[RE-wrenches] Underground fault finder

[Brian Mehalic]

Not sure about rental sources in your area, but there are two options:

1) An underground cable fault locator, aka a "thumper," which only works on
direct buried cables. It is a destructive test (at the fault location), and
should only be performed when there is a known fault in order to locate it.
It requires "walking" the cable run with a sensing device to hear the
"thump" generated by the high current/high voltage induced on the line.

2) A time domain reflectometer (TDR), which is sort of like radar in that
low energy signals are reflected by changes in cable impedance; it is
non-destructive, but also not as accurate in terms of the location
(providing a cable length to the fault, rather than a "thump" at the actual
fault location) and typically cannot see higher resistance (≈>200 MΩ)
faults that the thumper can.

Brian Mehalic
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installation Professional™ R031508-59
National Electrical Code® CMP-4 Member
(520) 204-6639

Solar Energy International
http://www.solarenergy.org



On Tue, Apr 18, 2023 at 8:27 AM Matt Sherald via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hi Drake,
>
> I've rented a set-up from my electrical supply house.  I'd check to see if
> Scott Electric/Advantage Rental serves your part of Ohio.
>
> If memory serves, it is two pieces of equipment that you need.  One to
> trace the line and a second to find the fault.
>
> -Matt
>
> On Tue, Apr 18, 2023 at 11:20 AM Drake Chamberlin via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> I understand that there is a tool that locates underground faults in
>> buried cables. No one in our area has one. There are high tech cable
>> tracers now, but they don't advertise that they can find underground
>> breaks in wires.
>>
>> One company online had one that advertised that function. The entire kit
>> came to $5 or $6K.
>>
>> Does anyone know where one can be rented.
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> Drake
>>
>> Drake Chamberlin
>> Athens Electric LLC
>> Ohio Electrical Contractor’s License 44810
>> CO Master Electrician’s License 4526
>> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> _______________________________________________
>> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>>
>> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org
>>
>> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>>
>> Change listserver email address & settings:
>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>>
>> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the
>> other:
>> https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/
>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>>
>> List rules & etiquette:
>> http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>>
>> Check out or update participant bios:
>> http://www.members.re-wrenches.org
>>
>>
>
> --
> Matt Sherald
> PIMBY Energy, LLC
> 304-704-5943
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>
> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org
>
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>
> Change listserver email address & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the
> other:
> https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List rules & etiquette:
> http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>
> Check out or update participant bios:
> http://www.members.re-wrenches.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org/attachments/20230418/494aa8b5/attachment.htm>