First post, got a different question.

[h2odetective]

Hi Guys, Great forum and info here. Read old posts for a few hours last night and more today. Thanks for any help. Here goes..... My business finds leaks on swimming pools only. Have over 20 years around pool repair and 5 at underground leak detection . Like you guys, some of my jobs are hard to locate for several reasons. Won't get into that here but would like to to know if a RD 4000 or any tool will locate pvc pipes under concrete deck with a transmitter hooked up to a electricians metal fish tape that's inserted inside the pvc pipe. Won't be able to ground the far end of the fish tape. Most likely the pipe is broken and some water is leaking into the earth. Some locate jobs will be to locate pvc pipes that are not broken so the areas will be dry. Maybe this is just a crazy idea that would never work. Hope you folks can help. : )

H2O

[HalfTracK]

Of course it works... I carry 250' of metal fish tape in my car. Use it quite frequently when subs 'forget' to pull tracer wire with conduit..

[UULC]

I use a 250' fish tape and use it to locate sewer laterals on private property. It works great. I just keep checking the depth and the current to be sure I have not jumped off onto a phone or cable drop. I have also use it for just what you are wanting to do. Started at the pump and followed it around to the far side of the pool. Then went into the suction and followed it to the skimmer. This pool had a different valve for the bottom drain and was able to follow it to the side of the pool.

I just used initials on the ground for the different lines. Hope this helps.

[locatethis]

I concur, I just used my 250' fish tape today for that same reason. I have a fiber that never has tracer, as if it was ever going to be in conflict some day!!!!!!

[yahoo]

with a good locater you can use the fishtape easily .....getting over the swimming area while still holding water.....little harder...ha

Hi Guys, Great forum and info here. Read old posts for a few hours last night and more today. Thanks for any help. Here goes..... My business finds leaks on swimming pools only. Have over 20 years around pool repair and 5 at underground leak detection . Like you guys, some of my jobs are hard to locate for several reasons. Won't get into that here but would like to to know if a RD 4000 or any tool will locate pvc pipes under concrete deck with a transmitter hooked up to a electricians metal fish tape that's inserted inside the pvc pipe. Won't be able to ground the far end of the fish tape. Most likely the pipe is broken and some water is leaking into the earth. Some locate jobs will be to locate pvc pipes that are not broken so the areas will be dry. Maybe this is just a crazy idea that would never work. Hope you folks can help. : )

H2O

[h2odetective]

Thank you very much for the info. I found a repair shop that will sell a used RD400 and 5watt transmitter with a 90 day and one hour of instruction for a nice price. I'd like to get a new locator but my business just won't need all the new features that come with the much higher price. Will this unit work well on pvc runs under 150'?

[h2odetective]

with a good locater you can use the fishtape easily .....getting over the swimming area while still holding water.....little harder...ha

I'm good but not walking on water yet. : )

[TheCableVine]

Hey... welcome to the site.

As everyone has said, the fish tape works great. If the nice price is NICE I'd go for it. Otherwise you don't need something as advanced as an RD for that kind of work. A split box would work just as well and you could get it cheaper I'm sure.

[1idejim]

Hi Guys, Great forum and info here. Read old posts for a few hours last night and more today. Thanks for any help. Here goes..... My business finds leaks on swimming pools only. Have over 20 years around pool repair and 5 at underground leak detection . Like you guys, some of my jobs are hard to locate for several reasons. Won't get into that here but would like to to know if a RD 4000 or any tool will locate pvc pipes under concrete deck with a transmitter hooked up to a electricians metal fish tape that's inserted inside the pvc pipe. Won't be able to ground the far end of the fish tape. Most likely the pipe is broken and some water is leaking into the earth. Some locate jobs will be to locate pvc pipes that are not broken so the areas will be dry. Maybe this is just a crazy idea that would never work. Hope you folks can help. : )

H2O

i too do leak detection and pools have been a specialty for many years, my father was a builder and i have actually have worked on some of my dads pools that are over 50 years old.

what i have found that works well is to use 3/16ths coated aircraft cable. use a mouse and suck it through the skimmer for suction lines. for returns, disconnect the filter and use a shop vac to pull the mouse to the farthest return penatration. a few pieces of pvc, a couple of fittings and your imagination will help you overcome any sharp turns that the fishtape doesn't want to negeotiate.

i use either a catv locator or a 573 dynatel.

[ifinditunderground]

Spend much less, get only what you need. Metrotech 810.

[UULC]

Spammer????????

[sprayandpray]

Spammer????????

Yep! Notice they all have a link to a product.

[HPMadness]

Hi Guys, Great forum and info here. Read old posts for a few hours last night and more today. Thanks for any help. Here goes..... My business finds leaks on swimming pools only. Have over 20 years around pool repair and 5 at underground leak detection . Like you guys, some of my jobs are hard to locate for several reasons. Won't get into that here but would like to to know if a RD 4000 or any tool will locate pvc pipes under concrete deck with a transmitter hooked up to a electricians metal fish tape that's inserted inside the pvc pipe. Won't be able to ground the far end of the fish tape. Most likely the pipe is broken and some water is leaking into the earth. Some locate jobs will be to locate pvc pipes that are not broken so the areas will be dry. Maybe this is just a crazy idea that would never work. Hope you folks can help. : )

H2O

Before I was a locator, I worked on pools (new builds, liner repair, leak detection, etc...) for 15 years. I always found it easier to find any leak in either the return or the suction lines, by plugging the line at the pool, fill the line with water from equipment tie-in, then place a jessie on the pipe and shoot air from compressor into line. I would then use a stethoscope to listen for the loudest point of the water bubbling. I have never been further than a foot from the exact point of the break, no matter how small or large the leak was.

[JACKnBORE]

Invest in a sonde or flood the pvc with water while the metal tape or snake is in there. I mark sewer laterals this way.

[nrp3]

What frequency do you use? How do you set this up, red clip on the metal snake and black to ground?