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How to Use a 1160 Dialgrade Pipe Laser

Underground pipes are laid for a variety of reasons, from transporting water to carrying natural gas. Pipes cannot be loosely positioned in the ground in the hope that a liquid will move steadily through them. In fact, pipes must be placed at specific angles (or grade percentages) for the most efficient liquid transport. Construction crews use pipe lasers -- such as the 1160 Dialgrade -- for aligning underground pipes with precise angles to create smooth-flowing passageways for liquids.

Things You'll Need

Power cord
Pipe target
Car battery

Instructions

- 1
  Set the 1160 Dialgrade within the pipe at an open end. Observe the level bubble on the laser's top housing. Adjust the level screw on the laser's lower housing until the 1160's level bubble moves into the middle.
- 2
  Screw the power cord into the Dialgrade's power port. Attach the two alligator clips on the power cord to a car battery. Match the positive red lead to the battery's positive contact and connect the negative black lead to the battery's negative contact. The device will immediately power up.
- 3
  Observe the Dialgrade's grade-percentage display on the top housing. Make sure that it reads all zeroes during the initial set up. Allow the Dialgrade to level out to zero grade; the laser will blink while it is leveling. A solid laser-beam dot will occur after the laser has self-leveled.
- 4
  Press the grade-up or grade-down buttons on the Dialgrade's front panel if a grade percentage is necessary for the job. Consult the job site's main contractor for any specific instructions.
- 5
  Place a pipe target at the opposite end of the pipe. Adjust the level screws on the pipe target's base so that the target's center matches with the middle point of the pipe.
- 6
  Observe the pipe target. The Dialgrade's laser beam should reflect off of the target. Adjust the pipe within the soil so that the Dialgrade's laser beam reflects off of the pipe target's center point for a properly-placed passageway.

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