Buried pvc

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sparkync

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I've got a job where there is pvc buried from the meter location under a driveway. I pushed a fish tape through the open end and it goes about 30 ft. then stops. I want to find the end of it. Any ideas, since the fish tape won't work?? Thanks
 
How big is the PVC? Do you have access to a 'pipe cam' to poke in and see what's at the other end?
 
If you have two people on the site have one person keep slamming the snake back and forth and have the other person listen for it. I have done this multiple times, even with conduit as deep as 30". If it's underneath the driveway you may have issues.
 
1" pvc, no pipe cam, No I did not install it, pretty sure it goes all the way under the asphalt driveway somewhere because I pushed about 25 to 30 ft. in it. I thought about if I could hook something in a drill like a plumber auger, it might work, but I guess I may as well rent an underground locator if I can find one. Thanks for the ideas though. I need that conduit to run a UF cable to a building that's on the other side of the driveway.
 
You could leave the fishtape in there, and use a divining rod to locate it! I've never been able to get that to work, but some people swear by it. I was installing an underground conduit for a dry mix unloader at a concrete plant. Where I had to run it had buried water lines. The owner was an Indian (the woo woo kind, not the hotel kind) who brought out his divining rods, and told me where to dig. I didn't hit any water lines, so either he was right, or already knew where they were, and was bs'ing me. LOL!
 
sparkync said:
1" pvc, no pipe cam, No I did not install it, pretty sure it goes all the way under the asphalt driveway somewhere because I pushed about 25 to 30 ft. in it. I thought about if I could hook something in a drill like a plumber auger, it might work, but I guess I may as well rent an underground locator if I can find one. Thanks for the ideas though. I need that conduit to run a UF cable to a building that's on the other side of the driveway.
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Where is it supposed to turn up? How far away from where your fishtape stops?
 
This is the tracer I use, works real well. If you do a lot of underground work, it’s worth the money.
www.toolup.com

Tempo 501 Tracker II Cable Locator

The Tempo 501 is a great device for tracing the path of wires and metallic pipes on active or dead systems. With a lightweight receiver that provides audible and visual indications of signal strength, the Tempo 501 is perfect for a variety of applications.
www.toolup.com www.toolup.com
 
There's the "radius" method-
Run the fish tape all the way in, mark where it sticks out of the pipe, pull it out, and subtract from that the approximate depth. This gives a measure of the farthest the blockage could be from the open end. (30' go in, feels like 2' deep, the blockage can't be more than 28' from the open end.)

Then start looking.... is there a wall at about the right distance? A lamp post, fence post, or pylon? Handhole? It doesn't necessarily find the blockage, but it eliminates where it can't be. (This does not help where there aren't any signs on the surface to indicate a problem.)
 
We'd hook our locator to it that also gives depth measurements and dig right to it.

We've done it in the past, it works well.

If you don't have a locator or can't find one to rent, I'd see about hiring a locating company to come take care of it for you.
 
hillbilly1 said:
This is the tracer I use, works real well. If you do a lot of underground work, it’s worth the money.
www.toolup.com

Tempo 501 Tracker II Cable Locator

The Tempo 501 is a great device for tracing the path of wires and metallic pipes on active or dead systems. With a lightweight receiver that provides audible and visual indications of signal strength, the Tempo 501 is perfect for a variety of applications.
www.toolup.com www.toolup.com
Click to expand...

Mines an Ideal. Relabeled, I’m sure. Worth the bucks, but if you can afford it, Cow’s is a couple notches up on the pole.
 
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