Underground Break Locating: Find Electrical Problems Without Digging Up Your Yard

Professional underground locating equipment saves you thousands in unnecessary digging

Your outdoor lights stopped working. Or your garage has no power. Or your well pump quit. You know the problem is buried underground. Most electricians want to dig up your whole yard looking for the break. That costs thousands of dollars. It destroys your landscaping. And it takes days.

Blackout Electric owns professional underground locating equipment. We can find the exact spot where your buried wire is broken. No guessing. No digging up your whole yard. We pinpoint the problem in minutes, not days. Then we dig only where we need to. This saves you serious money and protects your property.

Why Underground Locating Matters

Here's what happens without locating equipment. An electrician guesses where the wire runs. They start digging. They dig a trench. No wire. They dig more. Still nothing. They keep digging until they find it. You pay for all that digging time. Your yard looks like a construction zone.

A buried wire repair without locating equipment can cost $3,000 to $8,000 or more. Most of that cost is digging and guessing. Your landscaping gets destroyed. Trees and shrubs get damaged. It takes weeks to fix everything.

With professional locating equipment, we find the exact problem spot in 15 to 30 minutes. We dig one small hole. We fix the break. We're done. Total cost? Usually $500 to $1,500 depending on the repair. Your yard stays mostly intact. We finish in hours, not days.

This equipment pays for itself on the first job. But most electricians don't own it. Why? The equipment costs thousands of dollars. They don't do enough underground work to justify buying it. So they keep digging blindly and charging you for it.

What We Can Locate Underground

• Buried Electrical Lines — Power lines to detached garages, shops, barns, and outbuildings
• Well Pump Circuits — Wiring to water wells and pressure tanks
• Outdoor Lighting Wires — Landscape lighting, security lights, and path lights
• Irrigation Control Wires — Sprinkler system control lines (we coordinate with irrigation pros)
• Underground Service Feeds — Main electrical service lines buried from meter to house
• Gate and Driveway Circuits — Wiring for electric gates and driveway sensors
• Pool and Hot Tub Lines — Buried circuits to pools, hot tubs, and spas
• RV Pedestal Wiring — Underground feeds to RV hookup locations

Common Underground Wire Problems

Rodent Damage

Gophers and ground squirrels chew through buried wires. This is very common in eastern Colorado. The wire looks fine from the outside. But inside, it's destroyed. Our locating equipment finds these breaks fast.

Dig-Throughs

Someone was digging and hit your wire. Maybe you were planting a tree. Or installing a fence post. Or putting in sprinklers. The shovel cut the wire. Now nothing works. We locate the cut and repair it.

Water Damage

Water gets into buried connections. The wire corrodes. The connection fails. This happens slowly over time. Then one day, it stops working. We find the bad connection and fix it properly.

Freezing and Thawing

Colorado ground freezes and thaws every year. This movement can break wires. Especially wires that weren't buried deep enough. We locate the break and repair it at proper depth.

Old Wire Failure

Buried wire doesn't last forever. Twenty or thirty years later, the insulation breaks down. The wire shorts out. We find the problem section and replace it.

How Underground Locating Works

Step 1: Hook Up the Transmitter

We connect our locating equipment to your electrical circuit. This sends a signal through the wire. Even if the wire is broken, we can usually trace it to the break point.

Step 2: Walk the Wire Path

We use a receiver to follow the signal. We mark the wire path with flags. This shows exactly where the wire runs underground. No guessing.

Step 3: Find the Break

When we reach the break, the signal stops or changes. We mark that spot. Now we know exactly where to dig. One small area, not your whole yard.

Step 4: Confirm and Dig

We double-check the location. Then we dig carefully in that spot. We expose the damaged wire. We see what caused the problem.

Step 5: Repair and Test

We repair or replace the damaged section. We use proper underground-rated wire and weatherproof connections. We test everything to make sure it works. Then we fill in the hole.

Why Most Electricians Don't Offer This

Equipment Cost

Professional underground locating equipment costs $3,000 to $5,000 or more. Most electricians don't buy it. They don't do enough underground work to pay for the equipment.

Training Required

Using locating equipment takes practice. You need to understand how the signals work. You need to know what you're looking for. Many electricians never learn this skill.

Easier to Just Dig

Some electricians find it easier to just dig and look. They charge you for all that digging time. It's more money for them. But it costs you more and damages your property.

We Made the Investment

We bought the equipment because we work in eastern Colorado. Rural properties have long underground runs. Wells, shops, barns, and outbuildings need power. We see underground problems all the time. The equipment saves our customers thousands of dollars.

Real Cost Comparison

Without Locating Equipment

Your shop lost power. The electrician thinks the wire is broken underground. Without locating equipment, here's what happens:

• Guess where the wire runs: 1 hour
• Dig exploratory trench: 4-6 hours
• Expand search area: 4-6 more hours
• Finally find the break: Eventually
• Repair the wire: 2 hours
• Fill trenches and cleanup: 2-3 hours
• Total time: 2-3 days
• Typical cost: $3,000-$8,000
• Your yard: Torn up, needs landscaping repair

With Underground Locating Equipment

Same problem, but we have the right equipment:

• Locate the wire path: 15-30 minutes
• Find the exact break point: 15-30 minutes
• Dig one targeted hole: 30-60 minutes
• Repair the wire: 1-2 hours
• Fill hole and cleanup: 30 minutes
• Total time: 3-5 hours
• Typical cost: $500-$1,500
• Your yard: One small repair spot

You save $2,000-$6,000 or more. Your yard stays intact. The job is done the same day.

