Cable fault location meters , anyone used them before ?

[JD6400]

We had a break down call out on Thursday to a stable yard we have just completed , it turned out that the 500m 95mm three phase sub main that was installed as a single phase for the time being until they can afford a three phase meter upgrade has been compromised on the currently used brown phase and also on the black phase which is dormant at the moment !
The grey phase and neutral bell out fine .
So we have got the yard up and running at the moment , but we need to go back and locate the problem now !
Have any other forum members had dealings with cable fault location gear and can you recommend which is best ?
We have been quoted around £550 + to hire some , but i always prefer to look at buying reconditioned kit at a all be it higher cost rather than pay a dead loss hire fee .
It would not be so bad but the run was moled under two private tarmac roads and strait across the main access yard and lorry park park for the whole complex , without being ducted ( clients request to keep cost down along with using their own labour to lay it ) , BUGGER !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JD6400]

Hi again ,

UKMeterman , It has megged out ok at 1000v on the blue and grey so is safe for the short term .
I have swapped out the incomer for a 30ma at the moment as well , the yard is TT anyway as we had existing barns already on site and it was going to be a absolute no no to get a tied grid in under the new indoor menage !

Engineer54 , i think this will be exactly the problem as to why we now have the damage but i had absolutely no jurisdiction on certain parts of the cable run and only limited on the other parts , and the part where i think the damage is was laid when we had not been on site for a fortnight .
I do think that getting in a specialist in is a sound idea , but we may yet get lumbered with the costs ? Added to this is the fact i personally have all the plant needed (apart from the fault finding gear ) for the job back at my home , so i have the ability of keeping nearly all the costs in house .

Mogga , we brought a RD2000+ and genny a couple of months ago , would this model do the same as i have not found any information yet saying it will ?

 

[Engineer54]

The specialised fault finding company would only be used for finding the location of the fault, the subsequent excavation and repair to the cable you can do in house, along with the back filling....

 

[JD6400]

I have to admit i think you are right and this may be the best option , i am just worried that after we have sorted one fault then there will be subsequent faults further along that may be missed while they are there .
But i think we will just have to risk it , unless they have the ability to pick up multiply faults in one pass ?

 

[Engineer54]

An experienced operator with the right equipment, can probably tell you if there are further weak spots in the cable run, or indeed if your going to be dealing with multiple breaks as it stands at the moment... Fingers crossed for you!! ...lol!!

 

[mogga]

As enginer says EXPERIENCED Operator is realy required to use the equipmwent as the readings are whats needed to interpret
havent used the rd200 the 400 we followed the cable till lost signal DIG there sorted 9 out of 10 times we got it spot on even depth
I have seen S.P. use a "Thumper" god thats a fantastic bit of kit One goy at cable end with thumper other guy walking down cable route listening for THUMP again normaly SPOT on with experienced guys using it

 

[Knobhead]

Give the RD2000 a go on the faulty cores.
I don’t know what model we had at work but it must be 30odd years old, got my arse out of the fire plenty of times. I used to set the geny up at one end and trace to where the signal vanished, then do the same from the other end.

 

[JD6400]

Hi Tony , I will give it a whirl , but i think we are looking at getting in the big guns .
The cable has not been sheared just compromised so i think the cat will just trace as normal , unless i am missing some other way of doing it ?
I think all in all it's a feeling of :frown2: at the moment !

 

[WPD Lad]

Where is the job?

Have the brown and black gone open circuit or phase to phase or phase to E?

Reflekt is here!

 

[JD6400]

South Warwickshire , brown is flat to earth and black is also flat to earth with the added bonus of water running out of the copper cores !
Never bothered to try phase to phase / brown to black as was feeling rather despondent by that point , but would say it will be flat to earth .

Where are you based ?

 

[Knobhead]

Hi Tony , I will give it a whirl , but i think we are looking at getting in the big guns .
The cable has not been sheared just compromised so i think the cat will just trace as normal , unless i am missing some other way of doing it ?
I think all in all it's a feeling of :frown2: at the moment !

Signal will end at the short.

But it look like WPD may come to your rescue

 

[mogga]

IF WPD comes to your rescue we DEMAND PHOTOS !!!!!!!

 

[WPD Lad]

South Warwickshire , brown is flat to earth and black is also flat to earth with the added bonus of water running out of the copper cores !
Never bothered to try phase to phase / brown to black as was feeling rather despondent by that point , but would say it will be flat to earth .

Where are you based ?

Solihull/Birmingham, doesn't sound too far

 

[Knobhead]

Good to see people helping each other out.

 

[mogga]

cooperation WPD remember and PM DP what your fav bikkies and takeaway meal are before assisting lol

 

[JD6400]

Mogga , what would you like me in for pict's leather or silk ?:ihih:

WPD Lad , sounds like a plan ! I will pm you my details now , thank you !!!