View Full Version : Ground Rod making NOISE...yes Noise...
JacksonburgFarmer
05-19-2009, 10:35 PM
Ok....If I hadnt done and seen this myself...I WOULDNT BELIVE IT:D
Drove a ground rod today, it pushed into the ground by hand the first foot or two...then set my roto-hammer onto the rod to drive it home....went fast for about a foot...then hard and slow...then easy the rest of the way....got done and set down the roto hammer, and I could hear a "hissing" noise....I thought to myself " holy kangaroo crap, I hit a gas line" .....but there are no gas lines in the area....NO marked water lines in the area and the ditch was still dry a hour later.....WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON???? Anyone ever have this before????:confused:
Dennis Alwon
05-19-2009, 10:42 PM
Ok....If I hadnt done and seen this myself...I WOULDNT BELIVE IT:D
Drove a ground rod today, it pushed into the ground by hand the first foot or two...then set my roto-hammer onto the rod to drive it home....went fast for about a foot...then hard and slow...then easy the rest of the way....got done and set down the roto hammer, and I could hear a "hissing" noise....I thought to myself " holy kangaroo crap, I hit a gas line" .....but there are no gas lines in the area....NO marked water lines in the area and the ditch was still dry a hour later.....WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON???? Anyone ever have this before????:confused:
You hit something but I don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?.....:smile:
something is happening but you don't know what it is
PetrosA
05-19-2009, 10:56 PM
When you say it went easy at the end, was it really easy? Maybe there's a buried fuel tank there...
480sparky
05-19-2009, 10:58 PM
Water line?
dereckbc
05-19-2009, 11:31 PM
You hit something, send the apprentice out there for a smoke break :D
electricalperson
05-19-2009, 11:37 PM
i hope its nothing serious
TOOL_5150
05-19-2009, 11:56 PM
You just made a big underground snake very mad.
Seriously - if it went down by hand a foot or 2... id dig it up and see for yourself.
~Matt
Minuteman
05-20-2009, 12:04 AM
Ever see "Encino Man"?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xkTN1Z1rTQ
quogueelectric
05-20-2009, 12:36 AM
Call the Wonder pets. Lenny Tuck and Ming-Ming.
ericsherman37
05-20-2009, 01:14 AM
I had a friend whose wife made some sort of garden artwork contraption out of scrap copper plumbing pipe. She took it out and shoved it into the ground and hammered it in a ways. A few days later, their drain system started backing up (septic system). They snaked and plungered the toilet and other stuff, but a few days later it backed up again. They called a plumber out and they all spent a few hours testing things and checking the septic tank (nowhere near full) and couldn't find anything wrong. At one point my friend was walking through the garden, along the path of the drain line, and heard a flowing water sound. It sounded like it was coming from the copper sculpture thing his wife made. It turns out she had somehow managed to jam it directly through the septic line, and toilet paper, etc. kept getting hung up on it and backing up the system. There were no leaks or poop puddles or any other evidence of damage from the surface.
I don't know what would account for the hissing sound you have, but maybe this is a possibility? Also, get the utilities to come out with a fine tooth comb and remark their lines?
LarryFine
05-20-2009, 02:39 AM
Put in a call to Miss Utility. It's a great service for the price ($0). :wink:
mxslick
05-20-2009, 02:49 AM
Use caution with this one..it is possible that you hit an underground feeder and the hissing you're hearing is arcing underground....long time ago found an underground feeder fault by the hissing sound...
ibew441dc
05-20-2009, 03:01 AM
Ok....If I hadnt done and seen this myself...I WOULDNT BELIVE IT:D
WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON???? Anyone ever have this before????:confused:
Maybe you hit a Fragle in the leg!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSDeoO-j3G0 They havn't been around for a long time but their still out there!!:grin:
iwire
05-20-2009, 06:08 AM
I could hear a "hissing" noise....I thought to myself " holy kangaroo crap, I hit a gas line" .....but there are no gas lines in the area....NO marked water lines in the area and the ditch was still dry a hour later.....WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON???? Anyone ever have this before????:confused:
Ground rods do not hiss, if it was me I would be very worried.
ultramegabob
05-20-2009, 06:14 AM
how do you know there is no gas lines in the area? did you have a locate?
