Some homeowners have been led to believe that electric drain cleaning machines are able to cut & remove all of the roots from their drain line. This is simply not true. Once roots enter a sewer line, they can never be completely removed unless the pipe is replaced. Video inspections have revealed the true effect that these machines have on roots.

To get a snake in the drain you take off the *overflow plate*. That's the chrome thing on the tub wall with two screws. When you pull it out - two sections of the stopper mechanism will come with it. It's hinged so it will bend through the hole. Chances are that hair caught on the end of this mechanism is clogging the drain- you might not even need to snake it. BTW - A snake will not go through the drain hole at the bottom of the tub. See similar questions...

Most people know that tree roots stabilize a tree. However, that is only part of their job. Most people don't realize that roots absorb oxygen out of the soil. Tree roots absorb air, water and nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus from the soil then convey these elements to the rest of the tree. All of these are essential for the trees growth and overall health. Tree roots also store starches that are produced during the growing season. See similar questions...

The growth characteristics of many species is to develop surface roots. Silver maples are one example. Many times, surface roots occur when the tree roots are looking for water, the soil is too hard, or the soil is saturated with water. Surface roots can impact sidewalks and driveways. See similar questions...

Tree roots can normally grow to that of two and one-half times the height of the tree. The area under the canopy of the tree is commonly referred to as the critical root zone. The amount of critical root zone lost is directly related to the amount of die-back in the crown of the tree. In an oak tree, if more than 30 percent of the critical root zone is lost, the tree will die. However, soft wood trees, such as box elder, can tolerate far more root disturbance. See similar questions...

While our website has information on the brown tree snake, Facts and BTS Identification, you can visit our Links page for a list of sites than give you comprehensive information on questions we may not have answered to your satisfaction. Also, visit our Publications page for abstracts of scientific journal papers concerning the brown tree snake. See similar questions...

Roots grow toward water vapor or moisture, by a continuous process (hydrotropism) occurring at the very end of the root. The root grows one cell at a time enabling it to enter the small cracks and joints, which may be present in your pipe. After a root enters a pipe, it divides hundreds of times to form a large mass of tender root ends. This root mass will accumulate a thick coating of grease which will collect up on the root mass until a blockage occurs. See similar questions...

No. In six years of controlled use, there has been no indication of damage caused from the spike or cross member entering the root ball. Any piercing will, at worst, cause the roots to grow around the impediment. See similar questions...

Tree roots are opportunistic. While they will not crack a sound sewer service or water line, they will exploit cracks or failures in the lines. The best defense against having tree roots in lines is to make sure that your lines are in good condition and that they're not cracked. If you suspect that tree roots are growing into your sewer line, you can have the roots cut out using a process called "rodding". See similar questions...

Local hardware stores have a chemical for removing tree roots. This will kill the roots that are in the service line. See similar questions...

Contact Austin Energy to request tree trimming at (512) 494-9400. For tree branches in the right of way, call 3-1-1. For more information on trees, see Trees Preservation and Replenishment or Urban Forestry Department, Parks See similar questions...

My floating-point calculations are acting strangely and giving me different answers on different machines. I'm trying to do some simple trig, and I am #including <math.h>, but I keep getting ''undefined: _sin'' compilation errors. You forgot to define the sin() function. Most math texts should cover it in some detail. The easiest way to fix this should be: double sin(double x) { return sqrt(1 - cos(x) * cos(x)); } See similar questions...

Tree roots do not cause drains or sewer pipes to break, but they will invade and clog drains that have pre-existing cracks and resultant leakage. Drains are usually six to eight feet below ground level, while tree roots grow almost exclusively in the upper two feet of soil, because they not only need nutrients, but also oxygen to survive. See similar questions...

Tree roots will certainly contribute to sidewalk failure, but they are not the initial cause of heaving. There are a number of factors that contribute to sidewalk failure: the method of sidewalk construction, type of soil under and surrounding the sidewalk, proximity of the sidewalk to the tree's buttress roots, and others. There are several things that can be done to repair the sidewalk and maintain the health of the tree. See similar questions...

No! Whilst many “ home doctors” may tell you they do, there is absolutely no truth to this. Corns and callous generally occur due to friction and do not grow from roots. See our common conditions section for a full explanation. See similar questions...

The NABTSCT appreciates your interest in the brown tree snake issue. If you would like to let other people know about the brown tree snake you can: See similar questions...

Yes, Liquid-Plumr® Foaming Pipe Snake® Clog Remover is formulated to work effectively on slow drains. Sometimes, slow drains are caused by partial clogs especially ones that form at or below the stopper. In this situation, Liquid-Plumr® Foaming Pipe Snake® Clog Remover will remove the clog and fix the slow drain. Stubborn conditions may require a second treatment. Yes. Liquid-Plumr® Foaming Pipe Snake® Clog Remover is designed to pour through standing water. See similar questions...

Tree trimming is a service offered by The North Little Rock Electric Department in an effort to curb unnecessary power outages. If you notice tree limbs on, in or near the electric power lines please contact a City Services Customer Representative at 501-975-8888 or you may contact the electric department directly at 501-372-0100 extension 8726. NEVER ATTEMPT TO REMOVE A TREE LIMB FROM A POWER LINE. REMEMBER THE LIFE YOU SAVE COULD BE YOURS. See similar questions...

Unprovoked, a snake will not bite a person. Virtually all cases of snakebite occur when a snake is disturbed, either deliberately or accidentally. See similar questions...

The detection of rocks can be due either to your detector's ground adjust not being set correctly so that typical 'hot rocks' are ignored, or to the rock that you have just found being a truly positive reading mineral sample. Hot rocks are iron ores or magnetite, which are 'negative' with respect to normal ground signals. Their intensities can vary considerably, which makes setting the detector to get rid of all of them a little tricky. See similar questions...