Abstract: A heated fluid is used as a thermal herbicide for scalding and killing roots growing within sewer lines. The process includes the steps of heating a fluid, isolating a length of a sewer line, and then filling the isolated length of sewer line with the heated fluid for a lethal period of time required for the heated fluid to act as a thermal herbicide for killing the roots within the length of sewer line. When treating an adjacent length of the sewer line, the preheated fluid is removed from the preceeding section, reheated, and then inserted into the adjacent isolated length of the sewer line.

Abstract: A packer apparatus for the internal sealing of pipe leaks having a cylindrical structure and a single sleeve located on the exterior of the cylinder. The single sleeve has a pair of inflatable chambers connected together in spaced relationship to each other and air hoses connect through the cylinder to each of the inflatable chambers for inflating and deflating the chambers remotely with air pressure. Chemical lines are connected through the cylinder and through the sleeve between the inflatable chambers. The cylindrical structure is made of two or more segments and is collapsible for reducing the size of the packer. The single sleeve is made of rubber reinforced with tire chord and is held to the cylinder only by the connections with the chemical and air lines.