Methods and devices for finding hidden wiring

The most commonplace reason to find out where the wiring goes under the plaster or in the body of a concrete wall is to drill holes for various needs. For example, to hang shelves. Therefore, this very ignorance can lead to the fact that the perforator drill will make a hole in the wire. And some part of the house will remain without electricity. One of the options for determining the electrical loop diagram is to purchase a device to search for hidden wiring.

Varieties

Currently, the market offers a considerable range of devices for finding hidden wiring. There are both household appliances and professional ones. To household can be attributed brand Meet MS-158M.

This hidden wire finder is an elongated type fixture with a retractable probe. The body is plastic. Operates on two AA batteries. Dimensions: 170x32x30 mm. If you understand it, then in addition to searching for wiring in the wall, you can use it for other needs. Eg:

• check the electrical circuit for integrity by measuring resistance up to 50 MΩ;
• determine the alternating voltage in the range of 70-600 volts (non-contact);
• find metal objects at a depth of 5.5 cm;
• determine polarity in DC voltage circuits.

But the main function of the wiring detector is to search for hidden wiring. It is very important to check the device for serviceability before starting work. To do this, turn the probe, set the mode to the second position, press the contact electrode with one finger, and the contact plate with the other. If at the same time an intermittent type of sound signal appears, and the yellow lamp lights up, then the proximity indicator of hidden wiring is working.

Attention! Tester calibration shows that the second mode is the most sensitive. The first is less. And the deeper the wiring is located, the more sensitive the mode must be selected.

How to find the wiring in the wall with the Meet MS-158M indicator? The process is quite simple. In the intended place, you need to walk with the probe of the wire detector. If his reaction is zero, that is, the light does not light up and the signal does not sound, then you can safely drill in this place. The wiring detection accuracy is 4-6 cm, a decent result for a household level. This device will not work to search for hidden electrical wiring if the wall is wet or there is a metal mesh under the plaster laid as a reinforcing frame.

Signaling Woodpecker

How to search for hidden wiring Woodpecker. It all starts with choosing a mode. There are four of them, on which the depth of metal detection depends. Each mode is indicated by a button. Click on the selected one and hold it in that position. Drive the device along the wall. When determining the hidden wiring in the apartment, it emits a signal: sound and light.

As for the metal reinforcement, which is present in all concrete structures, it is she who often interferes and it can be difficult to determine exactly how to find the electrical wiring in the wall. So that it is not a hindrance, it is necessary to connect a high-power household appliance to the wiring. Thus, a current of increased strength will begin to move inside the cable in the wall. The scanner sensor will respond to it. The fittings will create interference, but the accuracy of determining the wiring in the wall (its location) will be high. By using this type of hidden wire detector, high accuracy of wire location can be guaranteed.

Other detection methods

In addition to devices for detecting hidden electrical wiring, there are other options for how to find it. One of them is the installation standards:

• all lines are drawn only vertically and horizontally;
• from sockets and switches, wires are laid vertically;
• from the floor or ceiling, the route is carried out at a distance of 15 cm.

But, as practice shows, these existing norms are not implemented everywhere. Often there are schemes where the principle was used, the shorter the better. So the wires were laid at an angle and across.

About 30-40 years ago, electricians, in search of an answer to the question of how to determine the wiring in the wall, tried to use a portable radio. It was brought in the included form to the place of the alleged location of the electrical wiring. And if he began to make noise, then the assumptions were confirmed. That is, in this way, the wiring found was in that place.

In exactly the same order, you can use a microphone connected to the same radio or other receiving device. The microphone was moved along the wall. As soon as noise or crackling appeared, it means that there is a live cable under the plaster. These two options have one minus - a high error (up to 15 cm).

Detection of hidden wiring can be carried out with a conventional compass. To search for wiring, you need to load the site, for example, plug in an electric kettle. Then follow the compass along the wall. Where his arrow begins to deviate, this is where the wires lie. By the way, the compass is one of the most accurate indicators for hidden wiring.

Another option to find out where the wire is located in the wall is to use a hearing aid for the hearing impaired in "phone" mode. With it, you can detect a frequency of 50 hertz. Of course, listening is carried out under load.

Home craftsmen offer a huge selection of various home-made devices with which you can search for a break in hidden electrical wiring.

Choose an option

Which is better (good) of all the proposed options: the use of hidden wiring detectors or other methods? Of course, the best solution for finding a broken wire in a wall is to use hidden wire detectors.

All other options can give a large error, and in some cases an error. Because the accuracy of the diagnosis will depend on:

• wire laying depth;
• their isolation;
• the presence or absence of other metal objects;
• wall moisture.

All this makes it difficult to search for a break in the electrical section. By the way, it is hidden small metal objects that create the biggest interference.

You can not use all these methods if the repair of the premises begins, and if the walls are covered with wallpaper. After removing the wallpaper, it can be noted that in some places, namely in the areas of electrical wiring, the putty has a lighter shade. And if you hold your hand to determine it, then to the touch it also differs from the rest of the areas. She is rougher.

And the answer to the last question, how to find a broken wire in the wall? This can be done with an indicator screwdriver. To do this, alternately insert its sting into one hole of the outlet, then into another. If on one of the contacts the light in the screwdriver lights up, then there is a break in the hidden wiring on the neutral wire, because the phase showed the presence of voltage in the network. If the bulb does not light up on both contacts, then most likely a break occurred on the phase wire. Although there is a possibility that on both wires at the same time. But this will have to be clarified after the restoration of the phase of the electrical circuit.

These are the methods and tools that make it possible to answer the question of how to find hidden wiring in the wall. Having decided once and remembering the layout, you can no longer worry that when carrying out work related to the introduction of walls into the material, it will be possible to damage the electrical wires. As you can see, by finding unique ways, you can solve problems with little money. In this case, even without hidden wiring detectors. And although there are many options for finding a wire in the wall. It is better to give preference to modern methods, rather than old-fashioned ones.

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