Moling a new pipe under a concrete track

[devonshire farmer]

Not sure if any one on here may have used a grundomat mole, I have a leak so hired the mole from a local co, it started ok and have got about half way under the track and the mole just stoped rattling. I am thinking it may be frozen as no air leak, do any of you know how to get it going. Am thinking tomorrow may just cut a thin strip of concrete but it completely defeats the idea of hiring the mole in the first place. Forgot to say ran hydrovane up to warm air and sent it down but no good, TIA, any ideas much appreciated

 

[Andy26]

Some models you rotate the air pipe to control the direction of the mole.

You should have a control valve with oiler, you have to run the mole at the correct speed by balancing the open/closing of the lever, hard to describe in words.

Have you used one before?

 

[devonshire farmer]

Yes have worked out the direction control and the oiler is there, was boring through good, went about 2 metres, reversed it back then forward again about 2 metres and hammer stopped, hire firm think its frozen up, but its stuck under ground. Will it thaw or is there any tips!

 

[Blue.]

Not sure if any one on here may have used a grundomat mole, I have a leak so hired the mole from a local co, it started ok and have got about half way under the track and the mole just stoped rattling. I am thinking it may be frozen as no air leak, do any of you know how to get it going. Am thinking tomorrow may just cut a thin strip of concrete but it completely defeats the idea of hiring the mole in the first place. Forgot to say ran hydrovane up to warm air and sent it down but no good, TIA, any ideas much appreciated

How deep have you gone?

Try from the other side?

Try and get deep enough to avoid sub-base of road,when moling under our road we sent a 3" through 1st then a 5" was bloody hard going.

 

[Blue.]

Yes have worked out the direction control and the oiler is there, was boring through good, went about 2 metres, reversed it back then forward again about 2 metres and hammer stopped, hire firm think its frozen up, but its stuck under ground. Will it thaw or is there any tips!

Tip hot oil down the air pipe ?

 

[devonshire farmer]

Problem is unless can get it going going to have to cut through concrete to get it out, was about 1 foot deep and its a 45mm bore

 

[devonshire farmer]

Tip hot oil down the air pipe ?

Will this cause any problems, have you done it

 

[Blue.]

Will this cause any problems, have you done it

Never needed to,try hot diesel 1st.

 

[Badshot]

When you said frozen I thought you meant the mechanism had jammed, surely it will be thawed tomorrow if it's actually frozen?

 

[devonshire farmer]

Guy at hire shop thinks not, says in ground acts like a fridge so doesn't thaw, may try hot diesel though

 

[Blue.]

Guy at hire shop thinks not, says in ground acts like a fridge so doesn't thaw, may try hot diesel though

Any chance you can get a bar in behind and give it a clout with a hammer,it needs a shock try turning the compressor on at same time.

 

[Andy26]

Guy at hire shop thinks not, says in ground acts like a fridge so doesn't thaw, may try hot diesel though

You should have been supplied with winter oil for the oiler to help prevent freezing, you can IIRC get an inline air heater, but not sure it would be any help now.

 

[devonshire farmer]

Thanks for the replies and the advice will have a go in the morn, @eulb when you say get behind with a bar, I can get at the rubber pipe only the mole is about half way through a 5 metre strip of concrete, if I have to resort to breaking a strip maybe if I start above mole with the jackhammer and have air on to mole it may spark up do you think! Thanks for the help

 

[rob1]

surely not cold enough to have frozen and the ground is not below freezing so cant still be, sounds like it has broken and the hire firm dont want to pay to get the road broken up to get it back

 

[Blue.]

Thanks for the replies and the advice will have a go in the morn, @eulb when you say get behind with a bar, I can get at the rubber pipe only the mole is about half way through a 5 metre strip of concrete, if I have to resort to breaking a strip maybe if I start above mole with the jackhammer and have air on to mole it may spark up do you think! Thanks for the help

I reckon you have a fairly good chance by shocking it.

You could also try a drain Jetter up behind the mole to soften the ground and tie the mole hose to the digger and give it a tug

Another way of moling under a road is to push a scaffold tube with a breaker on a digger,works but you have to allow for the end nearest the digger being ruined.

 

[devonshire farmer]

If I never see an algathene pipe again it will be to soon LOL, this must be about the 5th major leak this year!

 

[devonshire farmer]

surely not cold enough to have frozen and the ground is not below freezing so cant still be, sounds like it has broken and the hire firm dont want to pay to get the road broken up to get it back

Apparently the air from the compressor freezes and the oiler should have winter grade oil in it, which it may or may not, I don't know!

 

[devonshire farmer]

I reckon you have a fairly good chance by shocking it.

You could also try a drain Jetter up behind the mole to soften the ground and tie the mole hose to the digger and give it a tug

Another way of moling under a road is to push a scaffold tube with a breaker on a digger,works but you have to allow for the end nearest the digger being ruined.

Yes cheers, if I new yesterday what I know now, I would of just disc cut a strip and broken it out! Thanks will try the diesel first that sound favourable.

 

[rob1]

Apparently the air from the compressor freezes and the oiler should have winter grade oil in it, which it may or may not, I don't know!

Sorry but that sounds like rubbish to me when you compress something you generate heat so unless it was really cold thereis no way it could freeze enough to stop it

 

[devonshire farmer]

that's what I first thought, someone on here must know.