Oops!!!

[beenthere]

Today .............. The good news is that I was not shocked and the line is not being used (.........:

If you stay on the tractor, you are not in danger of being shocked digging up a live wire. Just don't get off and grab the wire. If/when it arcs, then the fuse or circuit breaker should have blown.

Similar to birds landing on the high voltage hi-lines. They don't get shocked.

Good story, but how else would you be finding that wire?

 

[rjkobbeman]

If you stay on the tractor, you are not in danger of being shocked digging up a live wire. Just don't get off and grab the wire. If/when it arcs, then the fuse or circuit breaker should have blown.

Similar to birds landing on the high voltage hi-lines. They don't get shocked.

Good story, but how else would you be finding that wire?

The difference is birds are not grounded, but you sitting on a tractor are. My guess is this was a 120 or 240 volt circuit. If it was a primary circuit, the outcome could have been much different. Although a homeowner would not have buried that one... so it would have been deeper.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

The difference is birds are not grounded, but you sitting on a tractor are. My guess is this was a 120 or 240 volt circuit. If it was a primary circuit, the outcome could have been much different. Although a homeowner would not have buried that one... so it would have been deeper.

It was a 120.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Just remember that if you sever a utility YOU are responsible for the repair costs AND any related loss. Fiber optic cables can run several hundred thousand to over a million dollars in damage and loss.

Oh, and home owners insurance won't cover it if you didn't have a survey done first.

The fiber is across the street...I think...:laughing:

 

[Cat_Driver]

I found something while clearing a yard. I was clearing the back yard of a house that assured me NOTHING buried in the back yard confirmed by the underground 800 number. I was only top clearing with a Bobcat skid steer at the time.

Things were going smoothly until the whole rig with me in it turned straight up in the air - I was looking at sky.

I had driven over an old well no one knew about big enough to swallow a skid steer. Luckily the way the bucket was the back end fell through the wooden boards that were covered by 6" of dirt and got wedged in before I went down any further.

Yep a new pair of shorts were in order that day.

 

[TripleR]

I found something while clearing a yard. I was clearing the back yard of a house that assured me NOTHING buried in the back yard confirmed by the underground 800 number. I was only top clearing with a Bobcat skid steer at the time.

Things were going smoothly until the whole rig with me in it turned straight up in the air - I was looking at sky.

I had driven over an old well no one knew about big enough to swallow a skid steer. Luckily the way the bucket was the back end fell through the wooden boards that were covered by 6" of dirt and got wedged in before I went down any further.

Yep a new pair of shorts were in order that day.

 

[soonerd483]

I was actually out yesterday with a Rep from a pipeline company. We have a Booster station on the edge of our property while walking the land I see a 6 inch pipe thats exposed in a washed out area. Luckily after the big fuss I made, turns out to be an abandoned line. Guy was very nice. I think they prefer the "Safe" to "Sorry" method. Always safe to call before you dig, I know I will never dig on the back portion of our property, they are still 2 other live lines there.

 

[jimmer2880]

The PO of my house burried the 110v electric line to the pavilion in the middle of the back yard exactly 0.25" below the surface.

That's right - it was tucked under the grass.

 

[Jay4200]

Today my grandparents came over, so I was proudly was showing off the new BX25. I wanted to show them the backhoe, so my Dad said it was OK to dig in an near area near the garage that was dug up before. Well, after the second scoop I pulled up something that I thought was a vine. It was not; it was the electrical line that runs from the garage to our pond area... The good news is that I was not shocked and the line is not being used (we're going to remove the ponds). The reason it came up was because the previous owner buried it about 1"-2" with no conduit... It is amazing what some people will do...:confused2:

No doubt. I was getting ready to regrade the front yard of my new house, since it was pitched toward the house. I made my very first swipe, just to scrape off the grass, and the ground bounced. Uh oh. Turns out the poo pipe going to the septic tank was buried about 2" down, and I caught the cleanout tee and broke the pipe. Two trips to home depot and a day later...

JayC

 

[CBW1999]

I had the neighbor come over with his excavator when I had to dig up the well casing a couple of years ago. He was skimming the sod off- from around the well head and as he drew back the bucket, low and behold he was dragging out the LP Gas line :ashamed:. needless to say, I set a new sprint record for the 100 yard dash to shut off the tank:confused2:

Now, when we had the LP gas installed, I walked around with the installer and specified where the gas line should and SHOULD NOT be run because of the water line. He only saved a couple of feet by taking the short cut

Apparently, once I was gone, he took the easy way out and ran the line just underneath the dirt/sod and right between the well and the house (which is only 3 feet from the corner of the house.

Now granted, I didn't use "dig safe" to locate anything underground however- I was not expecting a gas line to be running over a water line and next to a well casing. I was still pretty hot to find out the line was not buried where I had asked, and was never informed of the change in routing it although I have some responsibility for the accident.