Roots in Basement Toilet?

[ultrarunner]

Neighbor's basement toilet would would not go down after flush.

Pulled toilet and found a heavy net work of roots outside the cast irons pipe and flange extending through wax ring into the toilet.

Roots outside the pipe causing problems is a new one for me.

The outside is heavily wooded so plenty of roots.

All I can think of is some type of permanent herbicide to prevent it recurring? What about copies amounts of salt?

 

[jyoutz]

Neighbor's basement toilet would would not go down after flush.

Pulled toilet and found a heavy net work of roots outside the cast irons pipe and flange through was ring into the toilet.

Roots outside the pipe causing problems is a new one for me.

The outside is heavily wooded so plenty of roots.

All I can think of is some type of permanent herbicide to prevent it recurring? What about copies amounts of salt?

Sealed ABS pipes

 

[oosik]

Somewhere a pipe joint has been pulled apart or there is a break in the pipe. Tree roots can be a real problem for septic systems.

 

[4570Man]

Copper sulfate but I’m not sure that anything truly works once the roots take hold.

 

[airbiscuit]

My friend had that happen at her cabin. First she had a capable septic tank pumping company do a thorough snaking of the drain line, followed by running a video camera through it to confirm all was clear. I recorded where the roots infiltrated the line (basically every cast iron joint). Then, twice a year, she runs a foaming root killer through the line. The brand below is pretty good, but your local septic pumping company probably has a more industrial version.

It is astonishing how well tree roots find the slightest bit of water.

 

[ultrarunner]

Good info...

I use to be able to buy Rootx and something called Angus...

I don't think either still available in California.

Neighbor is on city sewer and new lateral with heat welded seams within 6-7 feet of basement toilet.

The basement is walk to daylight built on down slope.

Lots of the outside soil was disturbed when city replaced lateral maybe 5 years back.

 

[ponytug]

@ultrarunner Any chance of digging the toilet line and replacing the remaining joints, or at least wrapping them in say copper?

My experience is like @airbiscuit's neighbor and once tree roots get in, they have to be cut out and treated and treated. I view it as a temporary fix.

All the best,

Peter

 

[jyoutz]

@ultrarunner Any chance of digging the toilet line and replacing the remaining joints, or at least wrapping them in say copper?

My experience is like @airbiscuit's neighbor and once tree roots get in, they have to be cut out and treated and treated. I view it as a temporary fix.

All the best,

Peter

Dig and replace with ABS pipe.

 

[CalG]

they make tools just to cut those roots...

then the chem treatment..

I've got a full sized Y for clean out access to the septic tank.
My bet is the dry well is just a ball of maple roots Though when I rebuilt it 30 years ago, the stack block structure was pretty clean

 

[ultrarunner]

It would require slab saw cut to expose the cast iron pipe and digging outside.

I'm wondering if the wax ring was not 100% liquid tight?

I've never come across roots following a pipe to the toilet flange but most of what I deal with is above ground with crawl space opposed to slab.