I work for a water dept in Texas, we use Copper Sulfate in our main sewer lines. If you have to rock salt will work also, but do not use it if on a septic tank.
Our local Rent-All center where my husband went to rent a 'snake' to clear our sewer lines told him to pour a gallon of bleach all at once down the toilet once a month, that it will kill the roots. So far, it seems to have worked for us and it's been over a year with no problems.
Rebecca,try calling your local City Garage & asking.I know that here we just take a container (like a juice can or smaller) & they will fill it with a blue rock like substance - it might be the same as other posters posted already I don't know. But they give it away some places. You might check out this as a possibility before you spend any money on anything commercial!
One thing that I know works. It is Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate. We got it at Home Depot and Menards. It has two different names. One is called Root Gone, the other Root Kill, but it is the same thing. Use it as per the directions on the jug. It works for us. It costs about $8 to $10 for one treatment.
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Request: Killing Roots in a Sewer Line
Archived on 10/01/2008
Is there anything I can make or do to kill tree roots in water/sewer lines? We used Rid-X successfully five years in Houston, on city utilities, BUT not on anything like a septic. I just hated the Rid-X and hope someone knows of any tree root killer that will NOT kill the tree or us that we can make or mix up? Extra money is non-existant and I am disabled.
Lynda from Richardson, TX
Answers:
RE: Killing Roots in a Sewer Line
I've heard the dumping rock salt down your toilet will work. (08/03/2006)
Go to the feed store and get a block of salt like you feed animals. Chop blocks off of it that will fit in the water storage tank of your toilet and it will keep the tree roots out of your septic system economically. A large chunk of it will last a month, so the block is very low in cost for the time it lasts. (08/03/2006)
I heard rock salt also, put in toilet before going to bed, flush, so it can sit in the lines and do it weekly or so. Hope it works for you. (08/04/2006)
