What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??

"gray" wrote in message
...
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in
the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??



If plastic it's not easy - if lead or galv barrel then normal metal
detecting techniques.

If you set a mains tap to be running so it is just cracked open and
'hissing' it is possible, with a steel probe, to hear the hiss along
the pipe for quite a distance. The method is to press the probe into
the ground and rest your ear against the upper end - don't get carried
away and bang the probe through the pipe!

If you have access to one end of the pipe you can insert a stiff wire
and use a C-Scope or similar cable detector with the 33kHz genny
connected to the wire

AWEM

I was thinking more along the lines of what I have seen the gas boards
use. Its yellow with a handle, doh doh its hard to describe.

I've got an old steel pipe that runs down my garden, its now got a
hole in it, with water coming out. Repair people say I should replace
all of the pipe as its old and perforated. The only proplem is, that
the main pipe feeds my house and 3 others, but this pipe carries on
down into my garden. But I do not know where it goes too.

Apart form turning the stop cock and seen if any one shouts. The only
way I can think of is to track it with some sort of detector.

Not even sure if you could hire them.

On Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:33:23 +0000, gray wrote:

I was thinking more along the lines of what I have seen the gas boards
use. Its yellow with a handle, doh doh its hard to describe.

I've got an old steel pipe that runs down my garden, its now got a hole
in it, with water coming out. Repair people say I should replace all of
the pipe as its old and perforated. The only proplem is, that the main
pipe feeds my house and 3 others, but this pipe carries on down into my
garden. But I do not know where it goes too.

Apart form turning the stop cock and seen if any one shouts. The only
way I can think of is to track it with some sort of detector.

Not even sure if you could hire them.

You mean these: http://www.hss.com/g/49514/Detector.html

On Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:35:33 GMT, PCPaul wrote:

http://www.hss.com/g/49514/Detector.htm


Yes thats the thing. Not sure what I would need from the list of bits.

I take that these things are expensive to buy. Any idea who might
supply them ??

gray wrote:
On Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:35:33 GMT, PCPaul wrote:

http://www.hss.com/g/49514/Detector.htm


Yes thats the thing. Not sure what I would need from the list of bits.

I take that these things are expensive to buy. Any idea who might
supply them ??

The company featured in the link - HSS.
And almost all plant hire companies will have them too....according to the
link, they are about £40 for the first day.

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

"gray" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:35:33 GMT, PCPaul wrote:

http://www.hss.com/g/49514/Detector.htm


Yes thats the thing. Not sure what I would need from the list of
bits.

I take that these things are expensive to buy. Any idea who might
supply them ??

Yep, and that's the C-Scope I referred to several posts earlier !!!!

AWEM

On Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:33:23 +0000, gray
wrote:

I was thinking more along the lines of what I have seen the gas boards
use. Its yellow with a handle, doh doh its hard to describe.

I've got an old steel pipe that runs down my garden, its now got a
hole in it, with water coming out. Repair people say I should replace
all of the pipe as its old and perforated. The only proplem is, that
the main pipe feeds my house and 3 others, but this pipe carries on
down into my garden. But I do not know where it goes too.

Apart form turning the stop cock and seen if any one shouts. The only
way I can think of is to track it with some sort of detector.

Some (most?) plastic pipes are laid with a tracer wire wrapped loosely
around or close to them for this very purpose.

--
Frank Erskine

gray wrote:
I was thinking more along the lines of what I have seen the gas boards
use. Its yellow with a handle, doh doh its hard to describe.

I've got an old steel pipe that runs down my garden, its now got a
hole in it, with water coming out. Repair people say I should replace
all of the pipe as its old and perforated. The only proplem is, that
the main pipe feeds my house and 3 others, but this pipe carries on
down into my garden. But I do not know where it goes too.

Apart form turning the stop cock and seen if any one shouts. The only
way I can think of is to track it with some sort of detector.

Not even sure if you could hire them.

You can detect underground pipes with a simple AM tranny radio with a
ferrite rod internal antenna. Not it MUST be a medium/log wave AM radio
not FM not digital.
Tune to a signal
Turn the radio until the rod ariel is vertical and note that the signal
disappears or becomes very noisy.
Hold the radio in this position and walk over the area with the pipe or
cable in.
As you approach the pipe the signal will re-appear, then when you are
directly over the pipe it will disappear again and then when you walk
past the pip is will reappear for a short distance and then disappear
once more.
This effect will only be noticed for reasonably long pipes/wires and you
must cross the track of the pipe not just pass the end of it but it does
work and is the principle used but commercial detectors.

Bob

On Mar 22, 9:12*am, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:


The method is to press the probe 9metal rod) into
the ground and rest your ear against the upper end - don't get carried
away and bang the probe through the pipe!

or through your head!

Robert

"gray" wrote in message
...
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??




Dowsing rods like ebay item 250390401499. Look it up, read the words.

[You may need to grow a beard first] :-)

Seriously my gut reaction is that dowsing is complete horse****....but I
know a couple of people who swear by it. Perhaps you have a chance to
prove/disprove the technology.


