Best way to track 110 wire Cancel The title field is required!

1. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   5/19/2012 12:05 PM

   I've got a question, we are looking to add a couple of irrigation heads to a green complex and it shouldn't be too difficult, I have a couple of open stations on my boxes and a lateral line near by, my biggest concern is when we are trenching the new line is hitting the 110 power coming from the fuse box a couple of hundred yards away (at our starter shack) to the existing satellite boxes. I know where all the pipes are and am sure (although I shouldn't be making assumptions) where all the station wires are. But I believe the 110 wires are always keep separate from the rest of the system?
   
   Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
   
   Thanks, Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
2. Rosenthal Gregg

   
   5/19/2012 1:05 PM

   Mel,
   
   I would never assume power wire is separate from control wires, it depends on who put in system when installed and where power source was at time of installation. Having done many new courses and repairing old ones never assume anything when dealing with underground wires one cannot see! I would get a wire tracker, you can buy or rent one, then go to point where the wire is attached to the power source and start by disconnecting it. The you can attach it to the wire tracker to allow it to send a signal down the wire path that you will follow with the tracking part of system. paint lines marking path of wire as you go and you will soon know exact path of this wire. You may be surprised as too the crazy path it takes or happy it goes the way you thought it was supposed to go. But never be thinking it might go one way or another without checking first or one will find out the hard way for sure...I have seen the good, bad, and ugly, on different golf courses or even on the same one over the years.....
   
   Gregg R

   
   
   
   
3. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   5/20/2012 7:05 AM

   We ran all of our 110v wire in the same trench as our main irrigation line as well as all of the station wires.

   
   
   
   
4. David Brandenburg

   

   3 posts
   
   5/21/2012 3:05 PM

   Mel,
   
   Unless they were going cross county our power wires are in the trench whenever possible on both the 40 year old and 16 year old portions of the course.
   
   Disconect the power and use a wire tracker to be sure.

   
   
   
   
5. Clay Putnam

   

   33 posts
   
   5/21/2012 3:05 PM

   Wire locator.

   
   
   
   
6. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   5/21/2012 5:05 PM

   Since the cost of a repair is far cheaper then the lost labor and time it takes to track the wire, I just go full bore and trench away. When you hit it, you'll trip the breaker. Hit one today, along with a 2.5" pipe while building a bunker with a dozer and mini-excavator. Had it all fixed within 30 minutes. I'd still be tracing wire if I had not just winged it.