Ideas on how to find where direct buried cable is broken or nicked

[clarkwg]

My neighbor has a 20A 120V circuit that goes out to a shed where he feeds his horses.He used 3- # 1 USE Alum.conductors as this circuit goes approximately 800 ft.from his barn to the shed.Circuit tripped so he asked me to look at it.I have disconnected the conductors at the shed and panel and have continuity to ground on the hot conductor.Anyone have a good idea on how to find where hot conductor is grounded without just digging it all up?

 

[Cow]

Hire someone for a fault locate or look into a Progressive fault finder for yourself.

http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=170

Just about anything is cheaper than digging 800' of trench, that's a last resort. I only redig when we've had several faults on the same cable and it doesn't make sense to keep patching it.

 

[TOOL_5150]

You could re-mark the grounded out conductor the ground, and make the other 2 neutral and hot. :grin:

~Matt

 

[480sparky]

Progressive 2003 fault locator:

 

[cowboyjwc]

Progressive 2003 fault locator:

I think that 480 sells these things.

 

[480sparky]

I think that 480 sells these things.

I don't. But I know mine has paid for itself many times over.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I don't. But I know mine has paid for itself many times over.

Just pickin' on ya.:grin:

Had a local contractor buy one, because he was doing a lot of service on mobil home parks. Ended up that he started subing himself out to other contractors around town and making pretty good money just locating faults for them.

 

[ptonsparky]

You could re-mark the grounded out conductor the ground, and make the other 2 neutral and hot. :grin:

~Matt

You been working this area?

 

[ItsHot]

the Earth

the Earth

You been working this area?

After all ,the NEC's definition of "ground" is the earth!:grin:

 

[ptonsparky]

I don't. But I know mine has paid for itself many times over.

They are worth the $s.

The ad on the Progressive says: "Multiple faults on a single wire can be identified, indicating the need to replace instead of repair"

Do you have any luck without digging up the first fault? I can locate only one fault at a time with an Ideal which is similar to the Progressive. Then we dig and test again.

 

[480sparky]

They are worth the $s.

The ad on the Progressive says: "Multiple faults on a single wire can be identified, indicating the need to replace instead of repair"

Do you have any luck without digging up the first fault? I can locate only one fault at a time with an Ideal which is similar to the Progressive. Then we dig and test again.

I've never had a cable with multiple faults. I guess it depends on the faults themselves whether it can 'find' more than one without digging any of them up.

Let's say there's two faults in a conductor, and the first fault (closest to the transmitter) is the cusductor is still intact. Then I suppose enough of the transmitter's signal could go on through to the next fault and be detected.

But if the conductor is completely open, such as this:

I doubt the DC pulse would be capable of passing enough power through to be able to detect another fault on down the cable.

 

[TOOL_5150]

You been working this area?

Just to be clear, that was a joke. I would never do that.:wink:

~Matt

 

[Charlie Bob]

480 How much something like that would cost?

 

[SEO]

480 probably has a better price but they cost around $1200.00. I've had one for several years and you can locate faults to within about an inch, sometimes closer.

 

[480sparky]

480 probably has a better price but they cost around $1200.00. I've had one for several years and you can locate faults to within about an inch, sometimes closer.

They occasionally pop up on fleabay for $500-600. But of course, you pay your money and you take your chances.

Yes, I got mine at a killer price. $128.