Unmarked pipe line found while excavating!

Found a pipe while digging a water line reroute. I explain why I found it before hitting it.
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Just for the pins

[@LostAbroadVideos]

Not to often have I clicked thumbs up on an operator video. There are too many operators with a half dozen years experience thinking their God's gift to operating that likely didn't even pick up on what what noteworthy about this video. Great job.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thank you for that. It does mean alot to me when I get such a response to one of my videos.

[@skipd9164]

Worked for a large gas utility in MASS and I was the district inspector. I was the DigSafe guy for the 6 cities and towns we covered. I started in the distribution department and ended up marking LP, IP, HP, and they could be CI, ST, AND PL. Knew all the take stations, reg buildings, and reg pits also static lines. I actually have 1 video on my channel that explained the overpresurerisd mains in Lawrence. It could not be seen for over a year and I made it days after the incident. You should have a pipehorn and use it to verify if there is an unmarked pipe just for safety. You do not need to know who's pipe or wires but just something is there. You will be able too tell if it's pipe or wires and other information but you understand what your doing and that's great. For new operators learn to read the street before you dig. Almost all older streets tell you the location of pipes and wires. Follow cracks because they could be defining walls of trench or buried pipelines. I always loved being outdoors in all types of weather getting dirty. Even more exciting is digging infront of a building full of natural gas but first finding and digging the leak. I did this hundreds of times

[@Mike_Erp]

I want to try and expand into doing utilities and you are God's answer to me! Exactly the scenarios I wanted to see, thank you

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I am glad I can be a help to you. I have an instagram page as well. If you have questions that is the best place to get ahold of me.

[@andyl2221]

Usually when you hit concrete digging utilities, thrust block is the first thing that comes to mind but you are right don’t just pull through .good job

[@airlogic]

When those teeth on the bucket wear out weld an old cutting edge off a grader(obviously wide enough for your 3 foot bucket) and you have a flat cutting edge to dig over services that are unknown. I clench every time i have to dig where we know services might be without being located. good video buddy.

[@lironmtnranch4765]

Decades ago in Torrance CA (Sepulveda and Western) there was a pipeline project that was delayed for MONTHS when an uncharted pipe was found. There are LOTS of high pressure petroleum pipes in the neighborhood so they erred on the side of caution. Construction was delayed and the intersection coned down to 2 lanes for MONTHS. Finally they drilled a small test hole and determined the pipe was not active. Right before they finished, I changed jobs and didn't have to commute by this. :/

[@robertstark9454]

Did that over in Lake County for 35 years, you have a nice touch with the machine

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I did a 9 mile long sewer force main in clear lake about 10 years ago.Fun job, bunch of weirdos up there though.

[@robertstark9454]

We have it all, especially in Clearlake

[@johndeere700h9]

Brother you are one hell of a operator. Lots of guys would have had it ripped out. Great job man. Lots can’t even read the dirt.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thanks 👍

[@MrRandom750]

Good video, you probably heard it 100 times but up here in New England when I was a mechanic for a underground utility company. The amount of unknown old pipes and hazards where insane. The most interesting was being onsite for them finding the main power lines for the local power station. No one ecpt the power plant knew there location, talk about a oh crap moment. Sorry for the novel haha.

[@hugovivas1265]

Nice video man mr. Hector really nice person he try to get me with Preston pipes but many said we call you later but thanks to him I’m in the union you are a really good with the machine some people just digging without thinking to much they jus want to digging

[@rirebel6029]

Love the road plates with the pick point in the middle like that .I got so used to the ones with the holes torched in the top and having to set them like that!!!!! Both styles have their uses I guess

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Theas are Road plates with a a grip coating on them.

[@13eckerlosmuerte]

I'd ditch the teeth for a blade, make the cuts clean and possibility of damage less. Have your mechanics put old teeth on the bucket and weld a blade on and take on or off when needed. Love having g that option when close to gas and other shit. Great video

[@TheLeverMonkey]

We usually do too, but in anticipation of rock we opted not to add one this time.

