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thestealth
Premium Member
join:2009-11-10
Saint-Hubert, QC

thestealth

Premium Member

[Electrical] Tracer for underground conduit

Hi All,

I will be installing a length of underground conduit to pass some comm wires through. I have heard about installing a tracer wire to make finding the conduit easier in the future. My questions are:

1- What is a tracer wire.
2- What size does it have to be.
3- Does it get installed within the conduit or outside next to it?

Thanks

DarkHelmet
join:2014-02-21

DarkHelmet

Member

»www.kristechwire.com/en- ··· er-wire/

I'd recommend you just get a GPS and keep track of the Lat/Long at a few points along the route. Cheaper & faster! This is how land surveyors do their magic.

ArgMeMatey
join:2001-08-09
Milwaukee, WI

ArgMeMatey to thestealth

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1-Wire laid with non-conductive duct, conduit, raceway, pipe, etc. Allows underground utilities to be located in the future, for repairs, or to help prevent damage by later digging.
2-I don't know. I just use scrap 12 or 14 THHN/THWN AWG, which I have a bunch of. That's about the size the gas company used when they replaced everything in the neighborhood a few years ago.
3-I only added tracers next to black HDPE sprinkler lines and HDPE storm sewer, so I put them outside of course. But if you're laying conduit, I suppose you could do either. They are not strictly necessary with conduit as you can string a wire through there any time, right? And presumably you will be putting some copper or aluminum in the conduit. But a good idea in case you sell the place or die before they have to be located.

At the ends of the run, you just need to secure the tracer and if practical, identify it as such.

Accurate GPS is great, as is just plain measuring with a tape, especially if you can have a licensed surveyor plot it so it can be found by measurement from landmarks or stakes ... Having a locator come out later is going to cost you a Benjamin or two.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

nunya to thestealth

MVM

to thestealth
The wire you install inside the conduit IS the tracer wire. No additional waste of wire needed.

Utilities such as gas, water, and sewer bury tracer wires because they have nothing else conductive to use for locates.
For electrical and communications purposes, a tracer wire is almost unheard of. If you are sending some sort of FO cable without a metallic sheath through the pipe, then you might want to add a piece of stranded 14 (really any kind of wire).

GPS that most people have available will only get you in the ball park. High end GPS still isn't good enough to dig on - you still need a locator.
thestealth
Premium Member
join:2009-11-10
Saint-Hubert, QC

thestealth

Premium Member

So if I have a FO cable and some twisted pair phone cables, I can use the phone cables as a tracer if need be. GPS is a good idea and I'll be sure to take a trace. I guess I'm starting to over think this. Thanks guys.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO

nunya

MVM

Yep. The phone or shielded FO will trace. You're over-thinking it.
MrFixit1
join:1999-11-26
Madison, WI

MrFixit1 to thestealth

Member

to thestealth
Little " trick " we have been using the last few years
Grab a Google Earth ( or equivalent ) image of your property .
Print it out .
Mark all utilities and buried objects on it ( in fact , mark anything that is " hidden " on it .
Keep with the rest of your property records .
We also do the same with a cad image of the buildings ( showing all plumbing , wiring , and duct work )
Even if you don't need it , the next owner will love you

PoloDude
Premium Member
join:2006-03-29
Aiken, SC

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also when you pull your wires through. Always pull another drag line at the same time.

Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY

Msradell to thestealth

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Another thing that is quite often done is to bury tape with appropriate markings above the buried line. There are various tapes available (plastic tape) at a very reasonable price that can be used to identify electrical, water, natural gas etc. lines. You normally bury them 6-12" above what it identifies. That why somebody digging will hit the tape 1st.

DarkHelmet
join:2014-02-21

DarkHelmet

Member

said by Msradell:

Another thing that is quite often done is to bury tape with appropriate markings above the buried line. There are various tapes available (plastic tape) at a very reasonable price that can be used to identify electrical, water, natural gas etc. lines. You normally bury them 6-12" above what it identifies. That why somebody digging will hit the tape 1st.

Don't most state have a service that will come make all public utilities? We have no reason to mark anything but private stuff since anytime you want to know where cable, water, gas, etc. is located you call and they come out free and mark it.

Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY

Msradell

Premium Member

said by DarkHelmet:

said by Msradell:

Another thing that is quite often done is to bury tape with appropriate markings above the buried line. There are various tapes available (plastic tape) at a very reasonable price that can be used to identify electrical, water, natural gas etc. lines. You normally bury them 6-12" above what it identifies. That why somebody digging will hit the tape 1st.

Don't most state have a service that will come make all public utilities? We have no reason to mark anything but private stuff since anytime you want to know where cable, water, gas, etc. is located you call and they come out free and mark it.

Very true but sometimes they don't locate everything extremely accurately because of various influences. Having the marker tape buried with what you are trying to protect is an added measure of protection that is extremely cheap to install.

John Galt6
Forward, March
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp

John Galt6 to thestealth

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Standard GPS isn't even close to being accurate enough for underground utility locations. You'd have to use DGPS...