How to follow water pipe?

[ajmbonaire]

I think that would only work if the pipe was empty, no water in it, not sure though.
Buzz may not be the best to trace, something that is repetitive ticking clicking, banging etc.

As far as the dousing goes, I don't knock what works for others, but I have one of those modern dousing tools that looks like an antenna with a handle, and have not had definitive positive results.

JB.

I don't know either. I guess we will soon find out. I do know if it is empty the sound will travel through the pipe. If it has water in it I don't know. but I have been of the opinion that sound travels better through water than through air. (?)

 

[earljr59]

I was a little surprised at some of the answers from this post. I have found any kind of water lines and electric with a metal coat hanger, it is a 90 degree angle just like the tool showed. I normally use two. The are pointed out in front of me when I come to any type if pipe they go to the side showing you the flow. The best thing to do is practice where you know there
is pipe.


Come on Fellows I thought we had some good old boys on this SITE!!!!!

I am a firm believer in this method. A long gone plumber friend taught me this many years ago.I keep a pair on the backhoe and people are amazed when I show them how it works. And happy when it works in their own hands,or their childrens. And copper or nice ones you can buy work just fine as well.

 

[ajmbonaire]

I think that would only work if the pipe was empty, no water in it, not sure though.
Buzz may not be the best to trace, something that is repetitive ticking clicking, banging etc.

As far as the dousing goes, I don't knock what works for others, but I have one of those modern dousing tools that looks like an antenna with a handle, and have not had definitive positive results.

JB.

since it is pvc you can easily adapt it to a pipe thread fitting then to a quick coupler for an air compressor hose. fill the tank on the air compressor where you have electricity, carry it to your place and connect the hose to the pipe. Then, hook it up and pressurize the pipe. I wouln't put more than 60 psi on it. If you are lucky you will hear the air coming out somewhere.
Another thought, if there is an old power pole you can trace any underground wires going to it and you should be able to find the one going to the well.Good luck and don't forget to post back.

Wow! Why didn't I think of that? I hope the wires are still there.

 

[MacLawn]

I'm tellin' ye, ole Rippy is right! Two #12 or so copper wires about 18" or so long bent at 90º angles and held loosely in your hands - it will find a water line! Now, granted, the pipe might just have to have water in it to work, not sure, but the wires will turn inward on their own when you cross a pipe! Try it on any known water line...

 

[LBrown59]

I found a faucet in the woods on 15 acres that has been idle for fifteen years or so.

What's been idle for years?
The faucet or the land?

 

[ajmbonaire]

What's been idle for years?
The faucet or the land?

Both.

 

[xtn]

I'm confused about the divining technique. One poster said the rods will cross. Another said they will go parallel to the flow. Aren't those statements contradictory? What is the science behind the whole thing?

 

[RippySkippy]

I'm confused about the divining technique. One poster said the rods will cross. Another said they will go parallel to the flow. Aren't those statements contradictory? What is the science behind the whole thing?

My experience is that they move from being in front of you to crossing. I usually make a mark in the ground, come at it from a couple of different directions, and when I'm comfortable with the consistency in crossing, place a flag. move down and do it again. Don't have a clue about the science...I would like to know tho!

RE the speculation of having the water line full or empty -- I've found it makes no difference...it will locate any underground object.

I know I'll never convince the non-believers and that's not my goal...I know it works for me, and it's gotten me and a couple of neighbors out of a pinch before, regardless of whether it works or not...well.....


By the way...if you have access to the end of the pipe...why not push a 12-3 into the line? I don't know how many feet could be pushed at one time...but it could get you headed in the right direction....

 

[two_bit_score]

[/B]By the way...if you have access to the end of the pipe...why not push a 12-3 into the line? I don't know how many feet could be pushed at one time...but it could get you headed in the right direction....[/B]

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[earljr59]

Recently we traced a sewer drain across a field ,and flagged it with the method used by RippyPippy.It worked perfect.The wires crossed everytime , and when finished had a flagline into a woods.And our expensive locators were on the tailgate of the truck.Plastic pipe,so they were of no help.

 

[ajmbonaire]

The results are in;
with all the suggestions I ended up with an array of equipment, although rudimentary, to dig; detect metal, sound, electrical current, electromagnetic fields and the like. I learned how to use divining rods, I used #10 copper wire and fashioned handles from copper tubing. These things really work! Over several days different approaches were taken in attempts to locate the opposite end of the pipe I found attached to a faucet in the woods. Yesterday while attempting to pressurize the pipe with compressed air a lady stopped and asked if I was the new owner of the property. During our conversation I learned she used to own the adjoining property. I told of my quest to locate the source water to the faucet. No problem she states and took me directly to the water source. It is a well on the adjoining property that she allowed the former tenant to use. Well it was fun trying to figure how to find the well.
Thanks for all your input.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I have to say that the end results have me still laughing.. Glad it worked out for you. Glad you met your neighbor.

