Products Overview | Locating Methods | Accuracy & Environmental Conditions | Utility Types & Capabilities | Safety & Best Practices | Technology Comparisons | Industries & Use Cases | Service & Support
Pipehorn offers three core product lines:
Leak detection equipment is designed to help you find water leaks under ground and around water systems. These tools are optimized for identifying hidden or small leaks, often through acoustic or vibration sensing, and are most commonly used by plumbers, leak detection specialists, and maintenance crews.
Locating equipment, on the other hand, is built to find the position and path of buried utilities like pipes, cables, and conduits before digging or excavation. These tools are used to prevent utility strikes by accurately tracing underground infrastructure, whether you can connect directly to a conductor or need to trace from the surface.
In short:
Leak detection = find leaks in existing systems
Locating equipment = find utility lines before you dig
A pipe and cable locator is used to find the position and path of underground utilities—such as pipes, cables, and conduit—before digging or excavation. Proper locating helps crews avoid utility strikes, downtime, and costly repairs.
Underground utilities are typically located using a signal applied to the utility line and traced with a receiver. When a direct connection is available, the signal is applied to the conductor. When access is limited, utilities can be traced from the surface using an inductive method.
Conductive locating uses a direct connection to a known conductor, providing a focused and reliable signal. Inductive locating sends a signal from the surface when direct access isn’t possible, allowing crews to locate pipes and cables buried underground without exposing them.
Surface tracing is useful when utilities can’t be accessed directly—such as sealed systems, congested areas, or unknown line paths. It allows crews to locate underground pipes and cables without making physical contact with the conductor.
The correct frequency depends on site conditions:
→ Compare Pipehorn 800-H vs. Pipehorn 800-HL
Accuracy depends on the equipment frequency, site conditions, and operator technique. Pipehorn locators are engineered for high-precision pinpointing. Following best practices—such as adjusting gain, achieving a balanced signal, and verifying the source—improves accuracy and reduces mis-marked lines.
Soil type, moisture, and interference from other utilities can impact signal strength and accuracy. Wet or mineral-rich soils may cause signal bleed, while congested areas can introduce noise. Pipehorn’s adjustable gain and dual-frequency technology help operators overcome these challenges for reliable results in varied conditions.
These questions focus on the types of underground utilities Pipehorn locators can detect and how different materials impact locating performance.
Pipehorn locators are designed to find conductive underground infrastructure, including metallic water pipes, gas lines, tracer wires, and communication cables. With the right frequency, they can also energize and trace short services, stubs, and poor conductive pipelines. Plastic pipes can be traced by inserting metallic rodders or fish tapes into the pipe.
Non-conductive materials like PVC, HDPE, and concrete cannot be directly located with traditional electromagnetic locators. However, inserting a conductive tracer wire, sonde, or metallic tape allows Pipehorn signals to energize and trace these lines. This makes it possible to locate plastic and non-metallic utilities with the right setup.
Utility locating is essential to prevent accidental strikes on underground infrastructure such as water lines, gas pipes, and electrical cables. Hitting a buried utility can cause safety hazards, costly repairs, and project delays. Using professional equipment like Pipehorn Pipe & Cable Locators provides accurate detection before excavation.
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Inaccurate locating can lead to utility strikes, safety hazards, service outages, and expensive repairs. Using the right locating method helps crews work more safely, efficiently, and confidently before digging begins.
Utility locating supports compliance with “Call Before You Dig” (811) laws and industry safety standards. Anyone planning to dig should call 811 and wait for utility asset owners to identify and mark underground utilities before excavation to prevent accidents. Pipehorn locators help ensure compliance and reduce liability by providing accurate, reliable locating and the ability to find conductors that others may miss.
Analog locators are often preferred in the field because they allow experienced users to interpret subtle signal changes, helping reduce false positives and interference. Many crews find analog locating more reliable in complex or noisy environments.
Pipe and cable locators are commonly used by:
Utility locating professionals
Excavation and construction crews
Municipal water and sewer departments
Damage prevention teams
Contractors working near buried infrastructure
Any job that involves digging near underground utilities relies on accurate locating.
