Water main location

[Russell griffiths]

Does anybody know how to locate a water main. 

Main is plastic and 50mm pipe so carries a lot of water I need to install a new electric cable and really could do without digging up the water main. 

The pipe is on my property so water authority have no plans or give a monkeys. 

Cheers russ. 

[Jeremy Harris]

If you can get a flexitrace up the pipe, then you can use a CAT to find the pipe.  If you can't, then you'll need to dig a few holes to try and locate it.

[Onoff]

Someone's going to suggest divining in a minute! My escapades finding a leak in an old iron main:

 

 

[Russell griffiths]

I think I won't be able to push a flexible trace far enough. 

I can disconnect the pipe at the meter but that is a good 100m away from the location I need to find the pipe. 

Going to add a question to my cable size thread to see if I can get around this. 

[Russell griffiths]

Divining has been mentioned but with all the water around me and in the ground I think it's a non starter. 

 

You would think the manufacturer would be on to this and start installing a trace wire thingy in the pipes by now. 

[Jeremy Harris]

54 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Divining has been mentioned but with all the water around me and in the ground I think it's a non starter. 

 

You would think the manufacturer would be on to this and start installing a trace wire thingy in the pipes by now. 

 

 

It's now best practice to install a trace wire alongside a plastic pipe.  The wire can be connected to a signal generator and use to create a field that a CAT can detect.  If laying a new long length of underground pipe it makes sense to add a trace wire, just to ease the hassle of anyone trying to find it later.

Edited July 29, 2017 by JSHarris

[Vijay]

What sort of wire would you use as a trace wire?

[Jeremy Harris]

21 minutes ago, Vijay said:

What sort of wire would you use as a trace wire?

 

 

Stuff like this that's made for the job:  https://store.jdpipes.co.uk/blue-tracer-wire/

[Vijay]

Thank you. What pipes would you use it on apart from water?

[Temp]

Can you hire this kit in the UK?..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyJrReen-ng

[Onoff]

Could you...

 

Isolate the mains and shove a trace wire down the middle of the existing pipe but go from both ends so less to push etc?

[Russell griffiths]

thanks for all the comments I did a bit of searching and good ol you tube comes to the rescue again.