Dowsing for water?

[FL420]

Anybody have any experience with dowsing? DW and I are sitting here at the table having a cup of coffee watching a Parks & Rec employee using 2 L shaped dowsing rods while walking all around a frost free water hydrant sticking up 4 feet out of the ground. He apparently is trying to find the underground pipe supplying water to the hydrant.
We saw the rods sticking straight out and occasionally they would cross and he would stop. He did this for about 15 minutes before another employee showed up with a backhoe and began digging.
It's all too common in this campground for campers to ignore rules and frequent reminders to disconnect their water hoses from the hose bibbs anytime the temperatures are forecast to go to freezing or below. If the one they're digging up is frozen it will be the third one I know about this winter they have had to dig up and repair. They also spend many manhours heating the above ground pipe and bibb with propane torches.
The same thing happened last winter. Whenever they have to shutoff the water to repair an underground pipe they shutoff the water to all the campsites for hours at a time.
Living in San Diego County for 23 years I never gave a thought to disconnecting a garden hose from an outdoor hose bibb. The first winter we lived in Colorado I learned a hard and expensive lesson that I should have disconnected the water hose.
Frost Free is a trademarked name of a particular brand of hose bibb suitable for use in cold weather but the name is used for other brands like Kleenex is used for paper tissues.
Frost free hose bibs are designed with the shutoff valve at the lower end of the pipe buried at the top of a gravel pit below the frost line. If nothing is connected to the hose bibb water will drain out of the vertical pipe into the gravel pit when the handle is moved to the closed position. If a hose is left connected air cannot enter the pipe and a vacuum is created preventing the water from draining out of the pipe and it will freeze in the pipe and valve.
Heated water hoses are a solution but they are expensive and are no silver bullet as the hose, the hose bibb and the vertical pipe all need to be properly installed and every inch of the supply lines and valves must be well-insulated. Several of the frozen "frost free" hose bibbs were frozen by people who thought all they had to do was plug in the heated hose and they were done. We don't need to make the cost of camping more expensive and less convenient by our ignorance or carelessness.
Please don't be that person.
[emoji40]
Update: I just got a text from P&R that the water will be shutoff for at least the next 3 hours. It's a good thing we always operate with our water pump and fresh water tank. I need a shower.

[texasrs]

Years ago, I had a leak in my front yard between the meter and my house. The water came up near the connection of my walkway and the sidewalk. I friend walked that side of the yard with two lengths of copper wire. They crossed about 15 feet from where the water was surfacing. Sure enough, that is exactly where the leak was. I had to see it to believe it! Who would have thought . . . .

Ray

[Weeds636]

As a retired Public Works Director, we had an employee who could locate pipes and also located spots to drill wells. He just had the touch with those copper rods.

I could occasionally find a pipe, but I would not bet on it.

[FL420]

Here's what happens when campers leave their hose hooked up and the temperature drops below freezing. The valve was added so they could turn the water back on to the rest of the campground until they can finish repairing the connection and backfill it tomorrow.
[emoji40]

[Dr Obbins]

Starting up a new factory in MS, the sewer line backed up. I saw the plumbers dowsing to find the pipe. I had seen it done on the Discovery channel, but this was the first I saw someone actually doing it. So went outside and asked to give it a try. Sure enough the bent welding rods pointed down right over the pipes. I'm a believer.

[georgelesley]

Twice when having a new well drilled for a new house I have seen dousing used successfully. The first house we had the only water in the neighborhood that was not Sulphur water that had to be treated. The second time about 15 years ago I asked the well driller if I could try it with the the sticks he was using. Sure enough, when I walked around the sticks brought me back to the exact same spot the driller had already identified.

when the DW tried it however, it did not work for her. Finally something I can do that she can’t! She got very frustrated. Again, our well was the shallowest and sweetest water in the neighborhood.

There is no doubt in my mind it works, I felt and saw the sticks turning and pointing down in my and others hands, but why, I have no idea.

[TXiceman]

I had an Aunt that could douse for water and it worked. She use a fresh cut willow (Y shaped). She tried to show me how to do it, but I guess my hands and brain were to suspect of the process. She also had dreams that would foresee the future. She had told me later that see foresaw the death of my Father of cancer, a year before he was diagnosed.

There are people out there that have special senses.

Ken

[coupevilleDF]

Not only seen it done, but did it. The county crew was out along the road in front of our house trying to locate the water line. One guy was dousing with a V-shaped heavy copper wire. He had me hold it lightly, and sure enough, I could feel the tug when I was over the water line.

[TMyers17]

A "Y" fruit tree branch is what a well digger showed me. He held the "Y" ends and the middle stub pointed out in front as he walked. When he got close to the water vane, it would twist the branch in his hands pulling to the ground. I tried it and the branch moved but not to the degree it did for him.

[jbhobbs54]

Had to replace some drainage tile in the back year. The guy with the backhoe had me get some pieces of copper wire. I watched and he found the tile with no issues. My son and I looked at each other and said I thought that was BS. We both tried it and sure enough we both found the line. Made a believer out of me. So, of course I had to show and the grandkids and they loved it.

[Ledawg]

I had a farmer friend show me this using to coat hangers. I didn't believe him. I laughed and made fun of him. He showed where the field tile was and then used the two rods to show me where they were. They crossed right over the field tile. So I said let me try this. He gave me a 30 second lesson and off I went. Sure enough right over the same spot the rods crossed just like they did for him. I gave them no input what so ever. I also am a believer. I told him I like my crow well done. We had a big laugh after that.

[Old Scout]

Yup--we used them to find the "right" spot to drill the water well on our ranch property--it worked! More interesting--my father-in-law and brother-in-law were/are custodians of an old pioneer family cemetery here in south Texas. They routinely used divining rods to locate the boundaries of un/poorly-marked grave sites--talk about spooky!

[Fogbelly]

I.... can't..... stop.... laughing!!!

[Old-Biscuit]

Scientific studies state it is 'hog wash'...The Pseudoscience of Water Witching

Sorta like Ouija Board
Honestly I didn't move it....LOL


Well hog was/ Pseudoscience whatever
I was keeping an eye on a neighbors home while they were at Loma Linda Medical for cancer treatments on their daughter

I walked thru the house one afternoon and noticed a wet spot on drywall close to water heater.
By the time I got out to the roadway and located the main shutoff, the line let loose and partially flooded the laundry area.
I cut open the wet drywall and the stub up lines were intact...expected to find a split/bad solder job---nothing

Called out a plumber to have them locate/fix leak
About 1 hr later one plumber showed up. He poked around/had me turn main back on then off...he showed me where the stub outs come up and said water blew out from around them so leak was somewhere under the slab on main line

He called someone to bring out their sonar machine to help locate.
While waiting he got out couple brazing rods...bent them in to 'L' shapes and said "I've had some luck at this before"

Walked back/forth and 'located' direction/run of main line then had me turn on water --let run for 1 minute then shut it back off.
When I got back inside he had marked an 'X' on floor and said 'Think I find the leak' (roughly 4' away from water heater/wall section)

Sonar guy showed up...they did the scan....YEP right there were 'X' is

Cut out section of linoleum, busted out the slab and bingo.....right were the 'X' was the split in main line....rock had rubbed a weak spot in cooper line and it burst under the 80# supply pressure

Did the Dowsing work??
Did plumber have a suspicion where leak was from sound?
Did the sonar guy just agree and went along?

He did mark it in the exact spot
Hummmmmmmm