And in all seriousness, did the dousing work?

 

[Gobblin Tom]

Here's what I do to locate lines and the like...

Take two 24" pieces of bare 12 gauge copper wire bent about 6 inches from the end in a right angle. Loosely hold one piece in each hand. with your elbows at your side, and hands out front, walk slowly across the area. When you cross the pipe, the wires will cross. Working in a ziq-zag, you will be able to locate the line in question.

I know there will be doubters to this process...but I'm tell'n ya, it can and will work. Verify your own success by walking where the pipe is in a known location. You will have to experiment and adjust your grip, remember the wires must be held loosely.

I've found PVC 4' deep covered in rock and soil. Electrical lines 24" deep, and plastic water lines 5' deep. It's not going to cost you but a few cents in material, but give it a shot.

This works awesome for me, I had to find my septic drain lines when I was buying my house. I used marking paint and found the main line and all three fingers. A contractor at work showed me how to use them so I bent some coat hangers and used some metal sleeves so that they can spin freely. I went up to our parking lot at work where I knew the gas line and water line where and they crossed for me everytime. They say it works forsome people and for some it don't, for me it works outstanding!!!! I can't remember the actual name of them (Oh yeah diving rods) but there is all kind of videos on Utube for them!!!

 

[ajmbonaire]

I have to say that the end results have me still laughing.. Glad it worked out for you. Glad you met your neighbor.

And in all seriousness, did the dousing work?

The lady that stopped by was the previous neighbor who just happed by. Lucky she stopped.

I had my doubts about the dousing. I think it works. I made handles from tubing to ensure I wouldn't influence the wire rods. When I tried it in my yard where I new the underground systems are it seemed to work most of the time and I was able to follow a buried electric cable but had difficulty finding septic system. Iron water pipes were easiest.

 

[Berniep]

It is spelled divining. As in "that's so divine". If you go looking for it.
Diving has to do with water but not so much finding it.
An old fella once used it to locate my parents gas well. Said he couldn't do water but by all accounts he had a better record of hitting gas than the geologists at the time(70s)

 

[xtn]

So from now on the official scientific answer to this sort of question will be, "Find the old lady that lived next door."

 

[ajmbonaire]

So from now on the official scientific answer to this sort of question will be, "Find the old lady that lived next door."

LOL:laughing:
Works every time!

 

[John47]

I don't know about plastic pipes, but I've located an armoured cable run to a substation, main ground mats and even the bottom rail of the perimeter gate. My engineer thought I was nuts until he tried it and located every cable under the switchyards concrete pad!
He remarked, I have several thousand dollars worth of radio tracing gear in his office and all he needed was two bucks worth of brazing rods bent at 90 degrees.

BTW, dowsing doesn't work for everyone, I believe 9 out of 10 people can dowse, the other one, you will never convince that it works.

There is no science involved, nobody can explain it. I once saw a show on TV about it where a scientist actually tested dowsing and found out it's possible to actually "lay a line" down for a dowser to follow!!
He said he spent months researching dowsing, and still has no scientific theory about it!

BUT, it does work.

 

[Don87]

For years dowsing didn't work for me, then one day I cut a coat hanger up and it worked.

I found my BIL's buried electric cable, showed him where to dig to reach the water on his property, and I've located 3 streams on my property.

So for those who don't believe, try it again if it hasn't worked for you in the past. It may work for you now.

I've been told that dowsing has something to do with electrical currents.........I dunno.

 

[John47]

It may have to do with local geomagnetic fields being disturbed, but science hasn't an answer for it.

The scientist who studied the phenomenon noted you could locate the high water marks on a stream/river bed and plot them accurately by dowsing, so he tried something out, he "laid out dowsing lines" along a field and brought in a professional dowser who accurately found the laid lines and plotted them on a map of the field.

What was the secret of how the scientist laid the lines??? He had a large brief case with a six volt battery and a six volt spot lamp inside. The odd thing was, light couldn't get out. He is still mystified as to how it worked, but it did!!

I think maybe centuries back, humans had more powers that we "have forgotten" how to use, probably because of witchcraft accusations hundreds of years back and the fear of being burned at the stake.

Who really knows???? But way back, dowsers would have been accused of witchcraft!!