Finding power lines

[RobA]

I need to mark a 120 volt line that runs from the house to our horse barn. If I call our utility will they do that? Or will they only come out and find/mark their underground lines?

 

[Chewwy]

I need to mark a 120 volt line that runs from the house to our horse barn. If I call our utility will they do that? Or will they only come out and find/mark their underground lines?

I had a similar situation. Called 811 and first had them locate the buried line from transformer on pole to the meter at the house. Then asked him to locate the line from the house to the outbuilding. He did it without questioning. Also had him locate buried propane line from tank to the house. Again, he did it withiut questiong,

Likely depends both on the individual and any state or local rules. A cash tip would not hurt.

 

[5030]

Around here, only the lines that were commercially installed, not homeowner installed.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ya, ive never had luck getting them to locate owner supplied lines, but my neighbor can sweet talk anybody. They came to his house and located EVERYTHING.

Me , i own my own locater.

 

[Roadworthy]

Around here the electric company locates electric lines, cable company cable lines, irrigation and gas the same thing. I've not asked any of them to locate other lines I just know if I call 811 I can expect company.

 

[Ken45101]

Here in Ohio AFAIK, the uilities pay for the service and only locate public utility utiliy lines. Fortunately, the unused telephone line (2200' pole to house) were put in the same trench as our water line (meter at the road) so I can have them mark the tlephone line to find out where my water line is.

Ken

 

[JeepHead]

Where I am at they only locate public utility lines and nothing private. Doesn't mean whatever person comes out won't do it for ya to be nice.

 

[ponytug]

I'm with @grsthegreat and own my own locator because here 811 only locates the utility lines. Locating natural gas lines around here can be something of an issue as the recent pipes are all plastic.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Hay Dude]

I use dowsing rods
Never hit a underground wire or pipe

 

[sandman2234]

I found a powerline day before yesterday. I went to a friends place northeast of Knoxville. My trailer was the biggest one that had been up his driveway. We unloaded, and reloaded it with a lot more than I hauled up. On way down his driveway (which was fun in itself, as I had to have tractor assistance going up) I noticed a low hanging power line crossing his driveway. Since I was at 11'4", I stopped and called him. He brought the tractor with FEL down and lifted it above my load. Sure glad I saw it, because he had also forgotten it!
David from jax

 

[CH4Ohio]

Locating natural gas lines around here can be something of an issue as the recent pipes are all plastic.

All the best,

Peter

It’s always been code to install locate wire with the plastic pipe for just this reason. Wire might be deteriorated or broken rendering it useless, but it pays to look carefully to see if there’s a wire exiting the ground with the pipe.

 

[ericm979]

What make/model locator do you guys with their own locators recommend?

 

[ponytug]

What make/model locator do you guys with their own locators recommend?

I think that starts getting into what you are trying to locate and how deep you need it to be.

My need was buried power wires, with a faint hope of finding metal pipe. I have a Progressive Electronics Model 501 System Cable Locator (basically an AM transmitter with a clamp on antenna, and a second one built into the case, with a receiver wand). I bought it used, figuring I could repair the electronics if needed, but it turned out to be in mint condition. I've used it to find buried conduit and cables, and the locations and depths have been very close. The company is now Tempo, and the updated product looks identical;

501 Tracker II Cable Locator – Tempo Communications

www.tempocom.com

But you could spend a lot more if you have more complex needs.(Ground penetrating radar anyone? But those can do 20' below grade and find all sorts of pipes and obstructions. Not too shabby for testing tree health, too.)

All the best,

Peter

 

[ning]

Me , i own my own locater.

me too
it's called a backhoe bucket

oops
welp glad I've got a backhoe, now I can fix that too

 

[ponytug]

me too
it's called a backhoe bucket

oops
welp glad I've got a backhoe, now I can fix that too

Effective, but not my preferred method. I use a trencher to excavate the wire by spooling it up!

 

[EddieWalker]

I need to mark a 120 volt line that runs from the house to our horse barn. If I call our utility will they do that? Or will they only come out and find/mark their underground lines?

Since it's after the meter, I do not believe the Utility Company will come out and find the line for you. They only do that for their lines.

Odds are very good that the line is the shortest distance between both buildings. I would pick a building, either one, and figure out where the line is coming into that building. It will mean some shovel work, and maybe even removing what's on the wall.

Is this a dedicated line from a breaker? Is there anything else on that line? like an outlet on the outside of your house? If it was run after the house was built, a lot of people will put an outlet on the outside of the house, then dig the trench from there to the barn.

 

[Thomas]

Do you have Dig Safe in your area.

 

[Michiganguy]

I use dowsing rods
Never hit a underground wire or pipe

Same here.
Had an old fellow tell me to try a couple of pieces of coat hanger bent into an L shape. Worked perfectly.
Found the line going from the house to the barns, lines going from outdoor wood boiler to the house and the propane line from the tank to the house. I was amazed how well it worked.

 

[LouNY]

I call my brother and does the dowsing for me, work great for him, not a bit for me.

 

[ponytug]

Since it's after the meter, I do not believe the Utility Company will come out and find the line for you. They only do that for their lines.

Odds are very good that the line is the shortest distance between both buildings. I would pick a building, either one, and figure out where the line is coming into that building. It will mean some shovel work, and maybe even removing what's on the wall.

Is this a dedicated line from a breaker? Is there anything else on that line? like an outlet on the outside of your house? If it was run after the house was built, a lot of people will put an outlet on the outside of the house, then dig the trench from there to the barn.

Thanks, this put a smile on my face. Ideally, sure.

But...the farm we had as a kid had galvanized water pipes with lots of bends in them, and when there was an issue, we had to dig end to end because there was no accounting for the path it took. I strongly suspect the original farmer used bent left over pipe from somewhere else, and played with the pipe to get from "A" to "B". That experience taught me to be careful about assuming. A great life lesson for me.

On this ranch, the reason that I bought a locator beyond the "assuming issue", was the power line from the barn. I was worried about where it might go because I had a couple of projects involving excavation, one deep, one not.

Standing at the barn, there was an easy due south then west line. It would have been parallel to a barn wall, then crossed one driveway at a 90, then continued 30', made a second 90 and gone straight to the house. The original water line did something close to that.
But no...

The line that I was concerned about actually headed from the barn (which runs E-W) due west for about 120', which is away from the house, crossing one access road along about the longest possible crossing path, then went under a guard rail that could have been avoided if the line turned south 8' sooner, having gone under the guard rail headed S, in a not entirely straight line, for 110', under the driveway the whole time, and then takes a 45 degree bend to head south west to head under a small retaining wall, a larger retaining wall, then some stairs, for another fifty feet, and then skirts a 2'x2' masonary column, where it turns due S, before eventually turning W to meet the house. Total length is probably double what the "nice" route might have been and about 3X the straight line route.

Did I mention that I was very happy to have bought a locator?

My takeaway is that there is what the plan has, and there is what someone actually did on the day, which depending on the locale, the person, and the subsurface conditions may be something else again. I have no insights to the chosen route. It seems bad from any angle I can think of, except it might have allowed a NEC minimum burial depth for most of the run, but at the cost of twice the conduit and twice the wire.

YMMV... so my takeaway for me is to buy or rent a locator, or be willing to take care of the consequences.

All the best,

Peter