Pierre C Belarge
05-20-2009, 07:17 AM
Has the hissing sound stopped?
Bob said it simply...ground rods are the silent majority, when they make noise it is always a bad thing.
busman
05-20-2009, 07:38 AM
I get laughed at by my friends around here for calling Miss Utility before driving ground rods, but it's cheap insurance. If I hit something, I'm covered and of course you can't beat FREE. Just need to plan a few days in advance.
Hope it's nothing serious.
Mark
MrMilbank
05-20-2009, 09:55 AM
def call wonder pets, theres probally a baby animal in danger..
Start Digging...you will find out what you hit eventually...I would want to know now than later. Put a tester to the rod before you start...might want to take a whiff also.
I once hit a 9v batter laying in the dirt while driving a ground rod...I did not know it was a battery hissing and freaked out. I ran about 100' before stopping.
ibew441dc
05-20-2009, 04:01 PM
I know everyone's seen this...but good thing this didn't happen...
http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr66/FulThrotl/gasline1.jpg
Mr.Sparkle
05-20-2009, 05:06 PM
Wow, I have not seen that. What happened?
powerslave
05-20-2009, 05:10 PM
Wow, I have not seen that. What happened?
It look like it go boom!
K8MHZ
05-20-2009, 05:39 PM
Wow, I have not seen that. What happened?
Despite stories to the contrary, a nat gas line failed and blew and caught fire and burnt a couple houses down. The cause was not someone pounding in a ground rod.
http://www.appomattoxnews.com/2008/appomattox-gas-line-explosion.html
ibew441dc
05-20-2009, 06:15 PM
Wow, I have not seen that. What happened?
K8MHZ may have posted facts?
The MHF media covered this topic accordinglyhttp://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=113063
electricalperson
05-20-2009, 07:34 PM
i hope the OP found out what he hit and its nothing dangerous
brantmacga
05-20-2009, 07:49 PM
i hope the OP found out what he hit and its nothing dangerous
since he has not responded, I'm going to say he went 'kaboom'.
electricalperson
05-20-2009, 07:51 PM
since he has not responded, I'm going to say he went 'kaboom'.
that would be horrible
JacksonburgFarmer
05-20-2009, 10:50 PM
No....I did not go KABOOM.....more like KERSPLUNK.....:mad:
Got a call from one of my guys this morning...."Man....this hole is full of water....must have been a water line".......:roll:
Plumber comes in the morning.....I moved a apprentice to the job for the day just to help dig....No locate marks insight of my ground rod.....and I was 12" away from the rod of the ground rod for the fiberoptic equipment......:mad:
OH WELL....nothing to major...just another day....living the dream....sometimes it seems to be a nightmare....
The worst part is I drove the rod (testing out new rotohammer) and I cant blame anyone else....Hate it when that happens....:grin:
The worst part is I drove the rod (testing out new rotohammer) and I cant blame anyone else....Hate it when that happens....:grin:
On the bright side...you don't have to fire anyone.
LarryFine
05-21-2009, 12:20 AM
. . . testing out new rotohammer . . . So, how'd you like it? PJ (my better third) almost enjoys driving rods with our Bosch.
ibew441dc
05-21-2009, 12:31 AM
On the bright side...you don't have to fire anyone.
or have killed one of these guys......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSDeoO-j3G0
gndrod
05-21-2009, 03:26 PM
call........811
Maybe you hit a Fragle in the leg!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSDeoO-j3G0 They havn't been around for a long time but their still out there!!:grin:
Dang, fraggles? Where did that come from???
ibew441dc
05-21-2009, 04:15 PM
Dang, fraggles? Where did that come from???
I thought since nothing blew up and no water was coming out....then he must have hit a fraggle with the ground rod;);)
JacksonburgFarmer
05-21-2009, 10:33 PM
The rotohammer is the cats pajamas for driving rods....cant beat it with a stick....heck, I even used it to drive in the 1/2" rebar into existing footer/foundation for the new addition on my house....drilled the holes, chucked up ground rod driver....and bashed em in....my dad said I was lasy....I said I like my toys....er um I mean tools
JacksonburgFarmer
05-21-2009, 10:36 PM
Well....we fixed the water line today....1 1/2" copper line....about 50" deep.....with a 1/2" X 8' copper clad rod driven just about DEAD COTTONPICKIN CENTER THROUG IT:mad:
Lots and lots of fun....the term mud from head to toe doesent begin to explain......
