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root killer dangerous to pipes?

15K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  darsunt 
#1 ·
I have a slow shower drain that is supposed to have root problems. I've also been told root killer chemical can damage pipes.

I've looked at a root killer brand at Osh and there is no mention on the package of danger to pipes. If it can hurt pipes, what precautions should I take?
 
#2 ·
I understand that copper sulfate is the one that can hurt pipes, and may also be illegal in some areas.

I've read favorable reports on dichlobrnic. Is it as good as they say? It's supposed to be safe for pipes and safe for the environment. One brands I've read about is Rootx
 
#4 ·
I agree with Ron. What you probably have is hair and soap residue. Best bet is to snake the line out. If you feel you must use a chemical, use an enzyme drain cleaner such as Draincare by Zep. Enzyme cleaners cling to and eat organic clogs. Caustic chemicals merely eat a small hole and run down to the mainline, leaving most of the clog there to start over.
 
#6 ·
Wow, that is strange. You need to realize that if roots have grown inside of the pipe, there are now holes in the pipe that will not "heal". They will only get bigger and possibly collapse eventually. Time to start planning a major repiping job.
 
#7 ·
I've heard that the roots around the toilet flange happens a lot, I was just hoping that it would never happen to me.

The kitchen sink, lavatory, ect run fine, so assuming our handyman is correct, there is some kind of root invasion in the shower drain before it reaches the main line.

I would then need (for a short term fix) to put the root killer in the shower/tub. But now I've read that even dichobrnic shouldn't be used from the bathtub. Will it damage the pipes? What is a person to do? (Sigh)
 
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