We got a call from Jim Fast, an Electrical Worker who used the PG-2 to find water lines before digging for electrical cables. Where using electricity or traditional ground probes to find PVC and plastic water lines, you need something that carries electricity, and PVC doesn’t do that. The PG-2 and Leaktronics Soil Probe are the answer to finding those water lines with accuracy and precision.
LeakTronics: What was the situation you had trying to find water lines and buried utilities?
Jim: This property had a really long run from the street to the house, about 1500 feet, and we didn’t know where the water line was. Properties in Kentucky can be pretty big and this particular homeowner trenched those water lines into the ground more than a decade ago and the current homeowner had no idea where they were.
LeakTronics: So you were able to locate the electrical lines but of course, you didn’t want to cut a water line. How did you start the hunt before using the PG-2?
Jim: We tried digging a couple of holes starting by the shut-off at the house. The pipes took a turn and we didn’t want to spend days digging holes looking for something that might not be there. One person suggested dowsing to find the lines. He brought some sort of contraption that looked like a wooden fork.
LeakTronics: Did someone actually show up on the lawn with a forked stick claiming they would Dowse the lawn and tell you where water lines were?
Jim: Actually, yes. After 15 minutes, he did what he could to convince us that there were no actual water lines running through the yard at all. Considering we could see the meter at the road and the house was getting water, he was laughed off.
LeakTronics: I think divining rods went the way of the Dodo when Columbus discovered America. How did you come upon the PG-2?
Jim: We looked online, simply typing “Locate buried PVC” and we found your equipment. It made absolute sense. Pulse the water in the pipe and listen for it. As you know, we had the kit overnighted.
LeakTronics: Did you have any issues using it?
Jim: Not at all! We put the PG-2 onto the hose bib on the front of the house and went to work. We started listening with the Soil probe (its in the kit) at the house and traced the line across the landscape and down to the meter. The guy who laid the pipes trenched around some rocky soil and the water line actually crossed under the electric conduits three times on its trip from the road. All this stuff was clearly installed at different times, but with the PG-2 we were able to map it out and avoided cutting it up when we dug.
LeakTronics: How accurate was the locating to find water lines?
Jim: Considering that the line as all over the place, I’m going to say it was perfect. You can really hear the water pulsing in the line. It made a “wub wub” kind of noise, it’s pretty easy to identify. There’s nothing in the ground that sounds like that, so we knew we were right on it.
LeakTronics: How long did it take to trace the line across 1500 feet of turf?
Jim: We took turns doing it because all the guys wanted to try their hand at it. It would have taken 20 minutes, but we kept passing the headphones back and forth so we had it mapped in about 45 minutes from the house to the street.
LeakTronics: That’s fantastic! And when you dug, you didn’t cut any PVC?
Jim: Not at all. We had a good visual of what to avoid and where to dig carefully. No issues, the job was done right.
LeakTronics: I appreciate your candor on the PG-2 and keep us informed as you take on more work with it.
Jim: Will do. I recommend that anyone who has to dig up utilities use the PG-2 to find those water lines first. It’s going to save them time and money and will definitely help them avoid costly mistakes trenching up landscape.
The PG-2 Complete Line Locator Kit includes the PG-2 Pulse Generator that injects a gentle and easily audible pulse through thousands of feet of active water lines and the Soil probe listens through upwards of 6 feet or more of dirt and concrete to hear the pulse. Mapping and tracing PVC and plastic lines has never been easier, and it’s applicable to any industry where water lines are buried underground. Irrigation, pool and plumbing and even electrical utility workers. If it’s a water line, you’ll find it fast with the PG-2 Kit.