BLACK4TRUCK
05-21-2009, 10:55 PM
Well....we fixed the water line today....1 1/2" copper line....about 50" deep.....with a 1/2" X 8' copper clad rod driven just about DEAD COTTONPICKIN CENTER THROUG IT:mad:
Lots and lots of fun....the term mud from head to toe doesent begin to explain......
any pics?? we do feel your pain:roll:
GUNNING
05-23-2009, 10:14 AM
If its soft and the rest of the ground is hard then its a ditch line. Find the side of the ditch line and poke and hope, or go for something harder. 5 feet though is 2 feet over what I think would be safe for buried cable. Water is pretty destructive. I had a crew that cut a gas line. Nicked it. a few weeks later the neighbor called and said the grass was dead and there was a miniature geyser of smokey sand coming out of the ground. Natural gas sucks the moisture out of the dirt and the geyser was clay and sand and natural gas.
5 feet that must have been some hole to dig. Did you bond the water pipe?
Fulthrotl
05-23-2009, 11:25 AM
Well....we fixed the water line today....1 1/2" copper line....about 50" deep.....with a 1/2" X 8' copper clad rod driven just about DEAD COTTONPICKIN CENTER THROUG IT:mad:
Lots and lots of fun....the term mud from head to toe doesent begin to explain......
ground rod driving is always a cause for pause..... :-/
i drew up plans for a store and lock a few years ago.... running under the
property was a 36" transite pipe that remains to this day the central
water supply for the city of redlands.
the note on the plans said something to the effect that the water main
could not be turned off, and damage to it would have catastrophic effects
on the cities of redlands, and san bernadino.
due to cut and fill, the top of this irreplaceable, unrepairable water main was
about a foot under the ground, i kid you not. inverse was 48".
be glad it was only an inch and a half line.... how'd ya like to break a 36"
line being fed by big bear lake? :-(
mivey
05-23-2009, 11:56 AM
ground rod driving is always a cause for pause..... :-/
i drew up plans for a store and lock a few years ago.... running under the
property was a 36" transite pipe that remains to this day the central
water supply for the city of redlands.
the note on the plans said something to the effect that the water main
could not be turned off, and damage to it would have catastrophic effects
on the cities of redlands, and san bernadino.
due to cut and fill, the top of this irreplaceable, unrepairable water main was
about a foot under the ground, i kid you not. inverse was 48".
be glad it was only an inch and a half line.... how'd ya like to break a 36"
line being fed by big bear lake? :-(Sounds like they scared you enough. There is a difference between could not and would not and rather not. My instincts tell me that it can be turned off, and can be repaired.
I have no doubt that damage might be catastrophic and replacement might be terribly expensive, but I can promise you that both will happen one day.
LarryFine
05-23-2009, 03:41 PM
Did you bond the water pipe?He sure did. That's what started this whole discussion. :wink:
iwire
05-23-2009, 05:00 PM
Sounds like they scared you enough. There is a difference between could not and would not and rather not.
'Can not' is often just a way of saying it's so expensive you don't even want to consider it.:D
A contractor hit a high pressure gas main here where I live and it took an hour to get it shut down.
CONSEQUENCES
On December 9, 1995, at approximately 1:20 p.m. a 40-cm (16-inch) natural gas main was
ruptured and within 10 minutes an evacuation was initiated. There was one reported injury (to
the bulldozer operator) and no fatalities associated with the incident. Approximately 40,000
people were evacuated within a one-mile radius.
I don't recall the costs to the company that hit the line.
CONSEQUENCES
On December 9, 1995, at approximately 1:20 p.m. a 40-cm (16-inch) natural gas main was
ruptured and within 10 minutes an evacuation was initiated. There was one reported injury (to
the bulldozer operator) and no fatalities associated with the incident. Approximately 40,000
people were evacuated within a one-mile radius.