[@13eckerlosmuerte]

@@TheLeverMonkey don't be scared of the rock🤣 when you walk on the jobsite I yell at the ground "let there be no rock" and we typically have good days. Try it out, impress the coworkers

[@TheLeverMonkey]

😂

[@13eckerlosmuerte]

@@TheLeverMonkey here in Arizona we do all sorts of wack things and rituals, rain dance for Friday so we can get a 3day weekend, oil toss in case we dig deep enough to strike it rich, tooth blessings to ensure we don't hit rock, water truck wet down to bless the workers to keep them cool in the 115° heat and much more shenanigans to keep the spirit of construction alive. Shit we even had the Porta shitter guy drop us off an extra box of tp for the food truck so everyone had a roll. Anything to "PADDLE UP SHITS CREEK"

[@3000gtalex]

Call it a butter bar where I’m from, I always liked the name

[@suzylarry1]

that pipe ! ....Big BANG .... not good , thank goodness' you found it softly ! Locater dude said it was marked with double yellow lines in center of road .

[@TheLeverMonkey]

The yellow marks were for a gas line on the side of the road. The line we found was a abandoned sewer line. That is why it was not marked.

[@DJXLLC66]

Looks like you bumped over the pipe at 0742 and 0934. Good save! Props to you and your crew communicating.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Never touched it. I could feel the ditch line.

[@anthonythorp7291]

Back in the late 80's found a live 48 inch cast iron water main in Milwaukee wi. Took the city a whole day to tell us what it was as current maps didn't show it.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Happens all the time in older areas

[@joshandicoechea6770]

I do this same stuff every day and 90 percent of the time there is always unmarked line in the road like that if I’m only going six feet down I use our cat 308 I leave it throttle way down and a lot of time I can feel it in the sticks. I have only ever hit two lines one was 20 pair fiber because it was unmarked and there was so much mud and rocks and the second thing I hit was a 4 inch gas main plastic the mark was 3 feet off locate and normally I know on their locates you got 2 to 2 1/2 feet on each side just to be safe but this was years ago stuck the excavator toooth right through it through the center they evacuated the whole neighborhood it was on for about an hour and a half shooting out of there sent the head shed down from dominion energy and he apologized the whole time so it wasn’t on us thank God but you’re right you can normally tell by the different color and dirt the way the dirt looks in the ditch and the consistency hundred percent of the time when you have a change there is something down there it’s better to take your time watch what you’re doing use pokers and shovels Great video stay safe!

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

My city has a tendency to load dump trucks on one side of an excavation, and dump them on the other side. I do live further north, so the pipes are deeper which also makes the excavation trenches quite a bit larger. They are deep enough that you have to slope the walls of the trench or risk collapse. A typical excavation for a water main is going to be at least 3 meters large (a little larger then your average driveway). As a result, the material under streets ends up far more homogenous.

[@jfbeam]

Fiber (etc.) that was torpedo'd into place will have absolutely no markings. If they didn't detect and mark the tracer, the only way to find is in the bucket. :-) When there were installing things around our buried power lines, they bring in the water jet / vacuum unit. Very slow messy job, but much less so than touching a 7200v power line.

[@ozman0130]

Same here... been an operator since 98

[@305bears8]

These is the meaning of Digging! Not the other videos of guys digging in open space with no utilities. Anybody can do that and look good!

[@ozman0130]

Bravo!!!

[@emperorfancypants2512]

Although I would recommend using a bucket without teeth, with those teeth it can be dangerous to damage something and seeing it too late

[@wjamesm1001]

This has to be the most stressful and tedious type of excavator work there is .

[@bigdave6331]

no doubt, or high reach demolition

[@TheLeverMonkey]

You get use to it after 26 years.

[@7.3powerstroke6]

Try pouring concrete.

[@bigdave6331]

@@7.3powerstroke6 you don’t pour concrete with an excavator so

[@7.3powerstroke6]

@@bigdave6331 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGfSmXiAi6emaLs

[@AndyB718]

Wow a laborer finally using a shovel to uncover a utility

[@TheLeverMonkey]

😂

[@andresherrera398]

If you have a good operator, you really don't have to use a shovel. Then again if you're an operator you yourself and expect a laborer to do all the work you're a lame-ass operator.

[@iamtimko8103]

@@andresherrera398 actually when a shovel drives it’s blade into a pipe you’re gonna go oh hey I found it but when I tooth finds it it’s done, why take the risk don’t be lazy

[@andresherrera398]

Its not being lazy we are just that good!! Remember that....

[@jchambers2586]

You remind me of my dad with your knowledge rip dad i love you

[@excavator22]

I hate digging around stuff with teeth like that! The steel across teeth like that is ok but I LOVE and prefer the wide teeth! Nice job and video!

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I feel that same way.

