EM Line Locating · Faults · breaks · shorts
Cable & Sheath Fault Locating by EM.
Pinpoint where a buried cable or tracer wire has failed — a sheath fault, break, or short — so the repair is one targeted excavation instead of a guessed trench. EM fault-finding for the lines that have stopped doing their job.
Free phone consult · No pressure · Mon–Sat 8am–6pm PT
Best suited for
Why it's used
- Finds the fault location, not just its existence
- Turns a whole-run dig into one repair hole
- Distinguishes break, short, and sheath-fault types
- Confirms the line is whole again after repair
How it works
- 1
Characterise the fault
Continuity and resistance checks classify what's wrong — an open break, a short between conductors, or a sheath fault leaking to ground — because each type is found with a different technique.
- 2
Trace to the drop-off
Active locating follows the line until the signal behaves like a fault: fading at a break, or diverting to ground at a sheath fault. The change in signal is the fault telling on itself.
- 3
Pinpoint the fault
Fault-finding modes — including ground-return techniques for sheath faults — narrow the location to a small area, marked on the surface with depth, so the excavation targets the fault precisely.
- 4
Verify the repair
After the fix, a confirming trace and continuity check prove the line is whole again — closing the loop instead of hoping the repair was complete.
Frequently asked
Can you find where a buried cable is faulted, not just that it's faulted?
Yes — that's the entire point of fault locating. Continuity testing tells you a fault exists; EM fault-finding tells you where. By tracing the applied signal and watching how it fades at a break or diverts to ground at a sheath fault, the location narrows to a small marked area. The repair crew digs one hole at the fault instead of trenching the whole run hunting for it.
What's a sheath fault and why is it hard to find?
A sheath (or insulation) fault is where a cable's protective covering is damaged and current leaks to the surrounding ground rather than staying on the conductor. It's tricky because the line may still partly work, so simple continuity checks miss it — it takes ground-return fault-finding techniques that follow where the signal escapes to earth. Those are exactly the methods this service uses.
Our tracer wire reads open — can you find the break?
Yes, and it's one of the most common fault-locate jobs. An open tracer wire is traced from its access point until the active signal drops off, which marks the break location; from there the break is exposed and repaired, restoring locatability to the plastic main it serves. It's far cheaper than abandoning the tracer wire and re-locating the main by other means every future dig.
Does fault locating work on any buried conductor?
It works on conductive lines you can apply a signal to — tracer wires, locating-type cables, and similar. Live power and telecom faults are typically the utility owner's specialised domain with their own equipment and safety protocols; our fault-locating focuses on tracer wires and the conductive lines a private-locate crew is responsible for. We're clear about that boundary rather than overpromising on energised utility faults.
Related EM methods
Tracer Wire Locating & Installation
Locate plastic mains through their tracer wire — and where there isn't one, advise on installing it. The permanent way to keep non-conductive water, gas, and irrigation lines findable for the life of the asset.
ViewActive EM Line Locating
Apply a known frequency to a target line and trace only that line — the precise, unambiguous core of electromagnetic locating. Direct connection or signal clamp puts a traceable signal on a specific conductive utility so it stands out from everything else in the ground.
ViewDepth Estimation & Utility Mapping
Add the third dimension and a permanent record: estimated burial depth at every point of interest, and a marked, measured map of what's underground — the deliverable that turns a one-day locate into a lasting site asset.
ViewEM + GPR Utility Clearance Survey
The complete pre-dig clearance: passive sweep, active EM tracing of every conductive line, GPR imaging for non-conductive lines and confirmation, sonde tracing for drains, and depths at the dig point. The single survey that makes breaking ground safe — and the everyday private locate done right.
View← EM line locating hub·For contractors & pros·Utility locating applications·GPR services
Cable & Sheath Fault Locating across BC
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Locate before you dig. Both methods. One crew.
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