Locating Pipes

[newbury]

Oh man.... let me tell you I had a propane generator and a tankless water heater installed by a local propane company. The contractor got cheap or stupid or both and didn't call "Call before you Dig" which is a service you can pay for to mark out underground electrical, etc. I watched as the backhoe raised what looked like a root but turned out to be was the main electrical cable going to my house. Sparks everywhere as it was ripped from the meter box..... 6 hours later the power was restored to my house.......

Unless you love adventure use a service like "Call before you dig".

Unless you uncover the utility line like an archeologist this can always be a problem, especially with older installations. Sometimes ditching goes around trees, they die and are removed and the ditches are not straightened out. There is a solution which seems to work in wet conditions the AML locator but it costs around $50,000. That's a lot of backhoe hours.

I do it but have serious doubts about it. I can trace pipes, wire fairly accurately IF if have a general idea where they are. Working without any clue? Very poor. Interesting recent case of checking it.

Had a leak in the well causing water to run back into the well after pump shut off. Well service called 811, they came out and marked the phone line only as I hve overhead electrical service, no gas, and we knwew where the water lineswere approximately.

Well service came when I was not home and put pretty white marks with arrows. I didn't know what they were marking so got out my rods. Yep, they indicated over every mark and traced between marks. Being an old, old house I figured they were old water lines. Well service showed upand I asked about the markings "We did that so the 811 guys would know where we wanted to dig". Got my sticks and rechecked...not even a quiver at any of the marks. For the life of me I cannot tell how I am causing them to move.

Harry K

I was "taught" divining when I was about 14. My dad had hired some guys in rural Vermont to "find" a well site. I was told to always use a forked tree limb from a tree with fruit (apple, pear etc.). I used it a couple of times in Vermont to find water. After I was about 22 I came to the conclusion that almost anybody could find a well site in Vermont based on looking at the topography. There's a good summation with science at dowsing (a.k.a. water witching) - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com

I am needing to locate some pipes and wires that I didn't install underground (they were here when I bought). I don't know if power is in conduit or not. It is from ground up but wondering if it stops after the 90. Power company will mark to meter but then they stop. Everything is on my side of meter. Plus need to locate water lines. What I am wondering is what the TBN folks use to locate lines with?

I think most of us use a backhoe to dig up things which should not be dug up. The only "safe" way is to get the utilities turned off, hand dig a bit and hope for the best. I've a plastic water line or two which I need to dig up/repair. I'm hoping someone comes up with a $500 version of the AML locator

 

[farmer2009]

Plans are to rent a trencher or mini excavator. Not too keen on replacing all power although it would allow me to upgrade my shop service from 80amps to 200.

 

[dodge man]

In my area there are companies that will do it on the private side of utilities. I don't know how much they charge. I'm sorry to bring it up be feel the need. WITCHING DOESN'T WORK. I work for a civil engineering company and have seen it done many times and its all hocus pocus. That said, you can find utilites without a locator, but is by observation and common sense, such as low areas in the ground, where the utility comes into your house, etc.

 

[paulharvey]

In my area there are companies that will do it on the private side of utilities. I don't know how much they charge. I'm sorry to bring it up be feel the need. WITCHING DOESN'T WORK. I work for a civil engineering company and have seen it done many times and its all hocus pocus. That said, you can find utilites without a locator, but is by observation and common sense, such as low areas in the ground, where the utility comes into your house, etc.

It's funny. I've seen guys do it, and done it my self; BUT it's been proven to not work when double blind tested, where the person can not possibly have an idea where the utility is. I understand there is a $2m prize for anyone who can prove it works.

I do, however, know professional locators who do it when they can't hook up. Lot of HDD/bore crews do it as well.

So, like I said it works, and has been proven to not work, both at the same time. I don't know if it's something subconscious you do based on an educated guess, magnetic currents, or (my personal guess) Voodoo.



Back to private locate companies, GPR (ground penitrating radar) is coming to much more common usage, but it only tells you "something" is down there, not what.

