Does anyone have any experiance in removing them…with out climbing in there?
I don’t want a bunch of people calling me to volunteer to go in..as we all know it smells like rose pedals…
Don’t they make something the burns off roots?
Serious question…well as serious as I can get. 
How do you know there are roots, and how do you know they are in the tank?
And, have you been playing with one of Dean’s cameras while he’s away?
There are chemicals you can buy that will “fog” the tank and kill the roots, problem is those chemicals get into the ground water…most places with a septic tank also have a well!! Even if it does kill the roots, they drop and can plug the system. Then your worse off than before the treatment.
If you want it done right, pump the tank, climb in and cut them out….it’s not that bad. It’s a good chance to inspect the rest of the tank, baffles and pipes. If there are bigger roots, those need to be to be taken care of outside the tank as well. Fact is, any roots should be taken care of on the outside as well. Then any holes need to be repaired.
BIRDDOG
BK,
The important point to make here, is that the tank in question has lost its monlithic integrity.
All areas in which the roots have penetrated the tank are likely areas of infiltration and/or exfiltration. Both cause obvious problems.
The tank owner is either leaching wastewater out into the ground and surrounding water table or allowing excess clean water into the treatment system, which will significantly reduce the life-cycle of the drain field or leaching system.
The tank should receive a high pressure (>4,000 psi) water blast and have all roots, grease, debris and degraded concrete removed.
The tank interior should then be coated with a monolithic liner to prohibit any further root intrusion and infiltration/exfiltration.
A nornmal residential septic tank (1,000-1,500 gallon) will typically cost approximately $2,000-3,000 for the aforementioned process.
Excavation and replacement will typically run $5,000 or more, not accounting for the permit/inspection process or lanscaping and restoration.
Good luck
cheers
Never gave that camera idea a thought Herb! Thanks!
I have a root wad/ball in the first baffle of the first of 3 1000 gallon tanks.
The roots are entering from the 10 or so feet of cement rings that are placed on top of the tank and come up to ground level. They are entering through the cracks in the rings.
I can “feel” the root ball in the first baffle when I poke a pipe down the inspection cover of the first baffle and once I do this, I can hear water running.
Birddog…looking for any extra work? 
Dean asks “Hey BK what is that funky smell on my Marcum” 
, BK response “Gus! what did you do to daddies camera”
Quote:
Dean asks “Hey BK what is that funky smell on my Marcum”
aint that the truth
Hey: I would strongly recommend you do not enter a septic tank to clean roots. Hydrogen sulfide accumulates in the tank and is deadly. Every couple of years someone seems to die around here from entering those tanks and I would really hate to see it be someone on IDO from advice given.
Smart pumpers will enter tanks after the tank is pumped and vented and the proper equipment is used and yes I do know pumper and plumber (1) who enter tanks without the proper equipment but we all know people like that.
Both my brother and I are registered sanitarians and have been in this business for more that 50 years combined and we had the same proplem up in north Wisconsin at our cabin and handled it by digging down to the manhole cover and rings on the inlet side where the roots were entering from, removed the roots on the outside of the tanks/rings, seal the joints (they make a rubber gasket to seal these rings now) and you can tar the lower joint, removed roots out of baffel area through manhole cover on top of the tank (one may have a riser on it and the other is buried)
which in most states is located over the inlet and outlet baffels and removed any trees within about 20 feet depending upon soil types.
Hard to do this this time of year however. Remember just by removing the roots inside they will be back shortly. You have to seal joints where they enter and really only from the outside. Good luck !
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