"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
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On Feb 1, 8:09 pm, "Colbyt" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

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On Jan 31, 6:43 pm, "Colbyt" wrote:



"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

...

Since I didn't get an answer to this question in my thread about salt
damaging my shower base, I'll try my question here.

What is the prescribed dosage of rock salt to control roots in a
drain?

Some folks in this group have said they dissolve 25#, but they don't
say how often.

One site, supposedly quoting a Mr. Rooter contractor, had this:

"Periodic (every 5-6 months) treatment with 1 cup of rock salt poured
into the clean-out, followed by running roughly 1 gallon of water
through the system and then allowing it all to "soak" overnight"

eHow says: "Rock salt will kill any plant or root it touches. Flushing
it into the sewer system several times daily should penetrate and kill
the roots."

Other sites simply say "use rock salt to kill roots in drains" or some
variation on that theme.

Nobody seems to have a consistant answer as to a specific amount and
how often - except for Mr. Rooter - but that suggestion is so far off
from the "25#" suggestion that one or the other doesn't seem valid.

Does anyone have a source for a firm answer? I don't mind using too
much salt, but I'd really like to know *how often* I should be
treating my drains.

I usually have to snake my drain once every couple of years but I'd
rather do preventative maintenance.

I have no experience with this. I would suspect that repeated dosages at
regular intervals would have a more lasting impact. That is common sense
at
work.

umm...yeah.

Except that counts as simply another opinion with no solid
information. ;-)

What size dosage? A cup? A pound? 25 pounds?

What's a "regular interval"? Every week? Every month? Every quarter?

Right there I've got 9 possible sets of "repeated dosages at regular
intervals", but still no clue as to what is the optimum.

With all the "science" I've seen posted in this ng across a variety of
topics, I'm surprised no one knows the correct amount and time frame.

------------reply-----------------

My understanding is that maximum root growth occurs in the fall and
winter.
Now would be the time to be treating. Rock salt is cheap. Dissolve as much
as possible in a gallon of hot water. I suspect a pond or two is about all
that will dissolve.

Copper sulfate, if you can find it is a far more effective choice and the
directions are the label. Heck you might even get some regularity
information from that.

Colbyt

"I suspect a pond or two is about all that will dissolve."

A pond? I have fill a whole pond with salt?

I don't even have a pond! Darn, now I'm gonna need a backhoe.


----------------reply---------------

POUND. Damn spell checkers anyway.

I saw you got another reply for a bigger batch. I don't think you can hurt
anything. Dissolve a much as you can, but now is the major time to do it.