Pipehorn provides:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
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Conductor |
In utility locating, a conductor may be a metallic pipe, cable, conduit, tracer wire, fiber optic cable with tracer, sewer snake, or fish tape. The metal content of the Conductor provides a path for the signal from an EM Pipe and Cable Locator to travel. Without a conductor, utilities like plastic or clay pipes may require supplemental tracer wire for detection. |
|
Inductive Locating |
A locating method where the transmitter applies a tracing signal through the air/ ground onto a buried conductor without making direct contact. This method is valuable when direct connection is not possible, such as with live power, cables inside a conduit, or other pipes without an access point. Inductive locating is fast, convenient, and widely used with high-frequency locators, but can produce signal bleed-over to nearby utilities if not properly applied. |
|
Conductive Locating |
A method of applying a signal directly to the target conductor using a physical connection to the pipe or cable (often referred to as a “direct hookup”). Conductive locating typically results in stronger signals on your target conductor vs other nearby conductors. This technique is often preferred in congested areas with multiple utilities, since it helps to minimize the chance of tracing the wrong line. |
|
Signal Clamp (Ring Clamp) |
A locating technique that uses a specialized clamp to induce a signal directly onto a single conductor without making a metallic connection. The clamp encircles the conductor, coupling the signal more efficiently than induction through the air. This method is particularly useful when working around bundled cables, multiple conduits, or live power where making a direct connection is unsafe. |
|
High Frequency (HF) |
In underground utility locating, high frequency typically refers to signals above 30 kHz (30,000 Hz). Pipehorn’s 480 kHz (used in the Pipehorn 800-H and 800-HL) excels at inductive locating, finding difficult or poor conductors, and other conditions where low frequency signals may fail. HF signals can “jump” gaps (like broken/corroded tracer wires or non-conductive gaskets in cast iron pipes) and energize smaller, isolated conductors. |
|
Low Frequency (LF) |
Low frequency signals (such as 9 kHz on the Pipehorn 800-HL) are ideal for long-distance tracing and isolating a single conductor in congested underground environments. Because LF signals do not readily jump onto adjacent utilities, they reduce the chances of signal “bleed over”. However, they may not energize short or poorly grounded lines as effectively as high frequency and require more power to generate. |
|
Sensitivity (Gain) |
A receiver setting that controls how much signal is detected during locating. Increasing sensitivity (gain) allows detection of weak or deeper signals, while decreasing it prevents overload or “saturation” near strong signals. Proper sensitivity adjustment is critical for pinpointing, balancing signals, and avoiding confusion in crowded areas. Many Pipehorn locators allow manual adjustment of sensitivity helping you navigate stubborn locate scenarios. |
|
Saturated Tone |
A condition where the receiver is set too sensitive, resulting in a constant tone that doesn’t change with position. A saturated tone prevents accurate pinpointing because the signal is maxed out. To correct this, reduce the sensitivity (gain) until the signal response rises and falls evenly on both sides of the conductor. |
|
Search & Sweep (Safety Sweep) |
A proactive method of scanning an area to detect all buried conductors before excavation. Using high-frequency induction, the operator performs broad sweeps to energize and detect both obvious and hidden lines. This is a best practice before any digging project, complementing 811 call-before-you-dig services, to verify marks, discover unmarked lines, prevent damage and ensure safety. It is also a method to find a starting point on a line before tracing it out completely. |
|
Balanced Signal / Symmetrical Field |
An indicator of accurate positioning during pinpointing. A balanced signal occurs when the receiver tone peaks at the center of the conductor and drops evenly as the receiver is moved left and right. Nearby conductors and other factors may warp the signal on a line resulting in a false peak or mismarked utility. Achieving a symmetrical field provides more confidence that the peak signal is directly over the conductor – resulting in a more reliable mark. This concept is essential for both novice and expert users of underground utility locators. |
|
APWA Uniform Color Code |
The standard system of marking underground utilities with color-coded paint or flags to identify utility types. Examples include: red (electric power), orange (communication), blue (water), green (sewer), yellow (gas), purple (reclaimed water), white (proposed excavation). Utility locators use these markings to communicate what’s buried below. |
|
Gas Sniffer |
A device used to detect and pinpoint gas leaks by sensing the presence and concentration of various gases in the air. Often used alongside an Underground Utility Locator (or Pipe Locator) to provide a complete picture of underground conditions. (Also known as a Gas Leak Detector) |
|
Underground Utility Locator |
A general term for equipment that detects and traces buried infrastructure such as pipes, cables, and conduits. Utility locators help prevent accidental strikes during excavation and are essential for safe digging. These include Electromagnetic Pipe Locators, Ground Penetrating Radar devices, Acoustical or Sonic Locating devices, or a Shovel (which is the only thing more accurate than a Pipehorn!) |
|
Pipe Locator |
Typically refers to an Electromagnet type of underground utility locator designed to detect and trace metallic pipes and cables. Paired as a transmitter that generates a signal on the pipe, and a Receiver set to sense that signal from the pipe underground, pipe locators are critical for water, sewer, and gas service providers to identify lines quickly and accurately. |
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Pipe Leak Detection |
The process of locating hidden leaks in underground water, sewer, or gas pipelines using specialized equipment. Pipe leak detection helps prevent costly water loss, property damage, and safety hazards by pinpointing leaks quickly and accurately. Tools like Pipe Locators and Listening Devices are often used by utility contractors and municipal service providers. |
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Utility Marking Paint |
A specialized biodegradable spray paint used to mark the location of underground utilities once they are detected. Utility marking paints follow the APWA color code system (e.g., red for electric, blue for water, yellow for gas) to communicate what and where utilities are buried. They are water based and environmentally friendly paints designed to fade within 30-90 days. |
