HELP - Utility lines next to Stumps & the driveway!

[MossflowerWoods]

last time i had my phone line marked the guy doing it was able to estimate how deep it is based on his instrument readings. or so he said.

I was at work when they were done. Wife was not home either.

David

 

[MarkV]

Why not call the electric company and ask how deep they bury their lines? I would be surprised if you could grind a stump deep enough to hit a primary line personally.

MarkV

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Why not call the electric company and ask how deep they bury their lines? I would be surprised if you could grind a stump deep enough to hit a primary line personally.

MarkV

MarkV,

I am totally avoiding the electricity line.

It is the stupid phone line. I called the "miss utility" and they said it can be ANY depth (good grief!).

I will call Verizon soon...

David

 

[Redneck in training]

I was at work when they were done. Wife was not home either.

David

They can tell the depth quite easy. First they find the line and mark it. Then they turn the detector at 45 deg, find the line again and mark it. The distance between the marks is the depth.

 

[pmetal]

MarkV,

I am totally avoiding the electricity line.

It is the stupid phone line. I called the "miss utility" and they said it can be ANY depth (good grief!).

I will call Verizon soon...

David

I've heard around here that they'll sometimes use a weed-eater to cut the "trench" to lay the phone lines. That should be a good 2-3" down! :laughing: My buddy down the road cut his while grading his road with a back blade.

I need to call Verizon myself and see if they can tell me how deep mine are, as they run right down my road too.

Good luck, man.

 

[LBrown59]

I'm not sure this is the correct place for this post, but here goes.

Finally the Utilities got out here to mark the buried lines. All there is out here is electric and phone.

The #$%^&ing utilities trenched heir lines one on each side of the drive, and on on each side of the loop. The electricity line actually crosses under the driveway to change sides TWICE!!! I want to know who the drunk was driving the trencher...

Regardless, along the edge of the driveway, where the pasture is going in, there is a line of pawlonia stumps that are going crazy sending our runners and making life TERRIBLE. These trees are invasive and fast growing. Think crab-grass & dandelions crossed with an Oak Tree.

So approx 6" off the driveway is the phone line, and within approx a foot is the centerline of the stumps I need to grind (which is also just about the intended fence line for the pasture!!!!

What can I do! there is some rule about within a couple feet all digging must be by hand tools!

These stumps MUST GO!

Do I call the utility and ask them to remove the stumps? or to move the line?

I am not using phone service, but I might in the future, and I do NOT want to break their line.

This stinks.:thumbdown:


Thanks in advance,
David

What gripes me is the Utilities want the right of ways but don't want to maintain them.
In some case they won't even allow the property owner to maintain the property and will interfere with the property owner when he tries to do it.

 

[randy41]

I was at work when they were done. Wife was not home either.

David

the first time they came i was at work too, as was my wife. but i knew they missed the line by quite a bit so i called them back in and i worked from home that day. the phone co sent a contractor the first time. real employee the next.

 

[LBrown59]

I assume that this is your own private drive and these are
1*the phone and electric that feed only your house? If so,
2*don't even worry about the phone. If you cut it.

1*He don't have a phone so the line can't be his house line.
2*so it could b a fiber optic line and if he cuts that he is in for hundreds of thousands of bucks to repair it.

 

[GPintheMitten]

For the phone line, you could dig by hand a ways away from the stumps to see how deep the line is. Then keep the stump grinder above that level.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

For the phone line, you could dig by hand a ways away from the stumps to see how deep the line is. Then keep the stump grinder above that level.

GP,

If I have to that is exactly what I will do.

1*He don't have a phone so the line can't be his house line.
2*so it could b a fiber optic line and if he cuts that he is in for hundreds of thousands of bucks to repair it.

LB,

It is my phone line, it is just not connected (I use all cell phones). It is simple copper, I'm so far out in the booneydoggles they will NEVER run FIOS to me.

the first time they came i was at work too, as was my wife. but i knew they missed the line by quite a bit so i called them back in and i worked from home that day. the phone co sent a contractor the first time. real employee the next.

Randy,

After talking to 4 different people, on two different calls, I finally got a call back from some gal in the same area code who told me she would speak with the local supervisor and explain I needed to know the depth of the line so I could grind the stumps.

We shall see what happens next!

Thanks all,
David

 

[k0ua]

David, on the phone line thing, they are often put in by contractors, not employees. That can mean they did a great job, or a really crappy job, like the weedeater thing someone else said. I have seen them 2 foot deep on one end and 2 inches on the other, and coil after coil laid of wire in the ground to use up excess wire. You could get dizzy trying to locate and mark the wire going around in circles. I doubt seriously it is fiber, of course it could be as Verizon does fiber to the house, but I doubt it out where you live. Even if it was fiber, That splices pretty easy and cheaply now also. Where the expense is in a cut fiber is the loss of revenue from cutting a toll or data cable, not so much the actual splicing, tho that can get expensive if say you cut a large strand cable. But not a little 2 or 4 fiber cable to your house. What I would do, since you have no phone service on the cable, is grind away, and not even worry about it. Then if you accidentley cut it, who cares. If you order phone service later, the installer will check to see if the dialtone makes it to the demarc. When it doesn't, he will call a contractor to put in a new one. Most likely at no charge at that point. My 2 cents.

