Fisher TW-6 Pipe and Cable Locator $956 Request a quote
Finds lost or unknown pipe and cable, plus valves, tees and paved-over manholes.
$908Water Line Locators
Our water line locators trace buried metal water mains and service lines, and find the valve boxes along them. They're built for water departments, utility crews and contractors.
6 locators
Vivax-Metrotech VM-810 Pipe and Cable Locator $3,860 Request a quote
Made for water and gas lines. Its signal crosses insulators and rubber gaskets.
$3,667
Vivax-Metrotech vLoc3-9800 Utility Locator $5,021 Request a quote
Walk-over receiver with left/right guidance tones, depth and current readouts, and data logging.
$4,770
Vivax-Metrotech vLoc3-Pro Receiver $5,789 Request a quote
Traces buried pipe and cable with depth and current readouts, and finds sondes.
$5,500
Schonstedt Rex Pipe and Cable Locator $1,912 Request a quote
Traces water, sewer and gas pipes and electric and telecom cables on three frequencies, with a depth readout.
Receiver $1,816 Fisher M-66 Valve and Box Locator $560 Request a quote
Finds buried and paved-over valve boxes and other metal. Works through concrete and asphalt.
$532Choosing a water line locator for mains, services and boxes
Mains and service lines
The Fisher TW-6 finds water lines you can't hook up to. For services you can clip onto at a hydrant, meter or valve, the Vivax-Metrotech VM-810 is made for water and gas lines, and its signal crosses the rubber gaskets common on water systems. The vLoc3-9800 and the Schonstedt Rex read depth as you trace.
Boxes and valves under pavement
The Fisher M-66 is an all-metal valve and box locator. It finds buried and paved-over valve boxes, curb boxes and other metal along a water service, right through concrete and asphalt. It won't trace a line, so crews carry it alongside a line locator.
Metal and plastic water pipe
Copper, iron and steel water lines carry a transmitter's signal, so any water pipe locator here can trace them. PVC and polyethylene carry no signal. On a plastic line, clip onto the tracer wire buried with it, or push a sonde through the pipe and follow it in the receiver's sonde mode.
Finding services and valves off a main
Tracing a main also turns up what's on it. Valves, tees and risers show up as a jump in signal on the TW-6 and VM-810. To find service lines with the VM-810, one person holds the receiver still over the main while the other walks the transmitter along it, and the reading jumps at each service.
Depth readings on a water line
The VM-810 and vLoc3-9800 read depth at the push of a button, within 5% on a clean signal, measured to the center of the pipe. The Rex reads depth to about 19 ft, and the TW-6 estimates it with its bubble level.
Water line locators for utilities and municipal crews
Outfitting a water department or a whole crew? Send us the models and how many you need, and we'll respond with one written quote. We stay in contact after the sale, and when a unit needs work, call us.
Questions
Is there a tool to find water lines?
Yes. A utility locator for water lines puts a signal on a metal water line with a transmitter, and the receiver follows it so you can mark where the line runs. On plastic pipe, it follows the tracer wire instead.
Can I use a metal detector to find my water line?
Only part of the job. A metal detector for water line work, like the Fisher M-66, finds the valve and curb boxes along a service, but it can't follow the pipe. To trace the line itself, use a pipe locator like the Fisher TW-6 or the Vivax-Metrotech VM-810.
What is the best pipe locator for water lines?
It depends on whether you can reach the line. For services you can clip onto at a meter or hydrant, the Vivax-Metrotech VM-810 is made for water work. For lines with no start point you can get to, the Fisher TW-6 finds them with no hookup.
Can a water line locator find PVC?
Not on its own, because PVC carries no signal. Trace the tracer wire buried with it, or push a sonde or fish tape through the pipe and follow that.
Not sure which one fits your water system?
Call 937-657-2735 or request a quote and tell us what you're trying to find.