Bit of an embarassing first post! Drilled into...

[beetlesteve]

Hi,

Just after some advice. I was just trying to put up some shelves and was drilling in to the wall (about a metre above a socket) when all of a sudden the drill stopped and all sockets in the house switched off. I went to the main fusebox under the stairs and the sockets fuse had tripped along with another.

I have reset the fusebox and everything is working again, but have I done more damage?

Cheers,

Steve.

P.S. looks like a great forum! Maybe one good thing to come out of this!

 

[kkynaston]

Yes it looks like you have,
Switch off that circuit NOW and call in an electrician.
You may have damaged the insulation on a cable in the wall which could be a possible fire risk.
An electrician will check the integrity and more than likely replace it or crimp it.

For future reference you should not drill in a 'safe zone'
Someone here will tell you exactly where the safe zones are but in laymans terms they are directly horozontally or vertical from any electrical fitting

 

[regsmyth]

You have almost certainly done some damage to cables that needs repairing.
There is however a slight chance you might not have, and that perhaps a dodgy drill plug, or a completely spontaneous cosmic event caused the problem.
Only way to be sure is to hack away at the plaster till you can see whether you hit anything.
If you have, can you run in new cables? If not, you will need to make a MUCH bigger hole in order to effect an acceptable repair.
Don't forget to turn off all the circuits before you start poking around.

 

[Diyisfun]

The electrician will probably have to hack the plaster of to make good, so your little hole, will be a big one.

Dont worry.. If anyone hasnt done anything like this then the chances are they dont do much..

 

[JohnD]

yes, you have almost certainly drilled through two or more conductors.

A UK ring circuit can continue to work after such damage, but is no longer safe.

Cut away the plaster round the hole and expose the wires, so you can see the damage. Turn off the power first. If there are other people in the house who might touch it, go to the DIY shop first and buy some 32Amp Connector Strip so you can park the conductors safely. if they sell choc-box, get one to put the connectors in to prevent them being touched. there are ways to repair it. It might be in a conduit or under capping. See where it comes from (might be another socket) or if you have a concrete floor it might be in the ceiling.

If you are thinking of repairing it yourself, you will probably need some special tools, or to replace a section of cable, which might cost you £30 or so. The first thing you will need is a multimeter. Do not use a neon screwdriver. otherwise, ask around for a recommended local electrician and confirm with him that he is a member of a self-certification scheme before asking him to quote.

Post pics if you can

BTW you should never drill directly above, below, or horizontally along from a socket or switch without investigating, as you should assume that the cables run there.


Edited: Wow, far too slow!

 

[rssteve]

and don't touch the metal screw or shelves that are now in the hole.