Pipe Damage from Tree Roots

Pipe Damage from Tree Roots

Get rid of Problem Roots

The roots from trees can cause trouble for your underground pipes and are the leading cause of sewer line breaks. With temperature changes, pipes can break and roots can penetrate the pipe, and even cause it to rupture. Royal Plumbing is familiar with removing the roots and getting your pipes back to where they should be.

Avoid Costly Plumbing Repairs

RootX® makes it easy for your plumbing professional to kill roots in residential sewer lines, storm pipes and septic systems. Root intrusion may be the single most destructive element facing your home’s wastewater collection system. Left untreated, roots will spread throughout the pipe. Material passing down the drain gets trapped in the roots, restricting the flow or even causing a complete blockage. Root intrusion can eventually destroy a sewer or septic system, costing thousands of dollars to repair or replace. We recommend annual RootX® treatments by a plumber to keep your system root free and avoid costly sewer and septic tank repairs. Ask your plumbing professional about our annual reminder program.

Restore Pipe Flow Capacity

The patented RootX® formula foams on contact with water to reach the top of the pipe where 90% of the roots are. Degreasing agents strip away grime so the RootX herbicide can penetrate the roots, killing them on contact. RootX® sticks to the pipe walls, preventing re-growth for up to three years. Dead roots decay over time, restoring pipes to their full capacity.

Tough on Roots – Easy on Pipes

RootX® kills roots using the aquatic herbicide Dichlobenil. It’s non-caustic, non-fumigating and non-systemic, and it contains no diquat dibromide, copper sulfate or metam sodium. It will not harm pipes, septic systems or above-ground vegetation.

EPA registration #68464-1

RootX® is registered for use in all 50 states as well as Canada, and it’s classified as a General Use product by the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, RootX® carries the signal word CAUTION, the lowest chemical hazard rating according to the ISO 3864-2 standard for hazard severity panels.

Available only from your Plumbing Professional

RootX® is only available from your plumber; it is not sold directly to homeowners. As plumbing professionals, we are authorized RootX® dealers; contact us to learn more. Head to our contact page if you’d like to speak to a plumber directly about RootX® or any other plumbing needs.

RootX

How RootX® Works

RootX® is a simple, cost-effective and proven way to kill pipeline roots in sewer lines, storm pipes and septic systems. It uses the aquatic herbicide Dichlobenil. It’s non-caustic, non-fumigating and non-systemic, and it contains no diquat dibromide, copper sulfate or metam sodium. RootX® is classified as a General Use product by the Environmental Protection Agency, and it’s registered for use in all 50 states (EPA registration #68464-1) as well as Canada. In addition, RootX carries the signal word CAUTION, the lowest chemical hazard rating according to the ISO 3864-2 standard for hazard severity panels.

Foaming RootX® Formula Kills Roots

The patented RootX® formula foams on contact with water. The foam acts as a carrying agent, lifting the herbicide to the top of the pipe where 90 percent of pipeline roots grow. Degreasing agents strip away grease and grime so the active ingredient can penetrate the roots, killing the root tissue on contact. RootX® promotes bacterial growth to speed the decay and natural removal of roots. The foam also leaves a thin layer of the the herbicide on the pipe walls to prevent re-growth.

Enhances Mechanical Root Cutting

Mechanical root cutting is an immediate and short-term solution to relieving pipeline blockages caused by root intrusion. However, cutting roots is like pruning a tree; it stimulates even more vigorous and destructive root growth in the remaining roots. That means new root growth can fully clog your pipe again in just nine months. Having a plumber treat your pipes with RootX not only kills all the roots on contact, it also leaves a thin layer of the herbicide on the pipe walls to prevent roots from coming back. New root growth after treatment with RootX is much slower and less destructive to the pipe. If this is the first time your plumber is treating a pipe or if it is completely blocked, it makes sense to use mechanical cutting to remove the root mass and restore pipe flow right away.

However, Royal Plumbing can kill any remaining roots in the line and stunt re-growth longer by applying RootX immediately after mechanical cutting. It’s important to have a plumbing professional apply RootX® within the first hour after cutting or wait six to eight weeks. That’s because roots release a traumatic acid to cover the cut ends and protect them against further injury. If your plumber applies RootX immediately after cutting, the herbicide can penetrate the root ends before the traumatic acid coating is complete. After six to eight weeks, the traumatic acid will have dissipated, leaving the most vulnerable part of the root—the white tender meristem growth where cells are actively dividing—exposed to the herbicide. The more root tissue you can treat with RootX®, the better. Once you’ve talked with Royal Plumbing and put your pipelines on a maintenance program with annual RootX® treatments, you should be able to eliminate mechanical root cutting in most cases.