volt stick or similar
- Thread starter tryme
- Start date
Sponsored Links
One that works as it should.
If you find one, please let us know.
If you find one, please let us know.
As EFLI implies. You can buy things that are supposed to find wires, pipes etc. But they are famously unreliable. Many find things that are not there or do not indicate things that are there.
I don't know of one that I would trust.
Google "pipe finder" and take your pick….
I don't know of one that I would trust.
Google "pipe finder" and take your pick….
Sponsored Links
I had an electric wall in a previous house - interior wall, no damp, wiring or pipes.
never used one
Gary usually knows what he is on about, old post but the link will take you to more current versions.
bosch stuffs usually good
I've got one.
It seems less unreliable than cheaper ones.
It seems less unreliable than cheaper ones.
You need to acquaint yourself with the WIKI //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:walls
It shows where cables SHOULD be placed, but there are no guarantees and the forum is littered with stories of cables run, by others in all sorts of places.
Not there either, although you should be able to tell which way the cables at least start heading off..
[wiki]electrics%3Awalls[/wiki]
I also have a (not cheap) Bosch one which, similar to what you say, doesn't seem too bad - probably more-or-less 'as good as could be expected'.
Kind Regards, John
Last edited:
I wouldn't personally say that one should never drill into a 'safe zone' - but one certainly should be aware of the greater risk of hitting a cable in a safe zone than elsewhere, and hence do all one can to identify any such hazards. Some rooms (particularly kitchens) can be so littered with 'safe zones' that there are not too many other places to drill!
Kind Regards, John
Ok so assuming you shut the power off and drilled into a wire not knowing and then put the power back on. How would you know if you drilled Into the wiring or not?
Not that this has happened but this is a concern of mine.
Not that this has happened but this is a concern of mine.
Well, it could go bang, it could not work, it could appear to be fine, but break in a year, 5 years etc.
A few months ago, I had a 'while you're here' and they told me that someone had got a shock from a socket, so checked it over and the socket was fine. Had a little chat and turned out the person that got the shock had been hanging a picture. Took it down, tested between the pin in the wall and the socket earth - 230V. So they'd hit the cable and had been using it with a live pin in it for however long.
A few mm to the right and there would have been a big bang. A few more mm to the right and the RCD would trip and never reset
A few months ago, I had a 'while you're here' and they told me that someone had got a shock from a socket, so checked it over and the socket was fine. Had a little chat and turned out the person that got the shock had been hanging a picture. Took it down, tested between the pin in the wall and the socket earth - 230V. So they'd hit the cable and had been using it with a live pin in it for however long.
A few mm to the right and there would have been a big bang. A few more mm to the right and the RCD would trip and never reset
That's one of the problems - you would not necessarily know, since it depends upon exactly what the drill had done. It might result in something tripping (or a fuse blowing) when you restored the power and/or something might have stopped working. However, there are also many possibilities of potentially dangerous cable damage that was not immediately or obviously apparent.
Kind Regards, John
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
