when should you call 811?

[zappy]

I was wondering how many inches below grade can you go before you need to call? Thank you.

 

[benaround]

I was wondering how many inches below grade can you go before you need to call? Thank you.

Zappy, Why ? CALL first then dig. You can't trust the grade to be what you may think it

is. Look at how much stuff gets hit and it has been called in to 'dig safe'. At least you will

know where to be careful. It's better to call 811 than 911 !!

 

[macmikeman]

I love the 811 system. Before I had to call all the different agency's, and try to keep track of who needed what info prior to coming out to tone. The only hang up is I do not have a gps device, and try to describe a location to somebody on the mainland who wants directions in East or West or whatever. For us all directions are like this: Bugger stay 75 feet Diamond Head of Pahoa Avenue, where it crosses Kaimuki Ave. , and another 125 feet Eva of Kalananiole.......

 

[mjf]

At a recent seminar

At a recent seminar

I was told that we should be calling 811 prior to driving a ground rod.

 

[SEO]

I was told that we should be calling 811 prior to driving a ground rod.

I've never heard of that but have thought about it every time we drive ground rods.

 

[Ragin Cajun]

My telephone line depth varied from 1 to 3 inches.

Enough said!


RC

 

[tkb]

In MA you have to call for anything you put in the ground.

 

[cruzJD]

I hit a main telephone line last year that was around 8? deep. It was as big around as my thumb and had tons of tinny wires in it. I called 811 when I was bidding and called a second time a week before we went to do the work; both times they said now wires on the property.

 

[480sparky]

I was told that we should be calling 811 prior to driving a ground rod.

That should be SOP. I've seen people hit gas lines, water lines, fiber optic lines, you name it, with ground rods.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

That should be SOP. I've seen people hit gas lines, water lines, fiber optic lines, you name it, with ground rods.

My brother works for the city of richmond. Some of the fibre optic lines are encase in an airline. As soon as you break it, they know a line has been cut, due to loss of air pressure. They also know due to air pressure variations, the proximity of the cut. My brother was on a backhoe and hit a fibre optic cable, they rolled up on site before my brother could even call anybody, they knew a line had been hit. The fibre optic guy said repairs can cost tens of thousand to a hundred thousand easily.

 

[realolman]

I was told that we should be calling 811 prior to driving a ground rod.

Where do you feel IS a good place to drive a ground rod?

 

[LarryFine]

Put it this way: it's better to call and be wrong than to not call and be wrong.

Where do you feel IS a good place to drive a ground rod?

The ground?

 

[cruzJD]

If you do hit something and you didn?t call will your insurance cover it?

 

[ptonsparky]

Our 811 is available via internet. Good, simple process and worth the trouble. Sometimes it gets you a few extra days on those projects the owner wants NOW and you really don't have time for at that moment. "Sorry, we have to wait for a locate."

I can remember digging a new feeder to a trailer in a mobile home park. Had my nice sharp tile spade just going to town. What the heck...funny way for roots to grow around a bigger one. Brushed it off with my fingers and got the hell out of that hole. Didn't even dream that primary would be 24" down. Why I didn't lay into that as if it was a root I will never know.

 

[MF Dagger]

Our 811 is available via internet. Good, simple process and worth the trouble. Sometimes it gets you a few extra days on those projects the owner wants NOW and you really don't have time for at that moment. "Sorry, we have to wait for a locate."

I can remember digging a new feeder to a trailer in a mobile home park. Had my nice sharp tile spade just going to town. What the heck...funny way for roots to grow around a bigger one. Brushed it off with my fingers and got the hell out of that hole. Didn't even dream that primary would be 24" down. Why I didn't lay into that as if it was a root I will never know.

I would wake up every single morning after that knowing that I was living on gifted time. Ha. That is scary right there.

 

[iMuse97]

Why I didn't lay into that as if it was a root I will never know.

because yer blessed!

As to how deep to dig before you call:

I always thought the question was: Did you call before you dug? And you don't want to answer that with a "No" after you hit something.

 

[iMuse97]

My brother works for the city of richmond. Some of the fibre optic lines are encase in an airline. As soon as you break it, they know a line has been cut, due to loss of air pressure. They also know due to air pressure variations, the proximity of the cut. My brother was on a backhoe and hit a fibre optic cable, they rolled up on site before my brother could even call anybody, they knew a line had been hit. The fibre optic guy said repairs can cost tens of thousand to a hundred thousand easily.

Having done a very little bit of fiber work, and worked with guys who do a lot, I can say, and underground repair of a major transmission line could easily cost $100k. They have to splice the thing in two places to repair it properly, thus requiring that they install a new cable of the same type, age, and size as the one to be repaired. The fusion splicing systems required for this cost many thousands, and then each fiber (of which their could be 50-100s) has to be tested for losses, which must be in the "less than .05 dB range."