floor, making a big foamy watery mess (they poured 4 lbs into the access point in the crawl space and had me flush a toilet once -- 2 stories above. The laundry drain is inbetween, on the floor directly above the access point with an offset of about 3.5 feet from the access and a bunch of foamy water poured out of the floor drain onto my laundry room floor. I don't know how much Rootx actually made it down the line but I didn't run any more water until the next day on the off chance it might work.)
So my questions are:
1) should I try another mechanical removal -- maybe another company? These guys said they would come back for free if my line plugged again within 90 days but I don't know what they would do differently. (This by the way is a fairly large chain and they sent 2 vans with 2 guys.)
2) is there a better way to get the Rootx down to the actual sewer line given my set up?
3) seeing the video, is there much hope I will avoid another backup soon?
4) is $1,800 for an outside access (it's maybe about 3-4 feet down to reach the sewer line) a decent price? I realize this is probably a good idea but is it the only answer right now?
5) would it be better to replace the whole line, even though much more expensive, or would the roots just find their way into the line again? (Lovely old maple about 15 feet away is the culprit. I would hate to lose that tree.)
6) is trenchless lining a good option? Sounds like it could be a disaster in the wrong hands!
Thanks in advance for your input!
Deep Doo Doo
I'm having a re-occurring problem with roots in my sewer line. I used to have them cleaned out every couple of years and things would be fine for quite some time. But I had them cleaned in July (with a new company because I couldn't remember who I had used before it had been so long!) and the guy got only a small tangle in July and now less than 4 months later I had another backup. The same company sent 2 guys this time with a larger machine but didn't get any roots so I paid for a video to see what was going on.
The problem is obviously roots -- you can see tangles of them in two places (at about 23 feet and 47 feet)
[ame]http://youtu.be/HiNIsvQjbtQ[/ame]
The guy said it wouldn't do any good to try to clean it again because my access is too small (on the video it looks about the same size as the sewer line but its hard to tell).
He said the only solution was installing an outside access for $1,800. I agree this sounds like a good idea but I'm wondering if there is a different machine that would do a better job? Is there a specific machine I could call around and inquire about?
Right now, with this company, I'm out $500 since July:
$155 for the July clean out
$155 for recent clean out
$100 for video
$100 for Rootx application, which they used following the video -- most of which backed up onto my laundry room floor, making a big foamy watery mess (they poured 4 lbs into the access point in the crawl space and had me flush a toilet once -- 2 stories above. The laundry drain is inbetween, on the floor directly above the access point with an offset of about 3.5 feet from the access and a bunch of foamy water poured out of the floor drain onto my laundry room floor. I don't know how much Rootx actually made it down the line but I didn't run any more water until the next day on the off chance it might work.)
So my questions are:
1) should I try another mechanical removal -- maybe another company? These guys said they would come back for free if my line plugged again within 90 days but I don't know what they would do differently. (This by the way is a fairly large chain and they sent 2 vans with 2 guys.)
2) is there a better way to get the Rootx down to the actual sewer line given my set up?
3) seeing the video, is there much hope I will avoid another backup soon?
4) is $1,800 for an outside access (it's maybe about 3-4 feet down to reach the sewer line) a decent price? I realize this is probably a good idea but is it the only answer right now?
5) would it be better to replace the whole line, even though much more expensive, or would the roots just find their way into the line again? (Lovely old maple about 15 feet away is the culprit. I would hate to lose that tree.)
6) is trenchless lining a good option? Sounds like it could be a disaster in the wrong hands!
Thanks in advance for your input!
Deep Doo Doo
