Finding underground cables

Alter_ego

Is there an easy way to locate underground cables in the garden of a 2016 semi?

All power on the estate is underground, the transformer is about 30m from the house, there are half a dozen houses past ours. We live on an A road with a wide pavement next to the road and a verge adjacent to our garden about 2m wide, 5m of garden then the house. The meter box is on the front wall. Is the cable likely to be under the verge or our garden?

I realise this is an impossible question, but would appreciate any opinions.

Altenatively does anyone know how to locate a soakaway?

Murmansk

Dowsing? Seriously, I think some people can do it!

Section62

Alter_ego said:

Is there an easy way to locate underground cables in the garden of a 2016 semi?

Contact the local electricity distribution company.  If they have cables in your garden they will normally send someone round to trace the route for you (usually free).

If not, someone with a 'CAT' should be able to locate where they are - it is possible to hire one for not a lot of money, but there is a knack to using them properly.

Alter_ego said:

Altenatively does anyone know how to locate a soakaway?

Much harder... you can use a 'sonde' with a 'CAT' to trace where the pipes are going, but it is difficult to know whether you've got to a soakaway or just an obstruction/blockage.  A CCTV survey is an alternative way of pinning down an approximate location.

Ultimately the only sure way is combining a CCTV survey (using a camera fitted with a sonde) with detection at ground level using a 'CAT'.   The other sure way is by digging a hole (or lots of them).  If you are DIYing then the latter is usually the cheaper way.

Section62

Murmansk said:

Dowsing? Seriously, I think some people can do it!

[Adjusts chair, and reaches for popcorn]

Eldi_Dos

If you can get some rod's into duct/pipe, rod until you hit obstruction then get listening stick ( wooden broom handle ) and get someone to pull the rod's back and forth banging into obstruction, should be able to get general location. Mark rod at duct mouth with a piece of tape pull out and overlay on ground should give indication of soakaway.
For power cables as above poster advise's get utility to mark out route and get copy of PU prints.

Robin9

Eldi_Dos said:

If you can get some rod's into duct/pipe, rod until you hit obstruction then get listening stick ( wooden broom handle ) and get someone to pull the rod's back and forth banging into obstruction, should be able to get general location. Mark rod at duct mouth with a piece of tape pull out and overlay on ground should give indication of soakaway.
For power cables as above poster advise's get utility to mark out route and get copy of PU prints.

Generally service cables to houses are not laid in ducts or have a marker tape. They are laid direct in the ground of varying depth and on a route that was most convenient at the time.  It may also "loop" to the house next door.

If your DNO has records take them with a huge pinch of salt. I doubt if the DNO will send anyone out (certainly not for free).

Take care and use a narrow spade and take our a few trial holes if you suspect the cable is under grass or in a flower bed.

Eldi_Dos

Sorry, just for clarity the suggestion to rod was to locate soakaway. I would not advise anyone to rod a duct that had a power cable in it.

stuart45

Most digger drivers are good at finding them.

FreeBear

stuart45 said: Most digger drivers are good at finding them.

Yup. Had a crew installing a storm drain down my road. Went out and told them where the gas pipe was that supplied my property. Ruddy clowns still managed to go through it - Wasn't the first pipe they had broken either (two water pipes further down the road).

Digging out the base for my driveway, found the electricity cable some 200mm below the surface - Nearly went through that puppy

Andy_L

What do you need to find them for? Do you need to excavate for, eg a pond or an extension or do you just want to plant some shrubs?

Alter_ego

Thanks all for your replies. We are planning an extension.