Eliminate & Stop Tree Roots From Blocking Your Drains
Exclusive treatment eliminates roots without harming trees.
“Dr Drains were great in isolating and fixing a blocked storm water pipe at my house. They also assisted providing information that resulted in the entire storm water line being cleared by council. They also followed up with me regularly to ensure that the blockage and additional works were complete. I would recommend their services without reservation.” – Grant (Google Review)
If you’re noticing any of the following, it’s likely your drains have a blockage:
- Slower than normal drainage
- Unpleasant smells coming from your drains
- Sinks & baths taking longer than normal to empty
- Water pooling out of floor drains (very obvious)
- Multiple drains throughout the home affected
QUICK TEST: You’ll get used to how your home smells, so if you have guests over and they mention anything about weird odours, it’s a strong sign of a blockage.
You’ve likely put up with the slower drainage and even unpleasant odours for months already, hoping the problem will eventually go away or sort it self out. Now you’re here researching plumbers and the solutions available.
Let’s be frank. The vast majority of the time, unless it’s one off blockage caused by a foreign object becoming stuck, it’s normally tree roots invading your pipes. It’s probably been going on for quite some time, and only now is it noticeable.
How do tree roots even penetrate hard drains?
Well, as pipes grow older and slightly weaker, cracks can appear or areas wear down, giving roots an opportunity to take hold.
It’s like prying open a door. Once they get a foot in, it’s just a matter of time until they get all the way through.
The roots are attracted the sewage and water that your drains provide, and because trees and plants need to eat and drink too, they won’t stop until they get in!
In the beginning as your drains are being silently invaded, you’ll notice nothing out of the ordinary. However, over months, or even years (depending on the trees) the roots will grow so extensively that they block the flow of water and allow other debris to collect, which further blocks the flow.
If this progressive damage is left unchecked and you allow yourself to put up with slow drainage for too long, the pipes will continue to crack and bits will break off, making more room for roots to invade.
Think of the roots acting like a net that allow debris like hair and dirt to get caught.
Now imagine you have guests or family staying over. With the extra water usage and more debris washing down the pipes daily, a serious blockage is much more likely. This is why our emergency call outs always increase during the holiday periods like Easter and Christmas.
Eventually things will block permanently and you’ll be forced to call a plumber to fix it. It’s just a matter of time.
So, what are the solutions?
For the vast majority of root invasions you have three options:
1. HydroJet Drain Cleaning
This involves using our special HydroJet which is equipment we developed ourselves, designed to be more powerful than anything on the market. HydroJet blasts out tree roots and other debris using incredible water pressure. The pressure is so strong it breaks up even large roots with ease.
What are the pros and cons with using HyrdoJet?
Pros
- The cheapest option
- Very fast - use your drains straight away
- Great for small to moderate root invasions
Cons
- Temporary - doesn't stop roots coming back
- Can damage pipes if used frequently
- Broken roots often grow back faster
HydroJet is a great temporary solution for root blockages, because once the roots are cleared, there’s nothing to stop them growing back again.
2. Dr Drains Drain Relining
Dr Drains Drain Relining is a permanent solution and works by remotely inserting a super strong and durable “inner wall” to seal up your pipes which prevents roots from re-entering.
The beauty of this method is there is no digging. We can even fix pipes deep under layers of concrete with our special remote machinery.
Pros
- Permanent solution that will last 20+ years.
- No digging and no mess
- Fast - use your drains the same day
- Good for very extensive root invasions
Cons
- Higher cost than Hyrdojet
- Won't prevent roots in other parts of your drains
Dr Drains Drain Relining is an excellent long term solution. The main disadvantage is it won’t prevent roots from entering other parts of your drainage systems. Blocks may recur in different parts of your drains, especially if you have lots of trees around your house.
3. Vaporooter (Dr Drains Exclusive)
Vaporooter completely prevents further root growth while ensuring the integrity of your drains.
So what is Vaporooter?
It’s a special foam containing a root growth inhibitor that’s pumped into your drains that completely coats the roots from top to bottom. In a short time those roots die and fall away from the pipe.
Instead of acting like a standard weed killer you may be familiar with, Vaporooter only targets the roots.
It works as root growth inhibitor, so when trees try and grow roots near your drains, they simply can’t.
Vaporooter selectively destroys only the roots that it touches and for a few centimetres outside the drain.
This means your trees will be completely unaffected. The dead roots simply fall off into your drain and float away. Take a look at the photos below to see the difference:
Pros
- Prevents blockages throughout your entire drainage system
- Costs less than Pipe Relining
- Eliminates roots from ALL parts of your drains
- Pipes won't further deteriorate (e.g. from multiple Hydrojet treatments)
- Fast - after application you can use your drains right away
Cons
- Treatments are effective for around 12 months, so a quick yearly application is recommended
Vaporooter has distinct advantages over Hydrojet and Drain Relining because it eliminates roots from every part of your drains, ensuring no more blockages or further pipe damage.
Don't take our word for it! Here's what our clients say:
“We engaged Dr Drains upon the recommendation of friends who had been getting annual vaporooter treatments. They were faced with the choice of replacing their entire drainage line (and all their landscaping and garden fixtures), or a seemingly never ending number of plumbing visits for an electric eel or jet to unblock their drain. They tried vaporooter out of desperation and it worked.
We had a similar choice and gave Dr Drains vaporooter a go (Somewhat skeptically) and have not had a blockage since (6 years and counting). We think it’s saved us thousands.
We can highly recommend Dr Drains.”
“A work colleague recommended Jeremy and I can see why. He got back to my online query almost instantly and booked a time for a few days later (it wasn’t an urgent issue).
Josh turned up on time, with the right parts to repair our hot water heater. Then he inspected our drain blockage, explained the two approaches he was going to take to fix it, and gave me the quote before proceeding.
He made sure I was happy with the work before finishing, cleaned up after himself and left things as he found them. He didn’t seem to be particularly put out by having to navigate a cat enclosure or having a couple of interested kids follow him around for a little while.
I’ll definitely be using Dr Drains again the next time I need a plumber.”
“Excellent service and fixed the problem without having to pull up my whole backyard as stated by another plumbing group, saved me over $12,000. I have been recommending them to everyone, will be the first place that I call if I ever have a problem again.”
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