[@billfinnz4110]

I tested into my local IUOE 8 months ago and they called me 2 weeks ago to work. Quit my job Friday before last and spent all last week at the school getting certified and trained on equipment I've never used or need work on. Said I should be working this following week. I am so excited to work for outfits that understand the necessity of investing in equipment/attachments for efficiency and safety, as well as working with laborers that understand the importance of their role. I am praying to make this my career and do this for the next 30 years or so.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Prepare your self to run into the opposite of what you stated. Even the big company's have some crap equipment. I wish you the best of luck with your career. If you ever have any questions you can hit me up here or on my Instagram.

[@billfinnz4110]

@@TheLeverMonkey no shit! I am used to making the most of what Ive got, but I figured union companies would generally set themselves up for success lol. And I really appreciate that.

[@thomasyerbey337]

First time viewing I enjoyed 🇺🇲

[@ThisisMindoMint]

just subbed LOVE LOVE LOVE THE CHANNEL THANK YOU

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thanks

[@timothygrell4398]

Your good hand. Paying attention to trench excavation side walls for trench lines and the inconsistencies of material is what a good hand can do for the team. Not taking chances and going to fast. What a day or two in the sit? Maybe three. Lol good job

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thanks. took 2 days to cross the road.

[@seana3ddig338]

It’s kind of funny how if you been doing it a long time you just get a feeling something comes over you and almost every time you’re right there’s a pipe even when the materials don’t tell the story and there’s no trench line sometimes we just know it never ceases to amaze me I’ve had laborers tell me I’m crazy and Sure enough there’s a pipe right there maybe 8-10 inches deep

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I learned a long time ago to trust my gut even if I am wrong it's ok better to lose a little time than a day or two repairing a hit.

[@WetCoaster]

Transite is a nice way to say asbestos cement. As everything in California is so restrictive ( think emissions) I would expect you to shut down the site and tent all work areas and decontaminate all staff. Great video

[@TheLeverMonkey]

We have a set of safety protocols for dealing with asbestos. Not as extream as you think it is.

[@firesurfer]

In general, as long as it is embedded and not crushed it can be handled. A particle mask is all that is needed. Loose asbestos is something else.

[@dominicsummonte1838]

Love this mans tips

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I appreciate that!

[@jamesweir2943]

what patience you have. good crew as well. The audio on this video is excellent-do you have an external microphone?

[@TheLeverMonkey]

It is just the GoPro 8.

[@concerned_2023]

Nice to see a lot of thought goes into the traffic.

[@ryandelaney9571]

I've been running excavator for 36 years done a ton of water and sewer pipelines it's nerve wracking digging around live lines,back in 89 when I first started running hoe I was in Ottawa Canada digging and I hit a 5'' gas line, the company had a clearance number to dig but nobody from the gas company came out to mark the line. Now I'm back with a company that I worked for years ago and I'm feeding crusher with an old 450 Deere like I see you running, no stress

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thanks for sharing

[@donnierobertson3088]

Nice job and video like always

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thanks again!

[@jimmyroberson6350]

That's right ! 👍

[@brianwalker1386]

You can see the change in the color of the dirt. That's where your utility is😊

[@duniaalber3178]

good job, greetings from Indonesia country Chanel

[@SwampDiverOutdoors]

not exactly the best bucket to use digging around utilities. but i know you cant have two of every bucket laying around too. Skill is EVERTHING!!!! i work for city wastwater dept. myself and we work closely with the water dept. Our Dept. is fortunate enough to have a hydro excavator so when there is a chance of unmarked utilities they call me into daylight it or get them around it.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Nice. We have them as well but it is faster if we just do it ourselves.

[@rogueexcavating3839]

what kind of camera mount are you using

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Standard GoPro suction mount.

[@williammatthews2948]

This has got to be some tedious and nerve wracking work.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

You get use to it.

[@walters49]

Sometimes is is best to revert to pick and shovel.

[@jonnybensonder991]

Where do you guys get your steel plates from?

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Not sure

[@simongleed]

Your brave using teeth on the bucket digging around utilities but your experience and knowledge shines through in this video - what a pro :)

[@benjaminkline4855]

Not the way they work around here. Excavator pulls up wire says it wasn't marked, keeps digging

[@skipd9164]

I have shut down contractor crews that only dig careful when the come to a markout. They say if not marked then it's not there fault. Very common on bid contract with set price.

