Utility locates

suladas · Dec 22, 2020

bam1968 said:
I can't believe nobody has suggested 'witching sticks or wires' whichever you prefer.... LOL

My dad can witch really well and it's come in handy for times when you know there is a line there but the locate missed it. It's incredible how accurate it is. I can't do it, it must be the lead paint or something that it works for old timers.

fastline · Dec 23, 2020

suladas said:
My dad can witch really well and it's come in handy for times when you know there is a line there but the locate missed it. It's incredible how accurate it is. I can't do it, it must be the lead paint or something that it works for old timers.

I don't want to take from OP and the topic or insult but I dug deep in this topic years ago and found several studies, even huge cash rewards for people that could prove it. In one case, witchers were told there were waterlines on a property and they were observed taking visual cues such as dips in grade that might indicate a trench, grass difference, you know, all things we do! Reality is EVERYONE set flags, but there was not one waterline in the entire field! If you want one to be there, your stick will have an itch....

suladas · Dec 23, 2020

fastline said:
I don't want to take from OP and the topic or insult but I dug deep in this topic years ago and found several studies, even huge cash rewards for people that could prove it. In one case, witchers were told there were waterlines on a property and they were observed taking visual cues such as dips in grade that might indicate a trench, grass difference, you know, all things we do! Reality is EVERYONE set flags, but there was not one waterline in the entire field! If you want one to be there, your stick will have an itch....

I totally disagree, it's not just in peoples head it totally works and were talking places where there is no sign of where the line may be like a backyard with grass that hasn't been dug up in 20-30 years and finding where a power line runs to the garage or something. And you can walk any direction and they will cross in the exact same spot. It's not foolproof, things being buried in the ground would have the potential to catch it too. I've tried it every single time and not once does it ever work for me.

fastline · Dec 23, 2020

Well I am always open to an influx of new science but current physics has debunked it entirely, all the way down to putting sensors on people. But I am not trying to insult. If you dad has a thing, that is great.

673moto · Dec 23, 2020

fastline said:
Well I am always open to an influx of new science but current physics has debunked it entirely, all the way down to putting sensors on people. But I am not trying to insult. If you dad has a thing, that is great.

I don’t have opinion either way but I’ve got the rods somewhere in the garage... maybe it’s time to test them out

Bumpsteer · Dec 23, 2020

The 25 yo well at our family farm was witched by the driller. 2 dead holes was getting expensive and everyone was pissed.

The driller walked into my shop, saw my hand driven well and wtf? Grabbed the hose and a bucket to time the flow. This was followed by a long rant full of 4 letter words about how good my well flowed. He went behind the shop with the rod, marked the spot and 60' later, all the water one needs.

Ed

Welder Dave · Dec 23, 2020

For some people the divining rods work.

Tinkerer · Dec 23, 2020

$1600.00 was a very good investment CM1995.
I was on a job and the company I was working for had a subcontractor on the same job.
They were digging in an area that supposedly had no utilities.
Sadly they didn't call JULIE. It is the same as 811 in Illinois.
They hit a natural gas line big time. It didn't catch fire and nobody was hurt.
NICOR hit them and the contractor I was working with a lawsuit.
$74,000.00 for the line repair and lost gas.
The sub paid it.

skata · Dec 23, 2020

Tinkerer said:
$1600.00 was a very good investment CM1995.
I was on a job and the company I was working for had a subcontractor on the same job.
They were digging in an area that supposedly had no utilities.
Sadly they didn't call JULIE. It is the same as 811 in Illinois.
They hit a natural gas line big time. It didn't catch fire and nobody was hurt.
NICOR hit them and the contractor I was working with a lawsuit.
$74,000.00 for the line repair and lost gas.
The sub paid it.

Crazy. Though there is no excuse for not calling 811. It's free and they'll mark utilities within 48 hrs.

Welder Dave · Dec 23, 2020

What's scary is having utilities marked and hitting steel pipes drilling post holes for a fence. Apparently it's not uncommon when doing larger jobs to throw scraps of pipe and other leftovers into holes and just bury them when grading. Have found concrete from the trucks after cleaning too.

hosspuller · Dec 23, 2020

Had a scare years back. How was digging and hooked a primary underground wire... you know the thick black plastic ones. Operator immediately stopped, and shut down the machine with the tooth on the wire. Called the utility with choice words about their locate service. Turns out to be an abandoned primary. On this note, hired a locator service for in-plant utilities. (Got on top of tower to take pictures for myself and posterity. Today, would use a drone.)

