Another question on wire conduit pipes under the driveway

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Old 11-21-2021, 08:40 AM
trekker954 trekker954 is offline
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Default Another question on wire conduit pipes under the driveway

I just read an older interesting post regarding wire conduit pipes under the driveway, so I want to resurrect in hopes of some answers. My home is in Pine Hills built in 2017. I had a well known/well reviewed electrician out a few months back (it was a blistering hot day). I have landscaping lighting on three palms in my front. Looking at my house, one on the left side of the driveway (closer to the box) that works, the other two not working on the other side of the driveway (one close to the house, the other tree in the center of the front yard). It wasn't a GFI issue as one light worked. He did look all around my house thinking the right side had their own box, but doesn't appear so. The electrician was unable to figure out how or where the wires ran under the driveway. He kept saying they can usually be seen in the stress crack. I'm unfamiliar with these tubes some speak of here. Could that be it. How can I know? I only have the one box on one side of the house (Jasmine). The guy worked for an hour before giving up. He did try and it was hot, so I happily paid my bill, but so unhappy it wasn't fixed. He had tried to bury the wire he pulled up for the two not working, but I ended up trying to bury better, but at this point, I pulled them out and replaced temporarily with solar lights, but they are not as nice as the wired ones. I'm thinking of trying another electrician (a neighbor told me, the initial landscape company likely subcontracted the electrician). and if another electrician can't figure this out, maybe have them cut the wires and cap them, so I don't have these broken lights sitting on my river rock. any advice?
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Old 11-21-2021, 09:41 AM
retiredguy123 retiredguy123 is offline
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The cable TV companies run their cables under driveways by using a tunneling device. You could bury electric wires with that method, but you need to use the correct wires approved for direct bury. I don't know who you can hire to do the work.
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Old 11-21-2021, 10:08 AM
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villagetinker villagetinker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trekker954 View Post
I just read an older interesting post regarding wire conduit pipes under the driveway, so I want to resurrect in hopes of some answers. My home is in Pine Hills built in 2017. I had a well known/well reviewed electrician out a few months back (it was a blistering hot day). I have landscaping lighting on three palms in my front. Looking at my house, one on the left side of the driveway (closer to the box) that works, the other two not working on the other side of the driveway (one close to the house, the other tree in the center of the front yard). It wasn't a GFI issue as one light worked. He did look all around my house thinking the right side had their own box, but doesn't appear so. The electrician was unable to figure out how or where the wires ran under the driveway. He kept saying they can usually be seen in the stress crack. I'm unfamiliar with these tubes some speak of here. Could that be it. How can I know? I only have the one box on one side of the house (Jasmine). The guy worked for an hour before giving up. He did try and it was hot, so I happily paid my bill, but so unhappy it wasn't fixed. He had tried to bury the wire he pulled up for the two not working, but I ended up trying to bury better, but at this point, I pulled them out and replaced temporarily with solar lights, but they are not as nice as the wired ones. I'm thinking of trying another electrician (a neighbor told me, the initial landscape company likely subcontracted the electrician). and if another electrician can't figure this out, maybe have them cut the wires and cap them, so I don't have these broken lights sitting on my river rock. any advice?
I have installed and fixed a few of these systems. The first thing I would do is to try and trace the wire from the working light toward the driveway, if necessary by pulling or digging up the wire. If you use or your landscaper uses an edger along the edge of the driveway, this is where to wire is probably broken, I have seen this a number of times, especially if the wire was run in the stress crack. The other option is just abandon the existing wire, and run a new one in the stress crack from the working light to the non-working lights. As I mentioned if there is grass in this area extra care is needed to protect the wire. I drill a vertical path in the driveway from the stress cut to a piece of PVC pipe. Send me a PM if you would like to discuss further.
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driveway, electrician, side, house, wire
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