Cable And Pipe Locating Services Melbourne

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Are you renovating or doing any projects that require digging? If you are, you need to make sure you call us before you start. Dial before you dig!

Locating your cables and pipes is extremely important before you commence any excavation projects. You need to know exactly where your utility lines are before you dig to avoid causing damage to your gas, electricity drainage, plumbing, water, cable, and telephone lines. By doing so, you can avoid the inconvenience of temporarily losing the utility service or even worse, spending a heap of money on expensive repairs.

Cable and pipe location allow you to:

  • Stay safe
  • Know what equipment to use
  • Find problem lines
  • Avoid damage and costly repairs

The most important utility networks that need to be located are the following:

  • Electricity Lines - it is important to locate electrical lines to avoid exposing anyone to high voltage currents when digging. Most underground electrical lines are uninsulated and can be fatal if you do not plan your excavation work around them.
  • Gas Lines - a minor leak in your gas line is very dangerous, and can easily end up as a major catastrophe! When you are using a backhoe in which you are cutting and slicing, you need to be very accurate.
  • Water and Sewage lines - this can include your water lines and drainage pipes. Accidental damage to water and sewage lines during excavation can cost thousands of dollars in repairs, release toxic waste materials into the ground, and cause all kinds of leakage problems.
  • Cable and Telephone lines - underground cable replacements and repairs are expensive. Losing service is also very inconvenient.
  • Petroleum or Oil Lines - for industrial purposes, the government has placed stringent rules on construction work around oil or petroleum pipelines. Locating these pipes before any construction work begins can prevent a major disaster, extensive damage, painful financial losses, and hefty government fines.

How Does Underground Cable And Pipe Location Work?

We at WATER LEAK DETECTION use the most modern, top of the line cable and pipe detectors in the market. These detectors inject electrical signals into the ground to find the cables and pipes. To do this, you need a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter injects the electrical signal into the pipe or cable while the receiver picks up the signal.

An electromagnetic field is created by the transmitter that is set to a specific frequency that ranges from 1kHz to 480 kHz.

Two Types of Location Techniques

1. Passive location - uses an already active electromagnetic field that is present in the area. This is called a passive signal.

    There are 3 types of passive signals:

    • Current flowing along electrical lines
    • Radiofrequency current that comes from very low-frequency radio transmissions that flow along buried cables and pipes.
    • Earth return current from metal power lines

    A passive signal locates cables and pipes but it does not identify them.

    2. Active location - adding new signals to locate pipes and cables. This process induces a signal into the cable or pipe and is traced by the signal locator or underground utility locators.

    Ways to apply a signal:

    • Connection mode - the most common method used in applying a signal to utility lines. It works by applying a signal directly from the output to the cable or pipe.
    • Induction mode - this does not require a physical connection. It uses an internal aerial unit that generates a magnetic field into the ground. Detectable Duct Rodding - this is used for non-metallic or non-conductive lines. It is done by using a detectable fibreglass duct rod to snake through lines and pipes and applying a signal afterwards.
    • Sonding - French for sounding. This process uses a sounding line or “sonde” that is connected to the tip of a duct rod that is snaked through a pipe or a utility line. The sonde emits a radio signal that is picked up by the receiver.

    Mapping your cables and pipes before any minor or major excavation work begins properly prepares you for any current and future projects. It is a quick and easy process. WATER LEAK DETECTION uses the latest equipment for the quick and accurate location of your underground utility lines.

    For more information about our locating services, please call us on 1300 425 325 for a free phone consultation and quotation now. You can also send us message using our contact form here.

    Stay safe and dial before you dig!

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