D

"Vortex3" wrote:
"gray" wrote in message
.. .
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??




Dowsing rods like ebay item 250390401499. Look it up, read the words.

[You may need to grow a beard first] :-)

Seriously my gut reaction is that dowsing is complete horse****....but I
know a couple of people who swear by it. Perhaps you have a chance to
prove/disprove the technology.


I do dowsing using copper brazing rods. I don't care whether it is
horse**** or not - it works.

It must be because I have a beard. ;-)

Bruce wrote:

I do dowsing using copper brazing rods. I don't care whether it is
horse**** or not - it works.


I should have added ... copper brazing rods *that cost pennies*.

Bruce wrote:
Bruce wrote:

I do dowsing using copper brazing rods. I don't care whether it is
horse**** or not - it works.


I should have added ... copper brazing rods *that cost pennies*.

Spendthrift! What's wrong with old coathangers? They breed in wardrobes
and cost nothing. ;-)

Tim

Vortex3 wrote:
"gray" wrote in message
...
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??




Dowsing rods like ebay item 250390401499. Look it up, read the words.

[You may need to grow a beard first] :-)

Seriously my gut reaction is that dowsing is complete horse****....but I
know a couple of people who swear by it.

They should go and take the James Randi Challenge then, and earn
themselves a cool million:
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html

So far nobody's managed to win it, curiously enough.

David

Lobster wrote:

Vortex3 wrote:
"gray" wrote in message
...
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??




Dowsing rods like ebay item 250390401499. Look it up, read the words.

[You may need to grow a beard first] :-)

Seriously my gut reaction is that dowsing is complete horse****....but I
know a couple of people who swear by it.

They should go and take the James Randi Challenge then, and earn
themselves a cool million:
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html

So far nobody's managed to win it, curiously enough.


There's nothing remotely "paranormal" about dowsing. It's all about
detecting subtle changes in the earth's electro-magnetic fields caused
by buried services and underground flows.

Dowsing isn't well understood and there isn't, as yet, a demonstrable
scientific explanation. That may come in time. But even if it doesn't,
all that matters is that it is a useful, easily learnt, practical
technique that can help you find buried pipelines, cables and other
significant underground features.

There's no need to "believe" in it. It isn't something that depends on
"faith". There's nothing "paranormal". It just works.

..

Bruce wrote:
Lobster wrote:

Vortex3 wrote:
"gray" wrote in message
...
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??



Dowsing rods like ebay item 250390401499. Look it up, read the words.

[You may need to grow a beard first] :-)

Seriously my gut reaction is that dowsing is complete horse****....but I
know a couple of people who swear by it.
They should go and take the James Randi Challenge then, and earn
themselves a cool million:
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html

So far nobody's managed to win it, curiously enough.


There's nothing remotely "paranormal" about dowsing. It's all about
detecting subtle changes in the earth's electro-magnetic fields caused
by buried services and underground flows.

Dowsing isn't well understood and there isn't, as yet, a demonstrable
scientific explanation. That may come in time. But even if it doesn't,
all that matters is that it is a useful, easily learnt, practical
technique that can help you find buried pipelines, cables and other
significant underground features.

I can understand how there could well be some scientific basis for it,
but Randi certainly classes it as paranormal activity and apparently
dowsers are the largest group of applicants for the prize - but he
hasn't paid out yet, so go figure!

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/...ay-9-2008.html

I heard him talking about it on TV once - ISTR he had a test consisting
of several buried pipes, through which water could be diverted at will -
genuine dowsers ought to be able to detect reproducibly which pipes had
water running through them - but they couldn't.

David

Lobster wrote:
Bruce wrote:
Lobster wrote:

Vortex3 wrote:
"gray" wrote in message
...
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in
the ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??



Dowsing rods like ebay item 250390401499. Look it up, read the
words. [You may need to grow a beard first] :-)

Seriously my gut reaction is that dowsing is complete
horse****....but I know a couple of people who swear by it.
They should go and take the James Randi Challenge then, and earn
themselves a cool million:
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html

So far nobody's managed to win it, curiously enough.


There's nothing remotely "paranormal" about dowsing. It's all about
detecting subtle changes in the earth's electro-magnetic fields
caused by buried services and underground flows.

Dowsing isn't well understood and there isn't, as yet, a demonstrable
scientific explanation. That may come in time. But even if it
doesn't, all that matters is that it is a useful, easily learnt,
practical technique that can help you find buried pipelines, cables
and other significant underground features.

I can understand how there could well be some scientific basis for it,
but Randi certainly classes it as paranormal activity and apparently
dowsers are the largest group of applicants for the prize - but he
hasn't paid out yet, so go figure!

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/...ay-9-2008.html

I heard him talking about it on TV once - ISTR he had a test
consisting of several buried pipes, through which water could be
diverted at will - genuine dowsers ought to be able to detect
reproducibly which pipes had water running through them - but they
couldn't.

James Randi is a magician by background & well aware of unscientific claims.
The test you refer to is the Kassel Dowsing Test. Scientifically faultless
& conclusive. None of the dowsers could achieve results better than chance.

