Best way of finding / and following underground metal water pipes ?

[Pilatus]

As above , as I need to find a stop cock to turn the water off before it is metered in to our house when I renew the internal stop cock which needs replacing.
Are there different sorts of pipe detectors that pass a small electric current along the pipe to enable a hand hod device to pinpoint the pipe.?

 

[farmboy]

As above , as I need to find a stop cock to turn the water off before it is metered in to our house when I renew the internal stop cock which needs replacing.
Are there different sorts of pipe detectors that pass a small electric current along the pipe to enable a hand hod device to pinpoint the pipe.?

CAT scanner will follow a metal water pipe

 

[Pilatus]

CAT scanner will follow a metal water pipe

Are they easy to use and accurate?

 

[Sharpy]

CAT scanner wont follow a steel pipe, you need to connect a signal generator on to the steel pipe, then use a CAT to follow the signal. If you have a non conducting pipe eg plastic or asbestos then put a wire up the inside and connect the signal generator to that.

 

[farmboy]

CAT scanner wont follow a steel pipe, you need to connect a signal generator on to the steel pipe, then use a CAT to follow the signal. If you have a non conducting pipe eg plastic or asbestos then put a wire up the inside and connect the signal generator to that.

Guy that does our bits and pieces used his CAT scanner here to trace a metal water pipe the other week?

 

[Hill Ground]

Get the old divining rods out!!!

 

[Sharpy]

Guy that does our bits and pieces used his CAT scanner here to trace a metal water pipe the other week?

Cat scanner won't find a water pipe unless there is an electrical signal on it. It's a Cable Avoidance Tool, hence you use a signal generator.
Unless your man had a metal detector?

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

What about all the detectorists looking for land to search?

 

[C.J]

I'll soon find it ........ with the pointy end of me pick

 

[Oliveau]

AFAIK a cat will find buried metal pipes.

 

[Post Driver]

Cat scanner won't find a water pipe unless there is an electrical signal on it. It's a Cable Avoidance Tool, hence you use a signal generator.
Unless your man had a metal detector?

Not 100% true. It MAY find it in radio mode.
Radio mode detects very low frequency radio waves which are being radiated by buried metal objects. Often these radio waves are secure military communications

 

[farmboy]

Cat scanner won't find a water pipe unless there is an electrical signal on it. It's a Cable Avoidance Tool, hence you use a signal generator.
Unless your man had a metal detector?

Definitely a CAT was with him when he did it and didn’t have a signal generator on the pipe. Don’t know anymore than that I’m afraid

 

[Lakesdigger]

Cat scanner won't find a water pipe unless there is an electrical signal on it. It's a Cable Avoidance Tool, hence you use a signal generator.
Unless your man had a metal detector?

Cat scanner alone often won't or won't accurately follow live leccy cables if there isn't much current running through them. You may find radio mode picks them up instead and in the case of a metal water pipe may also work. But signal genny if used will give you a definite signal to follow.

 

[Lakesdigger]

Not 100% true. It MAY find it in radio mode.
Radio mode detects very low frequency radio waves which are being radiated by buried metal objects. Often these radio waves are secure military communications

Even running near to a live leccy cable can give a good enough signal to the pipe you are looking for the cat to pick up.

 

[Wisconsonian]

If you can't easily get a high tech locator, you can use a listening device fashioned from a sharpened rod pushed into the ground, and held to an earmuff. Or a metal detector will locate the valve easily if it has metal extending to the surface. Or, freeze the pipe and forget about the shut off.

 

[Pistonbroke]

Dad borrowed a metal detector once to find a pipe and stop tap and I was in charge. Something was setting it off every time I swept it so he kept digging. We were down three foot before I realized I had steel toe caps in my boots🫣

 

[Farmer Roy]

best way is to have a decent map when the pipes are laid . . .



I am a Team Leader with Parks & Gardens in our local Council, so am responsible for the upkeep & maintenance of all our parks & sporting fields.

when we have a leak in an irrigation system, its just guess work, experience & a shovel, to find the pipes . . .

 

[Pilatus]

best way is to have a decent map when the pipes are laid . . .



I am a Team Leader with Parks & Gardens in our local Council, so am responsible for the upkeep & maintenance of all our parks & sporting fields.

when we have a leak in an irrigation system, its just guess work, experience & a shovel, to find the pipes . . .

I think I would be correct in saying that very few farms and estates haven’t a clue where many of their water pipes are.
Some how or another the mapping of water pipes was something that has not been done in the past, which when one thinks about it is a bit strange really. So sounds to be a problem worldwide!!

 

[serf]

Can it not just be frozen anywhere that the pipe is visible without having to find stopcock and fit the new one and forget about the old one .

 

[tomlad]

Need a utilities mate with cat + genny
My mate surprises me with the accuracy every time.
One problem being alot have built in gps if he's doing a foreigner
Clip genny on metal , then follow signal


He recently watched in amazement as i put my spade thru the 'signal' he told me was there ,i obviously knew better as i knew nothing was there .
i had installed the extension thru grass 5 year before but now forgotten.
The foogin reason we were serveying was for the duct for the electric that i then dug thru .
Next second mother appears to tell me electric is off