[RE-wrenches] Underground fault finder

[drake.chamberlin at redwoodalliance.org]

The thumper sounds like the one to use, but what does it destroy? Does
it induce a much higher voltage on the line than regular line voltage?
We are dealing with open circuit problems. 

We can return to our original plan of digging up areas and checking for
voltage on the lines with a voltage sensor. 

Thanks, 

Drake 

_Drake Chamberlin_ 

_Athens Electric LLC_ 

_Ohio Electrical Contractor's License 44810_ 

_CO Master Electrician's License 4526_ 

_NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional_

---

On 2023-04-18 12:04, Brian Mehalic via RE-wrenches wrote:

> 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(tm) R031508-59 
> National Electrical Code(R) 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
> 
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> Matt Sherald PIMBY Energy, LLC 
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