[@braden3087]

Happens to me all the time. The guy that knew where all the lines were quit in are town and burned his maps.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

That sucks

[@FishFind3000]

Must have hated the town to do that. Must have been a dispute.

[@Eagle7834]

Awsome video. But you would love to have paddle teeth on your dig buckets. You’d never go back to those regular teeth.

[@mattstarr8203]

non union no located done ?

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Was a abandoned line not on any plans.

[@Redman90]

Where y'all at? Good work

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Answer in my Q&A video

[@Redman90]

@@TheLeverMonkey yup Central valley looked like a job up in angles camp I was on with a different crew

[@Nono_713]

We’re the line locators? Or the labor should have a probing rod and mark it

[@TheLeverMonkey]

It was a abandoned line. and not on any currant plans.

[@Nono_713]

Don’t matter gotta treat everyone line like a active line buddy

[@ge23ll]

This is right down the street from my aunts house

[@carlmead5520]

Craig Colorado is famous for this.😵

[@TheLeverMonkey]

After I retire from here I will be moving to CO. I have property in the grand valley.

[@Mthwsshootr]

Love this , foreman here in Michigan do this everyday ,, are you guys union ??

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Yes

[@tonyrobins2644]

Were the lollipop man 🤔

[@gjones5153]

I use probing bar to find buried pipes

[@stevenhorne5089]

Would you rather dig this at night or stay with daytime? BTW, Subbed.

[@sceneanuerebelrebel9244]

Teach 'em right so they can go home and keep safe.

[@Billybobjr707]

I was there working on I-5 when they closed it down sorry for the inconvenience lol

[@TheLeverMonkey]

So it is all your fault. Now I know who to blame. 😂

[@kevinmartin9432]

I used to hate/enjoy being banksman!

[@gutsngorrrr]

So when you find something like this, that was unexpected, what happens next. That pipe looks like something large to deal with.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I will add this to my next Q&A video.

[@martingonzalez2794]

Inspector waiting for him to mess up

[@TheLeverMonkey]

He was the water guy not the city inspector.

[@martingonzalez2794]

10 4 just seen a guy in a dress shirt clean hard hat lol

[@nicholasgee1]

Proud as hell to be a lever monkey! Non union tho but still PW

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Union, nonunion, does not matter you do what is best for you.

[@timothygrell4398]

If your a good operator it is time to join. Local 3 and 12 are in need of more operators that can dig and operate.

[@FishFind3000]

@@timothygrell4398 sounds like your loosing people since the union isnt the best fit for everyone

[@timothygrell4398]

@@FishFind3000 not even close we have been gaining in membership for a long time now. Problem is a lot of the guys who join are not use to the quality side. Which means specs that have to be able meet. Housing tracks and oil field and ag dont have the same construction methods and are night and day different the freeways and government buildings(etc). It may not be for you and I dont know your background but I hope you have a true understanding of the difference between union and non union. Good luck on your career path.

[@FishFind3000]

@@timothygrell4398 then that's just a training issue

[@bsideadventures2180]

Lucky its boar pipe. I would be cautious just from the station across the street

[@TheLeverMonkey]

The pipe we are going to be installing is for that station.

[@faqu4828]

How many years does Hector have now?

[@TheLeverMonkey]

One more than me 27

[@dski9030]

We use a plate over the teeth. Thanks for the videos.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

We usually do too, but in anticipation of rock we opted not to add one this time.

[@oscardelatorre7740]

Great Video! Are their any punishments on your side as an operator if you were to hit a utility, marked or unmarked. I always wondered what companies do to their operators when situations like these happen. Im a backhoe operator & we get suspended(no-pay) if we hit a line thats marked or unmarked, and they still rush us to dig faster even though its on our ass if something happens. #NonUnionSucks

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I will add this question to the next Q&A video.

[@oscardelatorre7740]

@@TheLeverMonkey thanks!!

[@MFCSTUDIOS]

That should be illegal to suspend or punishment a operator for hitting a unmarked line. That's way we /you call miss dig as you can know what's under where your digging there Supposed to tell you... now hitting a marked line I can see getting in trouble for

[@anthonythorp7291]

Companies I worked for didn't unless it happens alot or it's a obvious disregard of care. Operating Engineers local 139 for 15 yrs. And the union sucks too. They wave a $10 bill around as they stick it in your front pocket and while distracted they take a 20 from your rear pocket.

[@jchambers2586]

You said transite what is that

[@TheLeverMonkey]

asbestoses pipe.