In your case I really would just pot hole the last locate, and every 50 feet from there to house. It's a lot of work, but wire is expensive to rerun if you cut.

 

[Al 2]

To find a plastic water line with no electric or metal qualities I've heard that their location can be determined by sound waves. There is a device that you connect to the line at whatever end and it emits an intermittent noise, pulse or whatever and a receiver can trace the sound thru the ground and you mark the line and that's all I know about that.
Al

 

[dragoneggs]

To find a plastic water line with no electric or metal qualities I've heard that their location can be determined by sound waves. There is a device that you connect to the line at whatever end and it emits an intermittent noise, pulse or whatever and a receiver can trace the sound thru the ground and you mark the line and that's all I know about that.
Al

Cool! I need to learn more about this. If anyone has more info... please post. I will be googling.

I have a line from my shared well with neighbor that was put in before my time. The plot plan is crude and just shows a curved path over a couple hundred feet down a steep hill across a couple of gravel driveways. I really want to locate it because I want to run 220v service to my garage.

 

[grsthegreat]

I am needing to locate some pipes and wires that I didn't install underground (they were here when I bought). I don't know if power is in conduit or not. It is from ground up but wondering if it stops after the 90. Power company will mark to meter but then they stop. Everything is on my side of meter. Plus need to locate water lines. What I am wondering is what the TBN folks use to locate lines with?

i use my trusty Greenlee 501. It finds anything metallic up to 7 feet deep. VERY accurate depth and locator. Ive tested it in asphalt covered parking lot where I PUT in the wires 5' down. The found the wires and told me the depth to within a few inches.

Some electricians have this unit. You can call some from phone book. it sells for $700 - 800 bucks, so not for the homeowner. I have also found plastic poly pipe...but i had to fish a metal fishtape thru pipe first.

I actually found a cut wire inside a house. I hooked it up to one lead and followed the wire throught a 2 story house till i lost the signal. i opened the wall and found the culprit.

I charge only $75 to mark out someones place if im in the area..more if its a separate trip

to kentucky it would be spendy haha

call your local guys... someone has one of these

 

[orezok]

My favorite Underground Service Alert (811) story is I was building a housing project back in the 80's. We were extending a storm drain and knew that there was a gas main in the area. We called USA and they sent out a locator to mark the line. He put his nice yellow lines on the ground and they were no where near our work.

We started digging and yup,we hit the gas main. Fire department, police and I swear Connie Chung in a helicopter above it all. Evacuations the whole nine yards.

They finally get it shut off. The next day the Gas company contacts me and wants to know who our insurance company was as the costs were in the thousands.

I said lets meet at the site and look at this. We go to the excavation where the repaired gas line is still exposed. I pull out my locator ticket and show them that there are no yellow marks within 50'. The gas company guy pulls out his locator plans and sez... "well thats because there are no gas lines here!"

I look at him and just walk away. I never heard from them again.

 

[grsthegreat]

My favorite Underground Service Alert (811) story is I was building a housing project back in the 80's. We were extending a storm drain and knew that there was a gas main in the area. We called USA and they sent out a locator to mark the line. He put his nice yellow lines on the ground and they were no where near our work.

We started digging and yup,we hit the gas main. Fire department, police and I swear Connie Chung in a helicopter above it all. Evacuations the whole nine yards.

They finally get it shut off. The next day the Gas company contacts me and wants to know who our insurance company was as the costs were in the thousands.

I said lets meet at the site and look at this. We go to the excavation where the repaired gas line is still exposed. I pull out my locator ticket and show them that there are no yellow marks within 50'. The gas company guy pulls out his locator plans and sez... "well thats because there are no gas lines here!"

I look at him and just walk away. I never heard from them again.

the thing is.... even with 811 underground alert signoff, they will still try to stick it to you if you hit anything. their forms relieve them of all responsibility if you hit in area that they say is free of pipes.

youll end up in court these days.

the stuff i locate are ONLY electrical and only customer owned side. They sign a paper saying i dont locate gas or water. ill find only phone and power.