Revision as of 00:37, 29 September 2023

About

A type of wire used to mark the location of buried Underground Utilities
Can be later traced with a proper Underground Wire Locator , or to an extent A Metal Decector or AM Transmitter/Receiver
Video - [1]
Tracer wire (blue) is required for potable water, sewer (green), gas (yellow).
Tracer wire is not required for electrical. Warning tape is a good idea.
- Mike Holt 2008 - warning ribbon is required for direct burial cables, whether in conduit or nott? [2]
- This one says warning tape is not needed if you use conduit [3]
- Practically speaking, warning tape is useful. Use 12" or more above the line. [4]. Point is: someone WILL dig your lines in the future. Things are modified all the time. If I had warning tape here, I would know where the first grid extension is. Now, I have to rely on a metal detector or other means.
6 colors all together - [5]
Energized electrical is dangerous becuase it has no telltale signs, unlike gas or water [6]
non-contact voltage tester - [7]

Only works 1-2 feet [10] otherwise you need a pro tool at $1k and up. Tracer wire tool - [11]. It emits a sound over the wire - video - [12].
in 2019 - [13]

Different techniques are used. Radar can find pipe, or induction-based emitter/sensor. Or the tracer wirewhere you connect to a wire. [18]
There is jetting-vaccuum to dig in sensitive areas. Could do pressure washer as needed.

It's the jacket: dog fence, which claims most reliability for burial - is 14AWG XHD [19]. They say that THHN (thermoplastic high heat nylon) is inferior to XHD - ot doesn't last underground
The above indicates no difference between dog fence and tracer wire.
Main thing to look for is to double check it is Rated for Direct Burial

Useful Amazon reviews - clip to ground and wire you want to trace. Then use the sensor. [20]
Harbor Freight [21] - manual []
You energize a wire and use a detector - [22]
Another - [23]

OSE Internet
Electronic Underground Utility Marker (Essentially a Environmentally Hardened and potentially also Easy to Attatch / Bury En-masse RFID Tag )
- Need a term for it, but non electronic versions exist, essentially easily detectable metal plates/rings

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 =Detection=
-*Tracer wire tool - [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GDZLZOU/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image]. It emits a sound over the wire - video - [https://youtu.be/7F6_EgxA4-c?t=152].
+*'''Only works 1-2 feet''' [https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/tracing-underground-electrical-wiring-metal-detector-or-other-means/] otherwise you need a pro tool at $1k and up. Tracer wire tool - [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GDZLZOU/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image]. It emits a sound over the wire - video - [https://youtu.be/7F6_EgxA4-c?t=152].
 *{{check}} in 2019 - [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F5WA6QQ/ref=pe_2640190_232586610_TE_dp_i1]