Although underground cables rarely get damage, activities such as digging or pet movement occur near the wires can break them.
And when the wires break, locating them can be an agonizing task. Luckily, there are so many methods and tools you can use to help with locating the broken underground electrical wires.
Here is a guide on how you can find broken wires.
However, before coming to a conclusion that you have broken underground wires, it’s important to make sure it’s not a problem with something else first.
Nevertheless, if you are confident all your devices or appliances are working fine, then it could be true that your wires are broken.
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#1. Use a Wire Locator Instrument
Although the electric company usually marks the area over which the underground wires pass through, you may find the use of an instrument necessary.
Depending on the brand of the wire locator you have, put it on the most sensitive setting.
You should then walk along the area where the wire is thought to pass. As you walk, the wire locator makes some buzzing sound if the wire underground is live. When you pass through an area and your wire locator doesn’t make a sound, then the breakage could be there.
Hence, this method is most successful when the conductors are energized. You won’t get results if you were to follow this procedure when there is no power!
Noteworthy however, the very accurate instruments that can guide you with no errors cost pretty penny.
#2. Digging – the hard work we hoped to avoid
The other method you can use to help you locate a broken underground wire is digging. Yes, everyone hopes they can dodge and stay away from the shovel and the dirt!
You however need to identify the area over which the wire passes so that you don’t dig unnecessarily.
Make lines to help you mark where to dig. You need to also know the depth at which the wires lie so that you don’t end up making more damages as you dig.
This method is a bit cumbersome because you have to dig until you get to the area with the damage. Digging is a lot of work!
To make the digging process easy, you should hire a utility marking service provider. The service providers have tools to help find a broken ac underground wire fast.
After they mark the area, you’ll have an easy time digging as a DIY project to find the faulty wire.
#3. Get a Professional
Do you suspect a wire breakage probably due to animal activity or gardening? Well, you can always call your electricity company to bring in a professional who can help. Especially when you have no detailed information about the property and cable runs.
A professional may save you time, effort and worry!
You only have to indicate to the expert the areas you suspect the damage to have occurred. Or you can just let them to figure it out by themselves. That is why your wallet is lighter anyway!
The utility companies have electric finders that may help identify broken wires within a short time. In addition to their skills, they are likely to be having advanced locating instruments.
At the end of the day, they will find the wire break and may be less costlier than private professionals.
#4. How to Find a Broken AC Underground Wire with AM Radio
Putting up a physical fence for your pets is expensive and the sweet alternative is always the use of an invisible electrical fence.
When you buy an invisible dog fence, you receive a transmitter along with it. The transmitter is always silent but it starts beeping when it detects a fault with the underground wires.
The first step when using an AM radio is to confirm that the beeping isn’t from a faulty transmitter. To do this, you should disconnect the two wires that run from the transmitter to the fence.
Replace with other small wires. After disconnection, if the transmitter continues beeping, then you have a damaged transmitter. However, if after disconnecting the wires leading to the invisible fence the beeping stops, then you could have a broken underground wire.
Now, pick the two wires that you disconnected from the transmitter- the ones leading to the fence. Connect the wires to an RF choke and insert the leads of the RF choke to the jacks of the transmitter where the two wires are connected originally .
This process helps the transmitter to continue sending signals to the fence even with the breakage on the underground wires.
Now, pick the AM radio receiver from the collar of your dog and walk with it along the perimeter of the fence. Make sure that the radio transmitter has the highest frequency setting as you walk along.
If the fence is live, the radio receiver should produce a beeping sound. When you approach an area and the beeping stops, then you’ve found your break and it’s time to fix it.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, finding broken wires buried underground isn’t easy especially if there are no markings to show the perimeter.
This guide details how you can use an AM radio on your dog fence, or unearth a broken ac wire through digging, and above all using a wire locator.
Good luck with locating your wire break!