Help finding underground wire/box

[micky]

OOPs, he posted twice yesterday. They were in a part of the thread after 4 unretrieved bodies that show up in red and I thought it was another thread.

[dpb]

On 6/6/2020 3:03 AM, micky wrote: ...

...

Again, I was speaking of calling 811 expecting them to locate owner-responsibility lines, NOT what they're there for of locating the utility lines up to the transition point.

That on occasion one might find they did locate to the house from the utility drop point I wouldn't be terribly surprised but to expect it and/or to request that from them when show up as being why called; that's off limits in my understanding of CGA.

[gfretwell]

They only marked to the edge of the right of way, not where it went under the original driveway.. It was just as well since I wanted it in conduit anyway and I had a roll of flooded cable.

[Clare Snyder]

Because they miss more utilities than the find??

[micky]

No. Because she's Mr. Utility's daughter. She's cute but if you mess with her, or trifle with her affections, her father turns all your utilities off.

[Todesco]

Next update. Yesterday, I used my sounder/receiver, but this time only the receiver. It works very well to pic up 60Hz. Connected an electric heater to the outlet on the post lamp. It provided lots of 'hum'. Still didn't find the plastic 4x4 box in the ground, but I think I'm close. My back got tired again, so I quit after a short time. BTW, the area in front of my house is au-natural ... no grass, just wild stiff. We've even planted some wild flowers. More later.

[bruce2bowser]

In a construction class I took (2011), the instructor was describing how you could reach down if the ground is watery enough 2 or 3 feet to find a leaky pipe. But by then, the water could be pumped out, even if it's an electrical box.

[gfretwell]

I suppose a pedantic old inspector might point out you should have never buried a box in the first place but now you have a chance to do it right.

[Todesco]

Well actually, it was never really buried. The box cover was at ground level. However, being in an area where plant growth is rampant, there is lots of leaf mulch, etc. I think some of the new plants are growing in the leaf mulch on top of the box cover. When I find it, I will probably glue on another box extension and put some kind of a marker.

[trader_4]

What was the purpose of the box to begin with? I would have boxes were there is a light post, receptacle, etc. If I needed to splice it, eg for repair, I would just do an underground splice, no box.

[invalid unparseable]

On Sat, 06 Jun 2020 22:36:50 -0400, Clare Snyder posted for all of us to digest...

Ha Ha LOL that's true.

[invalid unparseable]

On Mon, 8 Jun 2020 07:32:05 -0400, Todesco posted for all of us to digest...

Go to Arlington products, they have just the thing you are looking for; hopefully.

[micky]

So it coulnd't be more than an inch or two deep.

Have you tried poking the ground for the box?. Take a broom stick or a dowel rod and put a long? nail in one end, then grind the nail head off and grind it moderately sharp. Then go all around the yard poking. If it wa a 6" box you only have to poke every 5 inches.

[amdx]

Two possible ways to find the box/wire. Easier way first. Take a portable AM radio, tune into a station, hold the antenna so the back of the radio faces the ground. Rotate the radio around keeping the back facing the ground. You should find a direction where the signal drops very low or disappears completely. Now keeping the radio in that direction, lower it to the ground and pass it over the area where you think the wire is. When you pass it over the wire the signal level will pop up. (The wire in the ground re-radiates the AM radio signal and causes it to locally come from a different direction, thus the radio picks it up) Once you find the wire, just work your way to the box, sliding the radio back and forth listening for the signal to come and go. The second way, Since you have a box on the end, you might try a 1/4"

3ft iron rod. put a rounded but sharp point on it. Set up a grid where you think the box might be. Start poking the rod into the ground at least as deep as you think the box might be, and work your grid until you hit the box. I have found 3/4" PVC conduit using this method, but I'd search for the box. If the ground is hard, I heat the end of the rod and flatten it, maybe 1/2" wide and then grind/file to an arrowhead shape. Stick the other end into a portable drill and drill it into the ground until you find the box. Mikek

[Todesco]

The box was there to terminate the 2" plastic conduit. Yes, I could have just passed the wire through and buried it, but then it would back fill with dirt, etc. As for poking, I've even used a pitchfork. I'd sacrifice the box cover just to find it. Didn't do anything yesterday. Today it's supposed to rain all day, but it is sunny now. More later.

[Todesco]

Found it! It was just inside the clump of weeds (wild flowers). I used the AM radio as someone suggested, but with a twist. I tuned to an area where there was no signal. When the radio came to the area where the cable was buried, it buzzed, 60Hz plus lots of harmonics. I sounded like there was some data signal on the line as one of the harmonics seemed to beep in a repepitive cadence. I could actuallly "see" where the cable going through the clump of flowers. The box only had about an inch or less of leaf mulch over it. Now I need to open it and look inside. It was too hot and mostly too humid to continue, so I went to the mailbox to retrieve the mail....spam, of course.

Next I have to see why the GFCI sometimes trips. I've googled the problem and people seem to think anything of 150' for the circuit is a recipe for false tripping. I also turn on the circuit at the house, but only interrupt the hot lead. So when the circuit powers up, there is capacitance between the conductors and earch that could cause more current flow through one conductor than the other. BTW, the run is about 250' from the GFCI breaker to the box. At that point it splits. One wire goes to the lamp post, about 15' and the other to an outlet about 25'. I really don't want to put the GFCI out at the end, but maybe that's the only way to make it work. More later.

[Todesco]

Bob F, I did too, but it didn't work for me, but the AM radio did work. Check out my posts from yesterday.

[gfretwell]

There are recommendations about the maximum distances on GFCI circuits and it is different for cables and wire in a metal raceway but most tripping is still caused by actual ground faults, usually water in a box. One tip is to keep wire nuts away from the side if the box and point them up.

[Dean Hoffman]

Snipped a bunch.

Were the open ends of the wire nuts on the down side so any condensation that might've existed could drain? There are wire nuts available that contain silicone sealant or something similar. Maybe using those would help.

[Todesco]

Good point, I'll open the box and check it later today. It's suppossed to rain today, so I don't know if I will get to it.