Ditch Digger

[woody]

I told my kids get an education or you will end up digging ditches, well it turns out digging ditches pays pretty good. I decided I wanted to move my power to the house under ground and the utility company says that's fine but after he gave me a price with them digging the ditch verses me digging the the ditch I decided to dig it myself. Plus when I mentioned where the water line was and he told me I would have to remove a section of sidewalk he was really leaning towards me digging the ditch. So he lowered the price and supplied all the conduit and fittings and I became a ditch digger, I did hit the water line so I was a plumber for a while and I tunneled under the sidewalk then laid the 3" conduit and covered it all up making a muddy mess.

 

[mike0000]

Good job!
Can do attitude has served me well all my life!

Mike

 

[4570Man]

I’m a part time ditch digger. It’s really a better job than they made it out to be in school. So are most blue collar jobs.

 

[4570Man]

Is that the code depth for conduit in your area? Locally it’s only 24”.

 

[Smokeydog]

I think I have a phd (piled higher and deeper) in ditch digging. Diploma written on hand skin. Great motivator for goal setting. Blessed with more than I need.

 

[MossRoad]

Nice job!

Reminds me of many years ago I had a day off and was hand-digging a ditch to run power from my house to my garage. Had on my overalls and t-shirt. Got really dirty. About 3/4 of the way through it, I got called into work for an emergency. No time to clean up. So hopped in the truck. Ran into the building, into the department, resolved the problem, wished everyone well and went back home.

The next day I'm at work, the boss calls me into the office and tells me if I ever came into work dressed like that again he'd fire me. Quote "YOU LOOKED LIKE A DITCH DIGGER!".

I told him that yes, in fact, I was in the middle of digging a ditch on my day off when he (the boss) called me to come in to resolve a problem ASAP. A fine discussion followed, along with a trip to the H.R. Department to clarify what ASAP means, and what activities I was not allowed to participate in when I was on call, seeing how I was on call 24/7/365.

 

[4570Man]

I just got done with this ditch digging job today. I think people that look down on ditch diggers think we’re using a pick axe when in reality my mini x has heat and ac.

 

[woody]

Is that the code depth for conduit in your area? Locally it’s only 24”.

The guy from the power company said 36" to the top of the conduit

 

[woody]

I just got done with this ditch digging job today. I think people that look down on ditch diggers think we’re using a pick axe when in reality my mini x has heat and ac.

what was that for, the step down got me to thinking about the footing I dug for my shop.

 

[4570Man]

what was that for, the step down got me to thinking about the footing I dug for my shop.

It’s a house footer. That section is the front porch.

 

[MossRoad]

I just got done with this ditch digging job today. I think people that look down on ditch diggers think we’re using a pick axe when in reality my mini x has heat and ac. View attachment 719803View attachment 719804

Nicely dug ditch.

 

[4570Man]

My dog loves dirt. I’m really not sure why.

 

[Ken45101]

When we built a house twenty years ago, the utility company told the contractor the ditch was too deep and made them backfill it.

As for ditch digging, when I got out of high school I worked a summer job for a swimming pool contractor. One day I was sent out to bury a discharge line out to the street. It was July and the clay was as hard as a rock. A full overhead swing from a mattock only penetrated a quarter inch The line barely got buried.

 

[check]

My mom was at a snobby company party back in the 60’s (when a woman’s status was define by her husband’s job). One particularly snobby lady asked my mom, “and what does your husband do?” She replied ever so casually “Oh, he’s a ditch digger!”

One of the funniest stories she ever told us.

 

[Thomas]

I told my kids get an education or you will end up digging ditches, well it turns out digging ditches pays pretty good. I decided I wanted to move my power to the house under ground and the utility company says that's fine but after he gave me a price with them digging the ditch verses me digging the the ditch I decided to dig it myself. Plus when I mentioned where the water line was and he told me I would have to remove a section of sidewalk he was really leaning towards me digging the ditch. So he lowered the price and supplied all the conduit and fittings and I became a ditch digger, I did hit the water line so I was a plumber for a while and I tunneled under the sidewalk then laid the 3" conduit and covered it all up making a muddy mess.

 

[LD1]

Around here electric is 24" and water goes 36-42


So no real concern hitting water when doing other utility as it's the deepest.

But so many new places are built on what once was farm ground. So it's about a guarantee to be fixing drainage tile if you are digging more than a few feet

 

[3Ts]

Around here electric is 24" and water goes 36-42


So no real concern hitting water when doing other utility as it's the deepest.

That may be what it's supposed to be.
My neighbor asked me to dig a ditch with my backhoe out to his shop. He only wanted it about a foot deep so, all utilities would be much deeper than that. Turns out that the electric conduit to his shop is not as deep as it was supposed to be. Fortunately I only nicked the conduit.

I've found conduit only about a foot down and house drain lines only 2" down.

 

[plowhog]

The guy from the power company said 36" to the top of the conduit

You're lucky. I upgraded to a 400a service when I rebuilt my home. The power company required 5 foot depth to the top of the conduit.

btw the former 200a power was direct bury, about half that depth.

 

[IndyJay]

I think I have a phd (piled higher and deeper) in ditch digging. Diploma written on hand skin. Great motivator for goal setting. Blessed with more than I need.

 

[metalbender]

Water up here is at eight feet to avoid the frost.