James K0UA

 

[Woodtick02]

I supervise overhead, underground and substation construction for a major utility company. While your utility company can triangulate the depth of your electric utility service, I would not consider it 100% accurate. The readings are only as good as the equipment and the individual that operates it. Out of the dozens of qualified individuals that I work with, I rely on only one for accurate readings. Even then we hand dig and get a visual on the cable.

The only way to possibly identify the depth is to hand dig using extreme caution. You get no second chances.

If you contact an underground utility:

Leave the area immediately and tell others to stay away.

Call 911 and the local utility company as quickly as possible.

Report even minor damage; what looks harmless can cause big trouble.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I supervise overhead, underground and substation construction for a major utility company. While your utility company can triangulate the depth of your electric utility service, I would not consider it 100% accurate. The readings are only as good as the equipment and the individual that operates it. Out of the dozens of qualified individuals that I work with, I rely on only one for accurate readings. Even then we hand dig and get a visual on the cable.

The only way to possibly identify the depth is to hand dig using extreme caution. You get no second chances.

If you contact an underground utility:

Leave the area immediately and tell others to stay away.

Call 911 and the local utility company as quickly as possible.

Report even minor damage; what looks harmless can cause big trouble.

Woodtick02,

I am on your side. I am trying NOT to damage the utility line.

But the stumps MUST GO.

Either the Ultility can provide accurate information or not.

I am at the end of the road. NOBODY is past me. I am not risking anyone elses phone line.

Like LBrown59 said..

"What gripes me is the Utilities want the right of ways but don't want to maintain them.
In some case they won't even allow the property owner to maintain the property and will interfere with the property owner when he tries to do it.

It is still MY property, and they only have the rights to run a line on it, they cannot remove the use of my land from me.

I am ASKING for Verizon's help to prevent any problems. If they won't provide it, how is that my failure?

David

 

[grsthegreat]

In your situation i would also advise renting or hiring out a stump grinder. I wouldnt risk digging up those stumps.

 

[DANOCHEESE]

Nice just cut it and let the next guy worry about it. Get a shovel and hand dig up the line. Whoknows the previous owner may have demanded it to be buried this way.

I assume that this is your own private drive and these are the phone and electric that feed only your house? If so, don't even worry about the phone. If you cut it, and you want it later. Just call the phone company to hook you up. When they come out to do so and test the line, they will find something wrong and install a new faster better quality line at their dime. Just play dumb.

Now as far the electric. Do you know if it is primary or secondary? Do you have a big metal box up by the house that has a little hum to it? If so that is a transformer and that means that is a primary (i.e. roughly 7200 volts). DON'T HIT THAT ONE! It should be 3'-4' deep if it's not real rocky. Regardless it should be in conduit and at least 24" deep, secondary and 36+" for primary and you should be able to grind the stump with no concern.

Removing the stumps is possible, but it will be like removing a brain tumor. Slow and careful and lots of hand digging. Good luck.:thumbsup:

 

[MossflowerWoods]

In your situation i would also advise renting or hiring out a stump grinder. I wouldnt risk digging up those stumps.

I own my own stump grinder. Why would I hire it out?
I'm :confused2:

David

 

[grsthegreat]

I own my own stump grinder. Why would I hire it out?
I'm :confused2:

David

i didnt see that you had one. So whats the issue. a stump grinder will never reach these wires. You are only going to penetrate 4" below ground level. NO utilities can be less than 18" below finished grade. So if the phone isnt deep enuf, the phone co has to repair. Electrical main lines (before transformer) are by code to be 36" below and secondary (after xfmr) 18-24" deep.

 

[rmk700]

GP,



After talking to 4 different people, on two different calls, I finally got a call back from some gal in the same area code who told me she would speak with the local supervisor and explain I needed to know the depth of the line so I could grind the stumps.

We shall see what happens next!

Thanks all,
David

A locator is not obligated to give a depth. There instuments are not truly accurate, however many times if you nicely ask for a depth and let him know he will not be responsible for any depths given. He may give you aprox depth just to help you out.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

A locator is not obligated to give a depth. There instuments are not truly accurate, however many times if you nicely ask for a depth and let him know he will not be responsible for any depths given. He may give you aprox depth just to help you out.

I hear what you are saying, but it still stinks.

They hold all the cards, and it is my property...

They shold be able to assure me the line is 18" deep, (or 12" or even 6") and if it is not it is NOT MY FAULT, but I'm sure you are right.

I'm not trying to insult anyone, but I could not get away with this level of quality workmanship in my career field.

As I said in my first post on this thread. This stinks.

David

 

[radioman]

I hear you mossflowerwoods. You bought land for your use and you shouldnt be restricted just because a few bad apples inviting a bunch of regulations and restrictions what you cant do:confused3:.

I think you just gotta call 811 number or look on this website State Specific Information | Call 811 - Know what's below . Let them mark the location and start dig by hand. your hand shovel is your best friend and insurance so start diggin. :laughing: I really don't think you will get the code for how deep, but if you were there the day they mark the lines, then you can ask for a guesstimate. its not like you are diggin a big hole, you just diggin across the area where you want to find the phone lines at a T to find the wire. I think you will be happy diggin to find the wire and you can grind away the stumps all you want afterwards.