Our house has a buried cable that was laid by the previous owner for a potential lamp in the yard. It is hooked to a switch in the house, but there is nothing on the other end. Is there a way for an electrician to find it without digging?
Hi, Metal detector? Or if switch is turned on a magnetic compass? Or wire tracing buzzer?
I've used a small battery powered radio switched to the AM band to trace live wires before. Tune it to a relatively quiet section of the band and wave it near a known live wire and listen to the humming sound it makes. I have also used a tone generator of the type used for tracing telephone and network cables in conjunction with an AM radio to trace hidden wires. The toner produces enough RF harmonics in the AM band that tracing a wire is no problem. You would have to make sure there was no power on the circuit first before hooking up a toner.
[8~{} Uncle Monster
So you think the guy buried the wire for a future light and did not cap or tape up the ends to protect the wire from water? I'd like to know what detector costs $20.00, what brand is it? The toner and detector I have costs over $100.00. The other wire and cable finders I have are very expensive and beyond the means of do-it-yourselfers. I repair a lot of cable locating and telecom equipment for a friend of mine that we put on eBay. The older equipment is affordable for a contractor but I doubt a home owner would want to invest in it. Something like a 3M Dynatel 573A sheath fault cable locator is an older unit that could be bought for $150-$250 in good condition. A Radio Shack brand metal detector may work and Harbor Freight also sells one for $50.00.
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This one works for me- Neiko- "Digital 3-in-1 Metal, Voltage and Stud Detector - Auto-Calibrating"
I got one for hobby metal detecting- and it worked so well I bought a couple more as backups.
Jim
The cable is 10 or 12 inches underground, will that work at that depth? (My kid's toy metal detector wouldn't do it.)
If you can prove that you can make a million dollars.
"Effectiveness of rain dance is highly dependent on timing."
-Baxter Black quip
"Accuracy of dowsing highly dependent on location of digging"
-dpb
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Sorry about that- No I just tried it. The depth is about 3-4 inches. Buy your a kid a Garrett Ace detector- that finds it.
My father swears by that method, but I've never had much success. I've met others who claim it is valid.
Get two pieces of straight bailing wire about a foot long. Bend them in an L, with the short leg about 3". Hold the 3" legs very loosely in your fists so they can spin. Hold your fists at waist level, slightly down so the points swing to the front of you. As you walk over the line, the two points will swing parallel right-left. This also works for sprinkler, water lines, and metal objects. Trick is not to hold them too tight so they can swing. I have seen some people use two empty Tabasco bottles, and have seen fancy ones that have ball bearing swivels and small cylinders that keep the palms of the hands from touching the swinging parts.
It works.
Steve
Whenever I've had construction work done, there is some service that comes out ahead of time and marks the utility lines. They only mark the public lines and not any private ones, but they certainly have the technology and maybe, for a price, would mark private lines.
He lives in another state. I know where comes out of the house, but I don't know where the end of it is.
Not true at all, they have a detector they swing across the dirt and it beeps when they go over a wire. What they won't guarantee is the depth. I have had several "locates" in the right of way in front of my house. One for me, a driveway installation and the rest for utility work. I have watched the process a number of times.
Not doubting you at all but does it work through 18" of dirt. If so, I may have to try one out. I know how technology changes, improves and drops in price over the years so I'll have to get one to play with.
[8~{} Uncle Monster
Where do I collect? I have used this countless times to locate pipes.
Steve
But how can this be so? There are people who say it is just not so. And then, there are people who know what they saw. It is so puzzling.
Not really. I can do it. Some say that some have the gift, and some do not. I personally think it is how one holds their hands. I will experiment how to make a movie with my camera, tape doing it, and make that tape available to anyone who will e mail me. Or even put it on U tube. Or is it You tube. Whatever.
Steve
Nothing to prove. It's real, and it works. Google is your friend
Now _there's_ a reliable source... :)
Google also returns amongst many others the following...
How Does Fact Confront Myth When it Comes to Water? Boucher, Kurtis W., School of Geology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK, 74078
Abstract: This paper offers an insight to whether or not dowsing is fact or myth by evaluating thoughts of skeptics and the experiments that have been done on this belief. ...
Since ancient times, dowsers have claimed they can find water by using their senses ? and a few special tools, such as rods or pendulums. They believe that objects, including water, possess a natural magnetic, electromagnetic or other unknown ?energy? they can detect with their senses. ...
This ancient divining technique has many adherents, but it has never been scientifically proven. ...
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Metal dectectors work well.
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