Its the ideomotor effect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideomotor_effect

The money is still up for grabs
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/...verything.html

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 22 Mar, 11:38, "Vortex3" wrote:

Dowsing rods like ebay item 250390401499. *Look it up, read the words.

Fabulous! 8-)

Mind you:
"There is no tracking on this type of shipping"

Why would they need tracking through the postal system? Surely they
could just ask their crystal-powered spirit guide?

[You may need to grow a beard first] * *:-)

Were beards the fashion in Atlantis, or did they favour flippers and
Bermuda shorts?

On Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:38:46 -0000, "Vortex3"
wrote:

"gray" wrote in message
.. .
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??




Dowsing rods like ebay item 250390401499. Look it up, read the words.


Whilst reading their blurb I swear I could hear banjos a playing in
the background.

On Sunday, 22 March 2009 08:58:33 UTC, gray wrote:
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??

Anyone just reading this now, re plastic water pipe, if you an an idea were it is likely to be you can use fencing wire to gauge the length, curl the end of the wire round neatly and tape it so it does not chafe the pipe, disconect the mdpe pipe at a accessible point and feed the wire down, if there are no other services near such as cables you may with a good detector be able to find the wire, alternatively hire a 'CAT SCAN and GENNY' you connect the genny to the fencing wire or other wire you have put down the pipe, this generates a radio signal and the cat scan detects this very easily, playing with this i managed to locate a 32mm mdpe plastic pipe all the way from my house under the garage floor and across my paddock for about 50yds the pipe was burried 2 feet down, 3 feet under the paddock. you can also locate plastic drains this way. Where i drew my line maker paint when i dug the hole it was within 2" of my line

wrote:
On Sunday, 22 March 2009 08:58:33 UTC, gray wrote:
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??

Anyone just reading this now, re plastic water pipe, if you an an idea
were it is likely to be you can use fencing wire to gauge the length,
curl the end of the wire round neatly and tape it so it does not chafe
the pipe, disconect the mdpe pipe at a accessible point and feed the wire
down, if there are no other services near such as cables you may with a
good detector be able to find the wire, alternatively hire a 'CAT SCAN
and GENNY' you connect the genny to the fencing wire or other wire you
have put down the pipe, this generates a radio signal and the cat scan
detects this very easily, playing with this i managed to locate a 32mm
mdpe plastic pipe all the way from my house under the garage floor and
across my paddock for about 50yds the pipe was burried 2 feet down, 3
feet under the paddock. you can also locate plastic drains this way.
Where i drew my line maker paint when i dug the hole it was within 2" of my line


Our neighbours are waiting for this as I type. They have a leak in their
incoming mains but no idea where the pipe runs as the house has been
extended many times.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

When the weather is dry, sometimes a probe pushed in at intervals will
suddenly show up a wet spot near the leak if its been leaking for some time.
Unfortunately if it goes under buildings... ouch.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Tim+" wrote in message
...
wrote:
On Sunday, 22 March 2009 08:58:33 UTC, gray wrote:
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??

Anyone just reading this now, re plastic water pipe, if you an an idea
were it is likely to be you can use fencing wire to gauge the length,
curl the end of the wire round neatly and tape it so it does not chafe
the pipe, disconect the mdpe pipe at a accessible point and feed the wire
down, if there are no other services near such as cables you may with a
good detector be able to find the wire, alternatively hire a 'CAT SCAN
and GENNY' you connect the genny to the fencing wire or other wire you
have put down the pipe, this generates a radio signal and the cat scan
detects this very easily, playing with this i managed to locate a 32mm
mdpe plastic pipe all the way from my house under the garage floor and
across my paddock for about 50yds the pipe was burried 2 feet down, 3
feet under the paddock. you can also locate plastic drains this way.
Where i drew my line maker paint when i dug the hole it was within 2" of
my line


Our neighbours are waiting for this as I type. They have a leak in their
incoming mains but no idea where the pipe runs as the house has been
extended many times.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

That sounds hi teck.

Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
wrote in message
...
On Sunday, 22 March 2009 08:58:33 UTC, gray wrote:
What the best (but cheapest) way of tracing a mains water pipe in the
ground on private property.

Is ther any thing I can buy, relatively cheaply ??

Anyone just reading this now, re plastic water pipe, if you an an idea were
it is likely to be you can use fencing wire to gauge the length, curl the
end of the wire round neatly and tape it so it does not chafe the pipe,
disconect the mdpe pipe at a accessible point and feed the wire down, if
there are no other services near such as cables you may with a good detector
be able to find the wire, alternatively hire a 'CAT SCAN and GENNY' you
connect the genny to the fencing wire or other wire you have put down the
pipe, this generates a radio signal and the cat scan detects this very
easily, playing with this i managed to locate a 32mm mdpe plastic pipe all
the way from my house under the garage floor and across my paddock for about
50yds the pipe was burried 2 feet down, 3 feet under the paddock. you can
also locate plastic drains this way. Where i drew my line maker paint when
i dug the hole it was within 2" of my line