Tree Roots and Sewer Lines on the Treasure Coast
Year-round growing and older clay or cast-iron laterals are a bad combination. We clear the line and, if you want the camera, show you whether roots have only entered the pipe or already broken it.
A year-round growing season is hard on old laterals
From Fort Pierce through Vero Beach, Sebastian, Palm Bay and Melbourne, a lot of older homes still drain to the street or the tank through clay or cast-iron pipe. Those materials were fine when they were new. Over the years, joints loosen, the pipe roughens, and a low spot forms where waste settles. Roots find that opening because there is moisture in the line, and because trees and shrubs along a lot line or a sidewalk don't stop growing in January here.
East Coast Sewer And Drain, LLC spends a lot of its time on this kind of work. We clear the line, and — if you want the camera after it is flowing — we can show you whether you have a clog, a root intrusion, a sag or a break.
.jpg){kind=link}
What we see, and what we won't guess
A single slow sink is usually a fixture clog. Several fixtures backing up at once, a toilet that gurgles when other water runs, or water coming up in the tub when you flush is more likely the main line. If that main-line backup keeps coming back after a cleaning, roots or damaged pipe belong on the list.
Planting is not a diagnosis by itself. A large tree near the lateral is a reason to inspect the line when it has already failed, not a reason to dig up a yard on a guess. After the blockage is cleared, a camera run down the line shows the cause and an approximate location. For a minimal additional charge, we offer video camera inspection with obstruction locating. If the inspection leads to a repair you schedule with us within 30 days, we credit the inspection cost toward the repair.
See drain cleaning and sewer line repair on this site, and the sewer-focused pages at sebastiansewer.com, including why drains back up in the rainy season.
Root and sewer-line questions
Why do tree roots get into sewer lines here?
Florida's year-round growing season keeps roots looking for moisture. A small crack or a loose joint in a clay or cast-iron lateral is enough. Once roots are in the line, they catch paper and waste until the pipe slows or stops. Rainy-season soil movement can open a joint that was only barely holding.
Can you just cut the roots out?
Roots can be cut back in a line that is otherwise sound, and that can get the pipe flowing again. If the roots have split or separated the pipe, cutting them is only a short pause. After the line is open, a camera inspection (on request) shows which of those you have.
How do I know it's roots and not just a clog?
You often don't, not from the bathroom. Repeat main-line backups, a backup that returns weeks or months after a cleaning, or a camera view of roots at a joint are the usual tells. One slow sink is more often a fixture clog.
Every job is different. Call us to talk through your job and pricing. Our trip charge is credited toward your repair when you go ahead with the work.
Backup keep coming back?
Call (772) 203-5437. Tell us how often it happens and whether a camera has been run before.