Copper Sulphate

Question

Copper Sulphate
Have a friend tells me Cooper Sulphate should be poured down highest toilet in the house to prevent clogs.  Is there any negative affects from doing this?  Does it affect the pipes, causing any types of leaks?

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

The copper sulphate will do nothing on the inside plumbing, but it may help kill off roots have got into the pipes. It will also kill bacteria in the pipes, but it that really does not matter as it all goes down the drain. 
It should NOT be used in septic systems as it will destroy the enzymes that digest the solids in the tank. It will destroy its ability to work as it should. Also if its gets into the field you risk killing plants and shrubs that may have roots that could come into contact with the chemical. 
This stuff is not safe and should be very carefully handled. It will not hurt the pipes, but it will do nothing other then to kill off any roots that may have got into the pipe. Once dead, the roots will still remain keeping the plugged pipe exactly how it was when you put the chemicals in. 
I would suggest if your having issues, get a pro in and have them put camera into the pipe, find the area of concern and make the right repair. Chemical cleaning of any kind is only a short term fix.

Jim Ginas · Answer

I'm not having any issues, and we have a city water/sewer system. It was a suggestion a friend of mine mentioned today who lives in a community in Northern VA who has problems, and said same as you, the plumber put a camera down the pipe and my friend said he could see the tree 'Branch' as he put it, and it dissolved everything in its path. 
*** MY CONCERN is he said his system backed up into his house and I asked if the sewer system was clogged..... he said do this once a month and it will alleviate any future issues..... ??? BUT it sounds like I shouldn't have to worry about doing this for a maintenance type. Thanks for the reply!

Dee · Answer

where do you buy copper sulfate? I used to use salt, but took forever to work.

Jim Ginas · Answer

Don't know! assume, a big box store??

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

Copper Sulfate is not something that is marked as such. May find it at tractor supply or at the larger home centers selling chemicals for root removal. But please understand this stuff is dangerous to use. If you have a well, do not use it at all. If it leaches into your well water, it not only will harm you, but could destroy the water source to your home.
Lastly if you are having a root issue with your drain system, This is only a temp fix. Its not magic by any means. It takes a strong solution to dissolve any vegetation that finds its way into the drain pipes and could end up killing the very tree that is shading your lawn. Get a plumber in there and get the issue fixed properly as removal of the roots is not going to fix the hole in your drainage system.

Dee · Answer

Thanks for the info, I think I will just stick with salt to remove my neighbors tree roots from my lines.

Jim Ginas · Answer

ok, so for general 'preventive Maintenance', this si not necessary? no KNOWN issues in my lines, but again, friend suggests this as a Preventive maintenance thing......

Jim Ginas · Answer

great! as always Woodbridge: thanks much for the reply. I don't have a well, and clearly won't use it as a preventive measure either. THIS is why I like using this post. One person's suggestion could have caused a lot of damage. thanks again.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

A lot of people do many things to their plumbing system called preventive maintenance. The issue is if the system is properly cared for such as not over taxing a septic system with lots of water in short time, Not flushing things down that do not belong in it, I could go on, a properly operating system needs nothing. As soon as us humans start introducing what we have been sold as a preventive measure that is when things can go bad. Take septic's again. Lots of people are told to put products in the tank that help digest the solids. What they do not realize is, is that a properly operating system has more then enough bacteria from natural sources to do the job. Adding products such as these digest the solids to fast causing them to float within the effluent and bypass the baffle that is meant to keep the solids out of the septic field. The result is a plugged field that can cost thousands of dollars to repair. 
 The sales pitch is to convince people that it will keep the tank from over filling. Well, I do not know about your family, but in ours and most others, you simply cannot sit on the toilet long enough or often enough to over fill the tank in the amount of time that the natural process of digestion takes place. And by adding this product in a tank that is full, will do nothing other then ruin the rest of the system, when all that was needed was a $350 pump out. Something that needs to be done every 3 years anyway. The cost of a monthly filing with a tank sludge product for that same period of time can be as high as $750. Stick with pumping out every 3 years. 
 If something is not working, a quick fix is not going to solve the problem that caused the issue in the first place. It might buy you a bit of time, but in the end the money you spent on the quick fix ends up being wasted as you end up with having to correct the problem anyway and by then it could end up becoming worse.

B.b90710890 · Answer

on a well with copper sulfate treated pond. Had a new system put in home to rid of iron in the water and now water is a blue stain on sinks etc. can the copper sulfate treatment on pond leach into our well??

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