Thread: Locating conduit in floor

Why cant you work out where the other end is?
A bit more info required.
If the other end is buried push a snake or stiff wire into the conduit till it hits the end then lay the snake on the concrete to give the end position. Only works if there are no bends of course.

That will give me the distance from the open end but not the lateral position. If I poked in a return wire and ran a low voltage current through the wire, is there an instrument that can pick up the charged wire beneath. I have noticed Telecom guys dig up cables with some accuracy but have not seen how they locate the cables.
Thanks, Ken

The instrument you need is a cable locator but they start at around $1000 for a half decent one. You might be able to hire one for a couple of hours.

If you push the snake or the wire in and push it backwards and forwards so it hits the end of the conduit and makes a noise and get someone else to listen it should give you an approx location.

Or fill it with water and devine it.

Originally Posted by Barry_White

Or fill it with water and devine it.

Nice tip Barry.
Happy Birthday by the way

is there reo in the concrete, if not you may be able to use a metal detector to sense the copper.

Originally Posted by kandjc

That will give me the distance from the open end but not the lateral position. If I poked in a return wire and ran a low voltage current through the wire, is there an instrument that can pick up the charged wire beneath. I have noticed Telecom guys dig up cables with some accuracy but have not seen how they locate the cables.
Thanks, Ken

I've got a stud detector GMC which also detects "live" wires and nails...
Finds elec wires behind gyprock and stuff - but dunno about 50mm concrete... it will ignore the reno (I think) when turned to "live" wire detection...
Jedo

1. Blow smoke in and look for where it comes out.
2. Blow compressed air in and listen for it coming out.
3. as 2 but put some flour in the pipe first.

Above assumes the end is not buried.

1. If end is buried then fill with water and look for a wet spot.
2. Slide an stick of jelly with an electric det right to the end. Apply power and the end is (was) in the resultant hole.