I live in a very old little cottage house and the plumbing has become an issue because of the huge tree in the back yard, probably about 100 years old.
We would like to change from Charmin to a toilet paper that biodegrades quickly. Which toilet paper breaks down the fastest? And would using something like RidX help with a traditional sewer system?
Thank you!
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I'm not sure the RidX would work on tree roots in sewage lines in either septic or city/county sewer lines. I swore by it for keeping the enzyme balance right in my US septic tanks but never for tree roots in the lines.
Re the toilet paper, I left the US five years ago but I'm sure this old standard is still being sold: Scott single ply toilet tissue. It breaks up very quickly but is strong enough to be of actual use. My personal fav in the US was the Dollar General toilet paper - not as strong as the Scott tissue but broke up almost as fast as it hit the bowl water!
Really, the only real solution is to have Rotor Rooter (are they still in business?) or a similar company out to ream the lines. I had it done in the late 90s for around $350 and I'm sure the cost has only gone higher since then.
FYI - just having the tree removed WON'T solve your problem, you will still need to have the sewer lines reamed. If you decide to have the tree removed, know that some tree companies will do it for a reduced fee if they can have the wood but usually they try to take the wood AND charge you a considerable sum for the work including clean-up and debris removal. Be sure to put it in the contract if they're to take the wood (for a reduction of the cost because they should be able to sell the wood if you don't want it) or they've agreed to cut the wood and stack it for seasoning - if you don't get it in writing they are very likely to be less than fair with you and leave a horrible mess. Be sure your homeowner insurance covers them whilst doing the work including any damages they may cause (running over shrubbery, driving their vehicles over the grass or veg patch, etc). Also - and this is VERY important, be sure they're licensed, bonded, and insured themselves. Insist on copies of all their certification BEFORE you sign a contract!
Addition to Frugal Sunnie's answer:
We had similar problems in an older house with big trees-clay pipes cracked by and roots growing in our pipes from the trees. Many house owners in the area had the same problems and recommended that we just have the pipes cleared out annually by a plumber using an auger. This is best done in the fall; in the San Francisco Bay Area, the usual price was around $100 annually.
There is another chemical method to clean pipes but it is extremely dangerous to use and can make the problem worse.
Re tree removal-this is another subject entirely! I have much more information on tree removal and it is not a pretty picture. If interested, message me.
Buy any kind of quick-dissolve toilet paper that is made for RV use. If you're not sure where to look for this, I usually buy specialty products on Amazon.
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