Point is: Later, hired same guy to come to my farm and locate a plastic water line so I could connect to it. He ran a electrician's tape into it for a signal. Was worth the $80 per hour. You don't have to depend on utility locate. There are independent guys for hire.

skata · Dec 23, 2020

hosspuller said:
Had a scare years back. How was digging and hooked a primary underground wire... you know the thick black plastic ones. Operator immediately stopped, and shut down the machine with the tooth on the wire. Called the utility with choice words about their locate service. Turns out to be an abandoned primary. On this note, hired a locator service for in-plant utilities. (Got on top of tower to take pictures for myself and posterity. Today, would use a drone.)

Point is: Later, hired same guy to come to my farm and locate a plastic water line so I could connect to it. He ran a electrician's tape into it for a signal. Was worth the $80 per hour. You don't have to depend on utility locate. There are independent guys for hire.

Not sure where you're at, but it's generally required to bury a wire along plastic water lines. Then if need be, you can attach a locator to the wire.

skyking1 · Dec 23, 2020

On private property nothing's required. That was a slick trick running an electricians pull tape through there. I can do that with the locator with the pipe camera too. I've done that to find some conduit that we put in for future where the references got wiped out.

redneckracin · Dec 23, 2020

Even calling 811 isn't a gurantee. I have a gas well on my property that never had the gathering line marked. Called after the 3 days waiting and told them to get ahold of someone. I have a clear ticket and the machine is running. I ended up giving 811 the company name and permit number from the well tag. Finally got someone out there that afternoon, I wasn't going to be crossing their line but I knew I was going to be getting close and I was not going to repair it.

I deal with utilities alot at work and I am amazed at how poorly organized some seem to be and how little they seem to care about their facilities. We do our best to try and avoid or relocate them if they are in the road.

John Canfield · Dec 23, 2020

I got tired of digging up my plumbing and buried conduit and bought a cable locator https://www.metaldetector.com/schonstedt-loki-pipe-cable-locator-utilities-kit-padded-carry-case

Not cheap ($1.5k) but it works great, very accurate. Even the depth indicator is fairly accurate. For plumbing locating I bought a small sonde (transmitter) that I attach to a snake and push into pvc pipe. The Schonstedt receiver easily picks up the sonde signal.

Good purchase even if I use once a year. If I ever determine I won't need it again I'll sell.

CM1995 · Dec 23, 2020

bam1968 said:
I can't believe nobody has suggested 'witching sticks or wires' whichever you prefer.... LOL

A 1-2' section of copper ground wire works in a pinch - bent in an L shape in order to hang on your index finger..

. It just takes one ground wire resting on your finger and walk slowly - the rod will turn when there is a line underneath it.

It'll find any type of pipe in the ground from copper, plastic to concrete. Don't ask me how that works but it does. I've actually seen 811 line locators pull one out when there are known plastic wires in the ground without tracer wires.

An old plumber taught me how to use a ground wire 30 years ago to locate buried lines while running residential sewer and water services.

fastline · Dec 24, 2020

CM1995 said:
there are known plastic wires in the ground without tracer wires.

Is that a typo? Plastic wires?

You guys know that nearly any wire in a trench can be used to locate right? Like I could bury speaker wire and tone it to find it with a $100 line locator?

We never bury any trench without wire in it, even if no one requests it. Has paid off in the past when someone either wants to find it or wants us to dig later.

Also, if there is any electric wires, those can be opened and used to tone. Done it many times for water wells.

petepilot · Dec 24, 2020

all right guys I have a 240 volt line running about 90' to a field outlet box .0ne leg of it has dropped so only 120 left will the ground wire mentioned by cm locate that line accurately enough to uncover it.

fastline · Dec 24, 2020

petepilot said:
all right guys I have a 240 volt line running about 90' to a field outlet box .0ne leg of it has dropped so only 120 left will the ground wire mentioned by cm locate that line accurately enough to uncover it.

Yup....

Tinkerer · Dec 24, 2020

petepilot said:
all right guys I have a 240 volt line running about 90' to a field outlet box . One leg of it has dropped so only 120 left, will the ground wire mentioned by cm locate that line accurately enough to uncover it.

There are ways to locate the break in the line.

Utility locates

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Administrator

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member