Page 19 - Louisiana

Figure 6 Locator tried to improving grounding by connecting to a larger and deeper grounding connection - a stop sign.
Figure 4 Locator confirms connection leads are in working order by clipping them together and confirming current flow.
volts of electrical pressure which only resulting in 2 (mA) milliamps of current flow. (Figure 2)
The voltage pressure is what places the signal current into motion, so we had a lot of pressure and very little flow coming from the transmitter. Increasing the power output pressure of the transmitter did not help increase the current flow and changing the frequencies did nothing to help this situation either so we eliminated transmitter settings as the issue
We then looked at the quality of the connection points and the health of
the transmitters wire leads used for direct connection. The locator made sure there was a direct metal to metal connection between the red connection lead and the end of the tracer wire and not it’s protective coating. (Figure 3) The black connection clip directly connected to the ground stake checked as well.
To verify the health and continuity
of the signal transmitter’s direct connection wires, the locator connected the red and black transmitter leads directly together, which produced 20 mA reading which is exactly where it was supposed to be on this transmitter model. A signal transmitters connection leads which consist of wires which can break, metal clips which can were out over time reducing it effectiveness. This confirmed that the transmitter was working perfectly, allowing us to rule
it out as the cause of the problem as output settings or broken connection leads. (Figure 4)
Figure 5 Locator tried improving grounding conditions by adding water to the ground stake
Next, we focused on the grounding conditions. (Figure 5) The ground acts as the return path for the signal, and poor grounding can significantly affect the circuit’s performance. To improve the grounding, the locator poured water on and around the ground stake and pressed it deeper
*TIP* Soapy water
helps the dirt stick to the ground stake with less electrical resistance.
into the earth to increase conductivity and lower resistance at the point of direct connection between the signal transmitter and the earth. *TIP soapy water helps the dirt stick to the ground stake with less electrical resistance.
The locator then changed grounding connections from the temporary ground stake to a metal stop sign post for better and deeper connection to earth. (Figure 6) However, even after improving and changing the direct ground connection, the transmitters output current remained the same level of 2 mA, meaning the grounding wasn’t the issue. With both the transmitter and the grounding ruled out, we were left with the buried conductor.
The copper tracer wire, which is supposed to carry the signal along the
Figure 7 Locator moved transmitter to a different location and was successfully able to generate a signal through the dig area.
length of the utility, became the next suspect. If there’s a break or a faulty splice in the wire, it could prevent the signal from traveling properly. To test this theory, we decided to move the transmitter upstream to a different valve for access to the tracer wire.
and connect to a different point along the utility. (Figure 7) From this new location, the locator was able to trace the signal almost all the way back to the original point of connection where the signal disappeared, which strongly indicated that the tracer wire had been damaged near the original point of connection.
Ultimately, we determined that the problem was likely due to a break in the tracer wire near the original access point. By systematically evaluating the transmitter, grounding, and conductor, we were able to isolate the issue and confirm that the original tracer wire at the first valve was the weak point in the circuit.
2024, Issue 4 Louisiana 811 • 17