Locate buried electric line?

[TractorGuy]

I think I'll just put an outlet in and not bother with the hassle of a GFCI.

This is the worst idea I've read today. You confirmed the GFCI was doing it's job so you want to bypass it?

 

[downsizingnow48]

Ditto eek

 

[mbohuntr]

Your GFI tripped because it's telling you there is a dangerous condition... I would dig up the whole thing and bury it in sched 80. Do it right.

 

[M5farms]

its a light Post , fix it how ever you want I would have done thrown away the gfi plugs . another useless mandate that they have to be used .

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yes! Utter garbage. I even threw out my spa GFI for falsing. They mandate such garbage but don't have to deal with the expense and irritation.

DANGEROUS . . . . ooooooooo

 

[buckeyefarmer]

DOWSING! ha.... i think we need a new thread to delve into that one..

This has been discussed a good bit before..

 

[TractorGuy]

Properly working GFCI circuits don't have a problem. They were mandated because they protect people that won't protect themselves and others. < that's the polite version

 

[M5farms]

Properly working GFCI circuits don't have a problem. They were mandated because they protect people that won't protect themselves and others. < that's the polite version

that's the problem , They eliminate the culling process that comes with natural selection. That's part of the reason this country has gone to SXXX .

 

[Industrial Toys]

Hardly a minute goes by that I don't! lol

As Carlin would say on the subject, take a F$%$%n chance!

You know how many people in modern homes don't have working outlets to run X-mas lights? That stuff is NEVER going to work with GFIs and yet, I don't remember X-Mas ever having being electrocution season! I personally, never got a shock from that. Not one.

Helll, one electrician boss I had routinely used his two fingers to check for a live circuit on 110-220.

 

[/pine]

It's one thing for a person to take a stupid risk...but it's an entirely different thing if there is a chance of other innocent, unaware people getting injured or worse...

 

[M5farms]

Wasn't an issue when people actually knew how things work and taught those they are responsible for . The vast majority of people are ignorant.

 

[Oldoak]

Yes! Utter garbage. I even threw out my spa GFI for falsing. They mandate such garbage but don't have to deal with the expense and irritation.

DANGEROUS . . . . ooooooooo

If you want to talk utter garbage, talk about the arc fault breakers that are mandated in the building codes and their high cost.

The contractor installing them in our new house said they are troublesome (extremely too sensitive to be useful) causing them to trip too easily. I asked him, so what do people do? He said after the final inspection is signed off, replace them with regular breakers.

 

[mbohuntr]

I approached the subject about starting an electrical education thread a while back..I'm glad I listened to you guys and ditched it.
Someones gonna touch that light post, and get lit up.. then probably sue...

 

[M5farms]

I approached the subject about starting an electrical education thread a while back..I'm glad I listened to you guys and ditched it.
Someones gonna touch that light post, and get lit up.. then probably sue...

Not if you have enough juice .

 

[Stimw]

What will probably happen is the fault will continue to bleed and then burn the wires opening the circuit.
Someone buried romex 50' to my water pump before I bought the place.
Water compromised the insulation and the wires burned through and one day my pump stopped.
I had to dig it up and install the proper wiring.
Nice having a Backhoe Attachment!

 

[mbohuntr]

Not if you have enough juice .

Breaking the ground plug on an extension cord feeding a camper will get you wacked.. don't ask me how I know..

 

[YLee Kioti]

Hardly a minute goes by that I don't! lol

As Carlin would say on the subject, take a F$%$%n chance!

You know how many people in modern homes don't have working outlets to run X-mas lights? That stuff is NEVER going to work with GFIs and yet, I don't remember X-Mas ever having being electrocution season! I personally, never got a shock from that. Not one.

Helll, one electrician boss I had routinely used his two fingers to check for a live circuit on 110-220.

Got a visual of the classic A Christmas Story, where one outlet had its own xmas tree of plugs to light up the plug....heh..heh..
AH and yeah I worked with an old Georgia journeyman that would wet his first two fingers and check to see of the panel circuit was hot. I was a young and dumb kid back then but had a smidgen of sense NOT to try and show him up...heh...heh I broke out the old Army issued multimeter.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

AH and yeah I worked with an old Georgia journeyman that would wet his first two fingers and check to see of the panel circuit was hot. I was a young and dumb kid back then but had a smidgen of sense NOT to try and show him up...heh...heh I broke out the old Army issued multimeter.

Back in the old days (early 50s) using fingers was common. Guy I helped for awhile one winter had it down; one finger= 120V, 2 fingers same hand = 240V, 2 fingers same hand standing/kneeling on rubber pad= 480V. He could tell the voltage working down from 480 if it was unknown. He had calluses on his fingers 1/4" thick from twisting wires and pulling wire/cable. He warned "do not use both hands as it will go through your heart". I did not try it either, I already knew what it did to me. He was a crusty old guy in many ways. Learned a lot in the 4 months I worked with him, including bending 1" conduit by hand.

Ron

 

[mikester]

Check with your local utilities ... around here we have a free locating service that will come and mark buried lines. When the guy comes to locate, If you ask nicely they will likely locate your buried line for you..at least give you a ball park locate