Undergorund Electrical Repair Photos.

jm. · Jul 18, 2013

O.K. Asks here yesterday about locating underground electrical aluminum wire. One answer saved my day. Ha dead triplex aluminum wire. Took a small wire and put 12 wraps of wire around the sparkplug lead on a old hedge trimmer. Hooked the other end to the end of the underground line. Took a small hand held am radio and started down the line found the place the static stopped fairly quick. Went to the other end and did the same and came back to the same place. Dug a hole less than three feet and found a tree root had separated the line. Six lugs , six feet of new wire, couple pieces of pvc and two tubes of silicon and things were fixed or at least repaired for the time. The radio trick really is neat and I want to thank the guy that posted it for me.

glennster · Jul 18, 2013

wow, that is a neat idea!!! i'll have to remember that one!

JMOR · Jul 18, 2013

You are welcome! Glad to see you had the same kind of success as I have, maybe even better.

armand tatro · Jul 18, 2013

Does this work on copper wire as well? I would like to locate an electrical line my uncle buried in 1955. Thank you for your help. Armand

PopinJohn · Jul 18, 2013

That's a really neat idea for locating a problem wire.
Place where I worked back in the 70's put in aluminum cable for 240 volt 3 phase under ground. Lasted about two years before a leg went dead, under a concrete driveway. Electricians tunneled under about 40 feet before finding the corroded and broken cable, wintertime weather in SE Missouri.

jm. · Jul 18, 2013

JMOR You can not imagine how good it worked. Only thing I had there was that old hedge trimmer and some aluminum welding wire. That little weather radio had an am station and I could hear ever firing of the spark plug when I was over the wire. Looked to be buried about 18 inches or so.
Thanks again you sure made my day easier.

LilFarmer · Jul 18, 2013

Looks like split bolts used for splices? Drive a stake to mark the spot so you know where to dig in a year or so!

Why didn't you get an undergound splice kit and do it right?

36 Coupe · Jul 18, 2013

Use copper wire and never have to remember the trick.I buried UF copper in 1968 no trouble.Cheap will get you every time.

jm. · Jul 18, 2013

I,m 70 years old so suppose someone else will have to worry with it but the guy that done the work said he has some in the ground he did this way that are 20 years old. What is supposed to be wrong with the split nut fastner? The place we went to for the wire actually showed the splice kits and his idea with the pvc and silicone actually looked better than what they offred but knew there would be someone here with a better idea or reason to do it different. Just the nature of this site but sure did get a time saving ideal with the radio.

JMOR · Jul 18, 2013

Someone has always done it better.

I have many, maybe a dozen underground splices with wire nuts, each stuck in a dixie cup of silicone caulk. May blow up tonight, but been just fine for last 12 years.

jm. · Jul 18, 2013

Don,t think it was the aluminum wire. That maple tree was 3 years old when the wire was installed. The 4 + inch root just stretched it to far. Found out from the previous owner the wire was buried 26 years ago so not bad service for the wire

showcrop · Jul 18, 2013

those splices look to me like a better way than the ones I have gotten with a new well pump.

IH2444 · Jul 18, 2013

If ya put it in conduit....

MarkB_MI · Jul 18, 2013

That's a cool trick!

Janicholson · Jul 18, 2013

With the silicone locking the oxygen and water out of the joints it will likely last. The issue isn't mechanical it is chemical. The clamps are zinc coated, the core of the clamps is steel, the wire is aluminum, these materials are reactive when in contact. Special AL approved connectors are Code for aluminum in any application due to aluminum oxide causing oxidation and heat through poor contact. AlOx is an insulator. I think it will be OK, but do mark the spot, or measure to it from two corners of the same building to triangulate it. Jim

504-1 · Jul 18, 2013

You learn the durdest things here. I do not know how silicon will react to AL wire, but I filled a pin connector on a truck once to keep the water out, and less than a year later the wires rotted off. I read in an auto shop trade magazine after that, that silicone will react with copper wire and eat it, just what happened to me. (I haven't done it since.)

36 Coupe · Jul 19, 2013

I had much trouble with aluminum wire when I did appliance service.Many calls on 240 appliances that didnt work because of breaks in aluminum wire.I did welder repair and found broken aluminum wire a lot.Get a piece of aluminum wire and bend it back and forth,do the same with copper and see which breaks first.

36 Coupe · Jul 19, 2013

Silicone that smells like vinegar will rust steel.Dont know how it would affect aluminum.I had some plated steel parts in a bubble pack.A small tube of silicone leaked.All metal items were rusted.

Brad Buchanan · Jul 19, 2013

Hey Jim.

That is really using your noodle!

Using induction to pulse that conductor and an am radio as a detector is a bit of genius.

Brad

dr sportster · Jul 19, 2013

This is what I do for a living. I have a trunk full of supplies. I don't have any silicone or like product in any of them[except dielectric grease.]. Do A google search--Silicone in electric splices. Aparently the acetic acid in the silicone will eat the metal.The dielectric properties of the silicone are not right either. I will make a statement more for high voltage cable but --- Once tracking starts it will continue to grow until there is a failure. Tracking or " treeing" is the cause of failure which will start with ions forming then multiplying like a bacteria within the splce body.So yes good idea with the radio but mark the digging spot well.

jm. · Jul 19, 2013

Thanks Good to know , guess the guy was wrong. He was very admant about getting the right silicone as opposed to rtv gasket maker or regular caulk. Time will tell I guess. Actually if you look the way he did it the silicone only seals the water out of the tube. He staggred the connections as to not touch and used about half roll of tape on each then he only sealed the ends of the tube with the silicone. Silicone is not touching the aluminum any where. I am betting it will out live me but if not will be sure and report back.

jm. · Jul 19, 2013

Jan Those connectors were like 7 bucks each, and I THINK pure aluminum, at least that is what the guy doing the work told the supply place he wanted. Had to go to three place before he found the right split connectors. He turned down copper and zinc coated metal.

dr sportster · Jul 19, 2013

The tape to wrap the splices in is called self-vulcanizing. It becomes all one piece once wrapped.

Janicholson · Jul 19, 2013

If aluminum, Way good. If the Silicone Smells (astringent and strong) it is giving off acetic acid. Tough on metal. Jim

Undergorund Electrical Repair Photos.

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