Are most drain blockages really caused by tree roots?

Tree roots can contribute to drain blockages, but they aren’t always the cause. Most drain blockages in homes result from hair and soap suds buildup and flushing solid objects down your toilets.  Kitchen drains are usually blocked by throwing solid food particles and grease. Bad pipe installation, poor water flow, and broken pipes all contribute to blocked drains as well.

If the water constantly pools around the drain instead of going down the pipes, it could seep into the ground next to your property and could enter your basement, causing floods and mold formation. While a sump pump can provide a level of waterproofing in your basement, constant leaking could overwork your sump pump, which can cause it to deteriorate over time. 

You can prevent this problem by taking care not to throw any harmful substances down your drain. But if the issue started with bad piping, you may want to have your plumbing system inspected. It might be a lot of work, but it can protect your property from serious damage. You might also want to make sure that you are using reliable pumps. Check out https://www.pts-jung.co.uk/jung-pumpen to shop for high-quality Jung pumps.

Damages occurring from blocked drains are a huge problem. Reports as far back as 2015 have shown that New Yorkers alone spent $18 million fixing blocked drains in just 5 years. And yes, the majority of these occur thanks to tree root ingress.

If you feel you have a blocked drain caused by a tree, the first thing you want to do is call a professional. They have a host of sophisticated appliances through which they carry out their analysis before even fixing the problem.

For instance, it may require a CCTV installation to identify the root of the problem (no pun intended). Afterwards, they can then make use of tools such as a mechanical auger or rooter. The auger gets fed into the pipe until it reaches the obstruction and from there it chops the root into bits.

Finally the chopped bits and pieces from the roots are then flushed out and your pipe becomes free again. I had a blocked drain in Medway caused by tree ingress and this was how it was handled.