Do you feel lucky, punk?

[Tens]

Before our house and the neighbouring house were built, the owners of the land laid 2 water pipes from the water meters and led them up the hill. They are 32mm blue alkathene and identical. The other house was built first and they connected to pipe A. When we built our house, we chose to put the house at the bottom of the hill (nearer the sea) so the builders cut our water pipe (pipe B), put a 90 degree elbow on it and connected the house to it. So there remains a length of unused pipe that's open ended at the bottom of the hill (and we've found it) and it goes goodness knows where up the hill.

With me so far?

We have a croft with sheep, ducks and hens and a larger garden than we envisaged, so thought it would be good to join one of these schemes where foreign students come over for a week or a month and work a few hours a day but get free food/accommodation and get "cultural" stuff. We didn't want them living in the house, so have bought a decent caravan and plonked it a little distance away from the house. And the water pipes run next to it.

So we've dug down to these 2 identical pipes, one supplying our neighbour (A) and full of water; and (B) empty of water (it's on a slope, remember). It's just a question of joining the caravan up to the empty one and then T-ing the open end down at the bottom of the hill to our pipe.

The 2 pipes are identical and next to each other. A 1mm drill bit will prove which is which, but I don't want to have to repair pipe B if I choose wrong. Science come to my help and I tapped each one with a stick. One is most definitely higher pitched than the other. I make my decision which is empty and which is full, but Mrs T is convinced I am wrong.

I drill the hole. Which one did I choose as the empty one, the high pitched or the low? Did I get lucky, punk? What do you think, and why? And was there any better way of finding the empty one?

[Tim Digger]

A hazel rod!

[Tens]

A hazel rod!

One of our other neighbours had an extension built and a man with a divining stick wandered about for a bit. I'm not saying whether he found the pipes or not, but it was obvious where they were from Google Earth, so I expect he did.

[cazyoung]

Awaiting the answer with interest to store in my brain ready for the next time OH decides to play with the water pipes outside.

[steelemonkey]

Hold a thin pole against the pipe, grip it tightly and put the thumb of that hand in your ear. Get the water running and you should be able to hear it. This also works with screwdrivers against an engine to determine where the expensive sounding noise is coming from.

[barnaby_s]

If it is empty will it sound hollow if you tap it with a hammer?

[nigel hewitt]

Well the old water board trick in my yoof was a rod with a plate at the top that you put your ear against.
Then you could hear the flow in the pipe.
Apparently they used it to find leaks.

Naturally you listen to one and wave at somebody to turn a tap on.
Repeat on the other.

[Tens]

If it is empty will it sound hollow if you tap it with a hammer?

Weeelllll. A 32mm pipe has an extremely thick wall, and I have only exposed a metre or so of pipe. So when you tap it, it just sounds dull. But one was a definite low dull, and the other was a definite higher dull. . But which was which?

[Tens]

Well the old water board trick in my yoof was a rod with a plate at the top that you put your ear against.
Then you could hear the flow in the pipe.
Apparently they used it to find leaks.

Naturally you listen to one and wave at somebody to turn a tap on.
Repeat on the other.

Yes, seen this done. Don't know whether it works with just the odd tap turned on or if it needs a "gushing" leak that creates a load of sound/vibration in the pipe/water. Anyway, I didn't choose this method. I just relied on the sound of me tapping it.

[colinicky]

Personally I would put a pipe squeeze on one & see who loses there water supply !

[Tim Digger]

I am also interested in Plan B! What you were going to do in event of wrong choice?

[Spirit of Guernsey]

Light a fire under one and see if they get hot water.

[Tens]

I am also interested in Plan B! What you were going to do in event of wrong choice?

Jubilee clip and some old squishy rubbery siliconey stuff.

[Noggin the Nog]

What about one of those self drilling union/tap thingies that you clamp round a pipe then drill into it by rotating the tap assembly. If you can get water out of it you're on the right lines. If not you can bury it, no-one will know and you can get on with the correct one.

[Tens]

What about one of those self drilling union/tap thingies that you clamp round a pipe then drill into it by rotating the tap assembly. If you can get water out of it you're on the right lines. If not you can bury it, no-one will know and you can get on with the correct one.

That's good. Hadn't thought of that.