I need some suggestions

[yankeesong]

Hello, I'm brand new to this website. I do not metal detect but I remember as a young child many, many, and even many more hours spent with my 4 other siblings at parks and churches with my Dad panning back and forth for treasure. That was back in the days of pull top tabs! But he managed to always walk away with something of value. We kids would play and play while he hunted. What a great experience.
My purpose of being here is I'd think unique. We live on a lake and have a huge back yard and an even bigger drainage problem. My yard is muck for about a month after it rains. The thing we are doing is digging trenches and putting pea gravel down then a hose with holes in it then a top layer of gravel then dirt to cover it all up. It's really a huge french drain running into the lake with "fingers" dug all through the yard leading into the three main pipes. This should work great but my problem is that sometime in the future we may plan on installing a sprinkler system. The yard is dry part of the summer and we have to water the grass often. Does anyone have any ideas on how to mark the location of these pipes so that they can be found and marked before a sprinkler installation? I threw out rebar to my husband but he thought of metal tape. He just informed me that he couldn't find a metal tape but he bought a foil tape. I'm not sure if 5 years from now a foil tape buried about 4 inches deep would show up. We just need some suggestions. If not foil tape or rebar what else would be inexpensive and sure to show up on a metal detector? Any help would be apreciated. Thanks, Susan

 

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[Eu_citzen]

Maybe copper will help
it has high resistance so it won't leave oxides the first day..Bronze could also work..(if lucky it holds/remains about 600 years
is what I've heard..)

welcome!

 

[kenb]

I was thinking cable or heavy gauge wire running the length of the pipes.

kenb

 

[Sandman]

Kenb has a good suggestion in the wire runing the length of the pipes. Place the wire on top so it will be able to be picked up by a detector.

 

[Arakronn]

Kenb has a good suggestion in the wire runing the length of the pipes. Place the wire on top so it will be able to be picked up by a detector.

That's exactly what they do when they install gas lines (non-metallic). The wire is called a "tracer" and it's only purpose is to make the line detectable.

 

[spez401]

I'll agree with the wire idea. but you also don't need to run wire the entire length of the drainage ditches. If you get a roll of automotive wire or house electrical wire, and clip a 2 or 3 foot lenght, you can place them lenghtwise in the ditches every 10 feet or so (if the runs are straight). If you bury the wire 6-8 inches deep you shouldn't have a problem with the detector picking it up.

The only thing i would definitely suggest for a project like this would be to draw a sketch of where the lines would be. If you have a copy of your plat map, make a copy and sketch them right there so you have a rough idea of where everything is. Then you can start your search with the detector later. I did this at my parents house when i they put in their sprinkler system