"Curious if anyone else has had luck with preventive maintenance methods like root treatments or enzyme cleaners..."
Honestly, enzyme cleaners are mostly marketing hype in my experience. They might help with minor buildup, but roots? Nah...you're better off biting the bullet and fixing the real issue properly.
I've actually had decent luck with enzyme cleaners, but only in specific situations. Like you said:
"They might help with minor buildup, but roots? Nah..."
Exactly right—roots are a whole other beast. If you've got tree roots invading your pipes, enzyme cleaners won't cut it. I'd recommend getting a camera inspection first to see what's really going on down there, then consider either hydro-jetting or mechanical root cutting. It's pricier upfront, but saves headaches down the road.
You're spot on with the camera inspection—definitely worth the cost to know exactly what's lurking down there.
"enzyme cleaners won't cut it."
Yep, learned that the hard way myself. Had a rental property with a huge maple in the yard, and hydro-jetting was the only thing that finally cleared it up. Not cheap, but beats dealing with repeat backups every few months... Hang in there, you're on the right track.
Yep, been down that road myself. Had a similar issue at one of my older properties—big oak tree roots kept creeping into the line. Tried every enzyme cleaner known to man, but like you said:
"enzyme cleaners won't cut it."
Eventually bit the bullet and went for hydro-jetting. Hurt the wallet a bit, but honestly, haven't had a backup since. Sometimes spending a bit more upfront saves you headaches (and cash) down the road...
Had a similar headache at my last place, except it wasn't oak roots—it was maple. Those enzyme cleaners are great for minor clogs (hair, grease, etc.), but once you're dealing with tree roots, they're pretty much useless. I tried snaking the drain myself a few times, and it'd clear up temporarily, but within a month or two, same issue again.
Finally got a plumber friend to scope it out with a camera, and yep—roots everywhere. Ended up doing hydro-jetting too, and he recommended lining the pipe afterward. It was pricier than I'd hoped, but honestly, after that I never had another issue. Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and fix it properly rather than patching things up every few months. Learned that lesson the hard way...
