PIPE AND CABLE LOCATORS & BUYER'S GUIDE

Before any digging starts in a government or private construction project, underground pipes and cables must first be located and marked to prevent operator injury and costly pipe and cable damage. Whether you’re a part of a utility location company, a private resident wanting to do some yard project, or a construction company, finding the right Pipe and Cable Locator will save you from a lot of headaches down the line. Tiger Supplies is a trusted dealer of Pipe and Cable Locators from the best brands in the industry including Leica, Geomax, and Subsurface. If you need a rugged and reliable Pipe and Cable Locator for sale, plus a convenient shopping experience, be sure to browse our extensive collection of Pipe and Cable Locators. 

OUR BEST-SELLER

The Leica DD100 Series Utility Cable Locator is a line of reliable and precise pipe and cable locators that can detect utilities buried up to 10 feet deep. The series has two models: DD120 which has 2 transmitter modes and DD130 with 4 transmitter modes. Both models are IP54-rated for dust and water resistance and can last for up to 15 hours. Signal strength and battery status are displayed on the LCD screen. This precise utility cable locator is a great choice for excavation and repair contractors, builders, gas and electric companies, cable tv companies, utility installation, and more.

PIPE AND CABLE LOCATOR BUYER’S GUIDE

Also known as cable locators, buried cable locators, or utility locators, Pipe and Cable Locators play a crucial role in maintaining the safety of crews and the general public during excavations. Choosing the right Pipe and Cable Locator depends on where and how you will be using it. Read this guide for pointers on what you need to look for in a Pipe and Cable Locator that matches your needs.

How Does a Pipe and Cable Locator Work

Buried underneath our streets are pipes and cables that keep our lights, water supply, and wireless connection on. These buried utilities are either conductive or non-conductive. Conductive utilities are made of conductive materials like copper, steel, and iron. They allow the flow of electrical current, emitting an electromagnetic signal in doing so. Pipe and Cable Locators are used to locate conductive utility lines using electromagnetic tracing. If a utility line is emitting a signal, all you have to do to locate it is turn your Pipe and Cable Locator on, scan the area, and wait for the unit to alert you of a signal. This is called the passive location method. 

For cases where there is no live current running through the utility cable or pipe, you will need to do an active location. Active location involves inducing the signal to the pipe or cable through a signal transmitter, sonde, or signal clamp. The transmitter sends a signal with a specific radio frequency such as 34kHz which then travels along the cable. This signal creates an electromagnetic field around the pipe or cable, which produces radio waves, which are then detected by the receiver. You can tune the receiver to ignore all other frequencies except for the one being emitted by your frequency - in this case, 34kHz. 

If tracing a non-conductive utility line like an optic fiber, sewer pipe, or stormwater pipe, you can insert a conductive rod into the pipe and trace that. If the budget allows, you can also benefit from a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system like the Leica DSX Utility Detection System. GPR systems can locate any buried object regardless if it can hold a current or not. 

Features of Underground Utility Locators

There are a lot of available Pipe and Cable Locators for sale and it can get confusing trying to choose the right one. Let’s talk about some of the most important features to look at when purchasing a Pipe and Cable Locator so you can get the best unit for your needs. 

1. Detection Range - Underground Pipe and Cable Locators have different detection ranges which affect their pricing. The utility locator with the deepest detection range in our catalog is the SubSurface PL-VF3 Pipe and Cable Locator which can detect buried utilities as deep as 25 feet.

2. Frequency Range - The frequency range that will be the most effective in locating targets depends on the properties of each utility line and even the soil surrounding the line. Some utility lines may be easily located by a lower frequency while some need a higher frequency. This is why it’s best to choose a Pipe and Cable Locator with as wide a frequency range as possible given your budget. Leica ULTRA, one of Leica’s most advanced precision utility tracing systems, has a frequency range of 50 Hz to 200 kHz, making it a versatile unit that can detect most kinds of utilities in most environments. 

3. Alert System - After locating the utility, your Pipe and Cable Locator will alert you either audibly (with a loud tone), visually (with a meter and/or graph), or both. For most models, meters or graphs are displayed on an easy-to-read LCD screen to provide you with helpful information on signal strength, depth estimation, low battery indication, and even the presence of nearby power lines. 

4. Depth Estimation - Some Pipe and Cable Locators are able to give an estimate of the depth of the buried utility. Although it is just an approximation, this information is extremely useful in avoiding cable lines or pipelines. If you need a unit with this feature, we have the Pipehorn 800 Series Pipe and Cable Locator and SubSurface PL-2000 Pipe and Cable Locator.

5. Internal GPS/GNSS Receiver - This feature will automatically add positional data to log records, showing you where the cable detector was used, how the operator was working (for training purposes), and the exact locations of utility lines. The Geomax EZiCAT i750 SmartReady Cable Locator is one of our cable locators that comes with a built-in GPS. 

6. Strike Alert - This feature alerts you when you have found a shallow buried object that will most likely be struck if you start digging in that area. It can be extremely helpful in preventing accidents. 

Pipe Locator Equipment and Accessories

Pipe and Cable Locators for sale on our website include accessories needed for efficient cable location. For locating pipes and cables that do not have a live, electrical current, we offer pipe accessories such as signal transmitters to induce a signal into a pipe or cable that a cable locator can detect and trace. However, in situations where the pipe or cable is made of a material that cannot conduct electricity, you can use a service tracer along with a signal transmitter. 

Another useful accessory is a connection cable that connects a signal transmitter to an indoor power outlet. This allows you to track any utility away from a specific property with your buried cable locator. And you can power any of our cable locator tools and pipe locator equipment solely on alkaline batteries.

With the right Pipe and Cable Locator, you and your team can safely and easily locate buried pipes and cable lines to prevent costly and possibly life-threatening accidents. Browse our shop for 100% authentic and high-quality Pipe and Cable Locator for sale at the best prices. If you need more help in finding the right locator for you, reach out to us via email, phone call, or live chat and our team of experts will be happy to help!