What is RootX? Root foaming treatments explained

If tree roots keep blocking your sewer, you may have heard of root foaming treatments, with RootX one of the best-known brands. They're a foaming root killer poured or pumped into the drain, designed to kill the roots inside the pipe without harming the tree. They can help, but they're not a cure-all. Here's how they work and when they make sense.

How root foaming treatments work

• The product is mixed with water and foams as it goes down the drain.
• The foam fills the pipe, including the top where roots often hang, so it contacts the roots all the way round.
• It kills the roots inside the pipe, which then break down and wash away over the following weeks.
• Used as directed, it's designed to affect the roots in the pipe rather than the whole tree.

When it makes sense

The limits

• It doesn't repair the cracked or open joints the roots got in through, so roots usually return eventually.
• It won't clear a pipe that's already fully blocked. The line needs clearing first.
• It won't fix a collapsed, sagging or broken pipe.
• Products must be used exactly as labelled.

The permanent fix for roots is to seal the pipe so they can't get in, with pipe relining or replacement. We'll show you the camera footage and give you options, including treatment, regular cleaning and repair, each with a fixed price before any work starts.

In southern Eastern Suburbs homes

Old clay sewer pipes and big trees in Matraville, Kingsford and Pagewood mean root blockages that come back every year or two. For some homes a treatment program is a good middle ground; for others, relining the worst sections ends the problem.

Related help: tree roots guide, how far roots travel, regular drain cleaning, pipe relining and drain jetting. Local pages: blocked drains Matraville, blocked drains Kingsford, blocked drains Pagewood and blocked drains Eastgardens.