Perfect for Eastern Colorado Properties

Eastern Colorado properties often have long underground wire runs. Your shop is 200 feet from the house. Your well is 150 feet away. Your barn has power. These long runs are expensive to replace. Locating equipment is essential.

Rural Property Challenges

Rural properties face unique electrical challenges. Wildlife damage is common. Longer wire runs mean more places for problems. The soil freezes deeper. Finding problems without locating equipment is nearly impossible.

We Understand Eastern Colorado

We're based in Peyton. We work in Calhan, Ramah, Simla, and Matheson regularly. We understand rural electrical needs. We invested in locating equipment specifically for properties like yours.

Fast Response

When your well pump stops working, you need water. When your shop loses power, you need to get back to work. We respond quickly. We find the problem fast. We fix it right.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is the locating equipment?

Very accurate. We can pinpoint wire location within a few inches. This means we dig exactly where the problem is. No guessing. No wasted time.

Can you locate any buried wire?

We can locate most electrical wires. Some very small low-voltage wires are harder to find. But standard electrical circuits are no problem. We'll tell you upfront if we can locate it.

What if the wire is too damaged to locate?

Sometimes a wire is completely severed. Our equipment can still trace to the break point. We find where the signal stops. That's where we dig.

How much does locating service cost?

Locating is usually included in the repair cost. We don't charge separately just to find the problem. If we find it and you decide not to repair it, we charge a service call fee. But most people want it fixed once we find it.

Can you locate wires before I dig?

Yes. Planning to dig for a project? We can locate your buried wires first. This prevents you from hitting them. Much cheaper than repairing a wire you accidentally cut.

How deep do you check?

Our equipment works down to about 10 feet deep. Most residential buried wires are 18-24 inches deep. So we can locate anything you're likely to have.

Do you fix the problem after finding it?

Yes. We're electricians first. We have the locating equipment to find problems efficiently. Then we repair them properly. One company, one visit, problem solved.

Will you work with my irrigation company?

Absolutely. Irrigation control wires sometimes break. We locate them and coordinate with your irrigation pro. We work together to solve the problem.

When You Need Underground Locating

Power Outage to Outbuilding

Your garage, shop, or barn lost power. Everything else works fine. The problem is underground between buildings. We locate and fix it fast.

Well Pump Not Working

No water pressure. The well pump isn't running. Could be the pump. Could be the buried wire to the well. We locate the wire to rule out electrical problems.

Outdoor Lights Failed

Your landscape lights or security lights stopped working. The problem is somewhere underground. We find the break and repair it.

Before Starting a Project

You're planning to dig for a fence, trees, or landscaping. You want to know where the buried wires are. We locate them so you don't hit them.

Buying Property

You're buying land or a home. You want to know what's buried. We can locate existing underground electrical for you.

Service Areas

Blackout Electric provides underground wire locating throughout eastern El Paso and Elbert Counties. We're one of the few electrical contractors with professional locating equipment.

• Peyton

• Falcon

• Colorado Springs

• Calhan

• Ramah

• Simla

• Matheson

• Yoder

• Ellicott

• Black Forest

• Security

Need underground wire located? Call 719-401-8500 or text us for a free estimate!

What Makes This Service Unique

Rare Capability

Most electrical contractors in Colorado Springs don't own locating equipment. They either can't help you or they dig blindly. We're one of the few who can actually find your buried wires.

Huge Cost Savings

Locating equipment typically saves $2,000-$5,000 per job. The bigger the property, the more you save. Rural properties with long wire runs benefit most.

Protect Your Property

Digging up your whole yard destroys landscaping. Trees get damaged. Sprinklers get broken. Concrete can crack. Locating equipment prevents all that damage.

Same-Day Solutions

Without locating, repairs take days. With locating, most repairs finish the same day. You get your power back fast. Your life gets back to normal.

Professional Results

We don't just find the wire. We diagnose why it failed. We repair it correctly. We use proper materials. We bury it at proper depth. The repair lasts.

Ready to Find Your Underground Problem?

Don't let someone dig up your whole yard looking for a buried wire. Blackout Electric owns professional underground locating equipment. We find the exact problem spot fast. This saves you thousands of dollars and protects your property.

Kevin Braun is a Master Electrician with 25+ years of experience. We invested in locating equipment specifically to serve eastern Colorado properties. We're one of the few electrical contractors with this capability. Your buried wire problems get solved efficiently and affordably.

Call 719-401-8500 or text us now for your free estimate. We serve Peyton, Colorado Springs, Calhan, Ramah, Simla, Matheson, and all of eastern El Paso and Elbert Counties. If you have a buried wire problem, we have the equipment to find it and the expertise to fix it right.