Holy Cow, that's a lot of people in a small space! Was he driving a ground rod in the middle of a packed football stadium or what?:D
iwire
05-23-2009, 06:52 PM
Holy Cow, that's a lot of people in a small space! Was he driving a ground rod in the middle of a packed football stadium or what?:D
Driving a buldozer near a large mall at Christmas time. :D
The spot he hit the pipe is about 2.25 miles from my home but that was outside the evacuation area.
General
The town of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, is an affluent suburban community. It has a population of approximately 27,000 people and covers an area of
49.3 km2 (19 mi2). Its main economic base is retail, which attracts a large number of nonresidents
to area stores and strip malls. On December 9, 2003, approximately 40,000 people
were evacuated from an 8.1 km2 (3.14 mi2) area after a natural gas main was ruptured.
Approximately 25,000 people were evacuated from Emerald Square Mall and 15,000 people
were evacuated from the surrounding strip malls and from the several hundred nearby homes.
The area was highly congested at the time of the evacuation. It is difficult to determine precisely
what percentage of the community was evacuated, since many of the evacuees from the mall
were not residents of the area. It is estimated that approximately one-quarter of the residents
were evacuated. However, as much as one-half of the people present in the community at the
time, including both visitors and residents, were evacuated. The evacuation area was primarily
commercial/retail. Ethnicity, nationality, and age were not important factors in the evacuation.
The town is located approximately 40 to 48 km (25 to 30 mi) from a commercial nuclear power
plant, the Pilgrim 1 Boiling Water Reactor at the Energy Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth,
Massachusetts.
THREAT CONDITIONS
The hazard that led to this evacuation was the rupture of a 40-cm (16-in) natural gas pipeline
belonging to Algonguin Natural Gas. The gas main was struck by a bulldozer operator who was
working at a construction site near a Wal-Mart Store. The incident occurred on a cold and
snowy Saturday during the height of the Christmas shopping season. Several eyewitnesses
commented that it sounded like a jet taking off. The incident and the evacuation took place in
the middle of the afternoon. It was cold outside and the roads were wet. The evacuation was
slightly hampered by both the snowstorm and the high level of pedestrian traffic. The local
newspaper reported that it resembled a war scene.
peter d
05-23-2009, 07:34 PM
The town of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, is an affluent suburban community.
Well, they don't say, huh? 8-)
You live with all the rich people. :D
A friend of mine was working in a plant that injected the odorant in their natural gas. One day he brought a small bottle of the mercaptans home and placed a few drops on his workbench.
He too caused a whole block to evacuate.
resistance
05-24-2009, 02:45 AM
You hit something, send the apprentice out there for a smoke break :DLOL! I needed a laugh! :D
hurk27
05-24-2009, 03:10 AM
I would guess this would bring a new meaning to your siggy?
WORK HARD.....Someone has to pay for this mess....
powerslave
05-24-2009, 02:19 PM
A friend of mine was working in a plant that injected the odorant in their natural gas. One day he brought a small bottle of the mercaptans home and placed a few drops on his workbench.
He too caused a whole block to evacuate.
WHY in the world would he do something like that?
WHY in the world would he do something like that?
He was a EE but not thinking it through that day.
Loffgren
05-26-2009, 08:30 PM
"Did you bond the water pipe?"
That brought tears to my eyes, thanks!
JacksonburgFarmer
05-26-2009, 11:49 PM
While the local inspector was out the other day....I showed him the ground rod with 3" of a 1 1/2" Copper line shiskabobed onto it if that would be a permitted way to bond the water line.....the look on his face was priceless.....if only I had that on tape...
Okie Sparky
05-27-2009, 12:18 AM
A friend of mine was working in a plant that injected the odorant in their natural gas. One day he brought a small bottle of the mercaptans home and placed a few drops on his workbench.
He too caused a whole block to evacuate.
There is more than one use for mercaptan. Suppose you had some and put it on a hot intake manifold on someones vehicle that kept putting fart bombs in your new truck, or suppose that you were to put just a minute amount of this in the cab on a hot Oklahoma day (say of over 100*) they probably couldn't give the vehicle away.:grin: But the gas plant where I work, I couldn't talk the operators into giving me any ethyl-mercaptan. One was almost convinced but he was afraid he would get caught or it would backfire on me.:grin:
vBulletin® v3.7.3, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.