No one likes dealing with clogged/blocked plumbing utility lines. That's why many homeowners will rush for chemical root killers the moment they realize that wayward tree roots have grown into any one of their plumbing utility lines.  

Chemical root killers offer a quick fix and they're affordable. You just need to flush the blocked utility line and the wayward roots will disappear. But here are three reasons why this might not be the best course of action.

They Are Dangerous

Copper Sulfate is perhaps the best-known chemical used to kill tree roots in plumbing lines and it sure does its job effectively. However, this chemical is known to have some level of toxicity. You'll get a first-hand feel of this toxicity if the chemical happens to get into contact with your skin or eyes during the root-killing exercise.

Complications that may arise from this kind of contact include itchiness of the skin and a severe rash. Contact with the eyes could give rise to complications such as conjunctivitis and a clouded cornea.

If used to kill wayward roots within your mains water supply line(s), traces of the chemical might be left along the walls of utility line(s). These traces are likely to end up in your drinking water since the chemical is highly soluble in water. You might suffer serious abdominal pains.

They Are Corrosive

The second reason you shouldn't use chemical root killers is that they could easily corrode your plumbing utility lines. This is especially true if the utility lines are made of metal, which is among the most common materials that these utility lines are made of. Many of these metals (e.g. iron) react with Copper sulfate and other chemicals found in root killers and the reaction could easily compromise the structural integrity of your plumbing lines.

They Are A Temporary Solution

Last but not least, chemical root killers only offer a temporary solution to the problem in your plumbing utility line(s).

Chemical root killers deal with the problem at hand, but they don't deal with the 'root' of the problem. The fact that wayward roots have grown into your plumbing lines often indicates the presence of invasive tree species growing in close proximity to the utility lines. It will only be a matter of time before the roots re-establish themselves in your plumbing utility lines. How many times will you 'solve' the same problem? Tree removal is a more permanent solution to this problem.