[@jchambers2586]

@@TheLeverMonkey what did they use that for that is some old shit. That stuff is bad causes cancer and a host of other problems

[@TheLeverMonkey]

It does. I have some footadge that I will be working into a video. You will see the precautions we take to remove it.

[@davesanford4798]

Ahh nothing new after lunch. Especially a road crossing.

[@dannyseropian1837]

next time i hear lover monkey i will never watch another video

[@TheLeverMonkey]

It is lever monkey.

[@BAC54746]

It would be better if you weld a blade on the teeth of the bucket Ce serait mieux que tu soude d'une lame sur les dents du godet

[@waynep343]

so i am wondering.. why are you digging without one of the crew with a metal detectors checking every level.. metal detectors are 50 at horrible fright.. 80 to 200 thru home despot.. who knows at various sporting goods stores that might be near you .. cheaper than scraping a pipe or a cable with a tooth. a few years ago the excavator operator was working across the street on a foundation dig for the new multistory apartment building. he was getting over toward the alley.. i wandered over and noticed how close he was digging to the alley. it threw up my arms in an X. then waved him over. when i showed him the marking on the alley pavement for the 4,800V buried wires to the denny's across the street the blood drained from his face... the GC who hired him said it was all clear. no issues .. so he never walked it. a few minutes later the GC showed up and he walked to the far corner of the lot. there was a lot of arm waving and screaming.. i just drove away thinking i probably saved his life..

[@TheLeverMonkey]

We have never used metal detector like that.

[@trey6638]

I've never heard of anyone probing a trench with a metal detector, and in this case it wouldn't have helped anyways since it was transite/AC pipe (a mix of concrete and asbestos)

[@skliros9235]

Operating equipment is fun and all. But do you ever get tired of sitting all day? Ever just want to get out there and grab a Shovel? Lol

[@pedalsociety7727]

He been doing it for 26 years i don’t think he started off in that seat I’m sure he had a shovel in his hand many years

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I have worked on every position on a pipe crew even as foreman. Prefer to dig than push paper in a truck and have my phone ring every 30 seconds.

[@jfromeroaz]

This is what happens when you just call digalert instead of hiring a private company that does a 10x better job of locating all lines!

[@muddinbronc]

So wrong

[@firesurfer]

No utility can find things that were never recorded.

[@georgelasala6588]

what was that gas pip

[@TheLeverMonkey]

abandoned sewer pipe.

[@billyking1827]

Get you two copper wires and two drinking straw wishing what is called wishing and it will tell where there a man line or a under ground streem

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Doesn't work for everyone.

[@jd3497]

That's called witching or dowsing.

[@anthonythorp7291]

Seen many people do it, never worked for me.

[@johncanales3831]

OSHA would shut this down instantly

[@TheLeverMonkey]

No not really

[@ctxiv9806]

Nothing wrong here! Leave the man alone Karen!

[@ozman0130]

Wow!!!!! Video was 20 minutes way to long.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thanks for the view

[@MrJenten10]

Why dont you dig half the trench locate the utilities and let the traffic run on the other half so you dont have to keep stopping and keep putting the road plate back?? This company must be out of buisness with all the wasted time, and there is wayyyy to much talk going on,,, where is this anyway ???? The gas is right where my teeth are !!!! Holy Christ son

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Well, being that we had to sit on one side of the road to dig the other side. There was no other option in this situation.

[@ctxiv9806]

I bet you can’t even run a shovel 🤣🤣

[@MrJenten10]

@@ctxiv9806 First of all it is refered to as a hoe not a "shovel" by the pipeliners clearly you do not fall into that category, so you tipped your hand right there, 26 years in the IUOE, run everything large excavators, dozers graders etc, self emplyoed prior to that, currently in the Bronx NYC building 4,000 lf 36" natural gas transmission main, through the city streets you ever excavate around a LIVE 48 inch or sixty inch water main probably never saw either, power, telephone natural gas all in the same location ? With city buses firetrucks, NYPD, delivery guys on bycicles, pedestrians etc you wouldnt make it here past lunch time sonny

[@MrJenten10]

@@ctxiv9806 would gladly send pics of NYC excavation

[@bohhica1]

First time I sat down with my 6-7 year old grandkids very nice except for a couple of cuss words, so don’t like, see ya!

[@Azlehria]

Not going to find much real-world trade work that doesn't include some foul words. Blue dollar = blue language. True worldwide.