What procedure can you use to energize a cable down waste line from inside a basement with a transmitter? Where should you put the ground clamp? This is for a 2" pvc line and I don't think my camera will fit. Thanks
Line locating from inside basement
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Back in the day Ridgid made equipment that would energize a cable and then you could find it with the transmitter. Only reason I know is my work has one. i can get you the model number if ya want lol
This is exactly what I do. Get the extra long stainless tape. My boss gets annoyed every time the 100' one isn't enough because I argued with him that we should get the long one.
As for a ground, you're not really looking for a ground per se. All you really need is a sufficiently large conductor. The transmitter pack is simply putting the two objects, your fish tape and the "ground" at different potentials. I often hook to the valve on the oil tank.
The pitd part is if you energize an electrical ground, then it overwhelms everything becausetoo many things are connected to electrical grounds. You want a large metal object, ideally directly behind your line being traced. Avoid objects hooked to the electrical ground if there are electrically grounded items within ~20' of the line you are tracking.
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What if you can’t get a fish tape to go down the drain, through fittings ?
My friend used a sonde on his spartan.
My friend used a sonde on his spartan.
From what others have said you’d then need to unplug your machine from the electrical outlet.
so it won’t be grounded.
Unplug the machine, then plug a banana clip into the nearest ground prong of an outlet for a true earth ground. Attach your transmitter to that. Easy peasy.
Put a ping pong ball or similar on the end and pray. The fish tapes come with a roll over end that does pretty well as is.
The fish tape advice was for pipes smaller than your snake can go or longer than your snake. I didn't think you had 100' of 1/4" snake.
It doesn't have to be an actual ground and indeed an electrical circuit ground may screw you up. You might end up tracking the buried gas line, the buried telephone, irrigation wires, or even the overhead power lines. You can try it, just try some other setups too.
Good luck with that. I’ve never had much luck using a fish tape in a 2” pipe with bends and drain goo. Like trying to shoot pool with a limp noodle. No fittings, better luck. Kinda like an old sewer tape but those are thicker and not as flexible.
Ive had good luck fishing through copper water tube.
I use the fish tape in water lines. Polyethylene comes in 300' rolls so no joints.
For 2" drain pipe I'd run my snake assuming the camera won't make it. For 2" electrical conduit I just run the camera.
When I have a leak under a slab sometimes I’ll put a fish tape down the line to find the next manifold hidden in the walls. Usually I have an idea of where the manifolds are but the tape confirms it without unnecessary cutting. Low tech hillBilly way.
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Went to the PHCC trade show a couple of times and a vendor was selling a battery operated vibrating fish tape to locate manifolds. you could hear it buzzing in the wall.
I wish I could do that with my transmitter on a sectional cable. The st-510 I have won’t do it. I guess it’s the cable material?
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I tape a sonde to my jetter head.
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