Main reasons for research

There are many reasons to search for hidden electrical wires in a concrete wall yourself.

Most often, the problem occurs in such cases:

• Apartment redevelopment. For example, you decide to cut an input somewhere else, but you don’t know where the current-carrying conductors pass.
• open circuit. One of the most painful reasons, because in this case, you will need to find not only the wiring in the wall, but also the place where the zero or phase wire breaks.
• Need to dig a section. Suddenly you have to attach a wall sconce or hang the TV on the wall.
• Pay attention to existing connections. If you have just bought a new housing and have no idea what cable is and how it passes through the walls and ceiling, where the junction box is installed, etc.

In all these cases, you can contact a wizard who will give you an accurate idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe power line, or you can try to independently look for wires in the wall. Do you prefer the second option? Then look up how to locate the wire under tile, drywall, and other types of finishes.

Rescue devices!

So, if you just need to find wires in the apartment, a do-it-yourself metal detector is enough. A simple homemade product made from improvised means will allow you to detect a conductor under voltage up to 10 cm under the decorative trim. On the Internet, you can find many schemes with which you can make a simple detector, one of them we presented in the article we referred to.

If the issue of money is not particularly important for you, it is better to choose a special device for detecting hidden wires in the wall, which will determine with high accuracy not only the location of the cable, but also the exact location of the fault if there is a burnt or perforated area. The best in terms of price and quality is a device called Woodpecker or E-121 signaling device. With this detector, you can not only track the exact location of wires in the wall, but also find the place where the electrical connector is broken. The working depth is 7 cm, which is quite enough for amateur use and to detect a torn core even under drywall.

Another device, no less convenient for detecting hidden wires in the wall is the MS alarm. Chinese testers have their own characteristics and features, so you need to get used to them.

The problem is that the products react equally well with metal parts (for example, a nail), and a live conductor. To run the laboratory properly, you must learn how to distinguish signals from each other. That is why they are bypassed by professional electricians, although the option for home use is very good.

Another significant disadvantage of the devices is that if the cable is protected by a foil screen, it will not be possible to detect it. These signaling devices have a lot of negative reviews on the Internet, just for the reason that they are difficult to use, otherwise it is a good option for identifying electronic wires.

Also, to detect wires hidden in the wall, such devices are used as: POSP-1, GVT-92, Zoom DMF 10 Bosch, GVD-504A, VP-440. They all worked well for finding pieces of wire, as well as detecting electrical wires under plaster.

I would like to pay special attention to thermal imagers. These devices allow you to track not only the location of the broken core, but also find  leakage current , short circuit and quality of wiring in the home panel itself. Of course, its cost is high, but there is a service for calling a wizard, which will give about 2500. In this case, you will be provided with a full report on what is the current power line in the rooms and whether there is a burnt conductor somewhere.

In addition, you can find out where the wire is located in the wall using a screwdriver. This method of searching for wires is only suitable if shallow cores are activated in the concrete.

Turn on the logic

Any electrician knows that electrical wiring is strictly carried out in the vertical and horizontal position. In other words, the conductors run parallel and perpendicular to the ground.

Based on this, one can make the following observations:

• Above the sockets and switches, the line runs straight, it is strictly forbidden to drive a nail here.
• Usually a line is drawn at a distance of 15 cm from the ceiling (or floor), here, too, it is not worth carrying out various types of work.
• Based on all the installed electrical points, you can view a photo and a diagram of where the wire is located in the wall.

We draw your attention to the fact that such visual displays are an extremely unsafe option. All your drawings on paper must be confirmed by a metal detector yourself, but it is better to use special devices and indicators.

Grandpa’s ways

Of course, before, to detect wires in the wall, there were no devices, while I safely found the entire power line under wallpaper, tiles and plaster. How did our grandfathers and great-grandfathers do it?

We bring to your attention the three most simple options that will allow you to find the wires yourself:

1. If major repairs are planned. Tear off the wallpaper and examine the wall in Khrushchev (or at home). Usually, the strobe of hidden electrical wires is colored slightly than the remaining parts of the surface, and the putty will be rougher to the touch.
2. Take an ordinary radio, tune to 100 kHz and bring it to the desired area. Where the current passes, the receiver will start making more noise.
3. An alternative to radio is to use a microphone on the radio. We turn on the microphone and carefully direct it along the surface. There was a noise or crackling – I was able to find the approximate location of the track.

We draw your attention to the fact that the methods in which the microphone and receiver are used have a rather large error of 15 cm. For this reason, relying on the signals of these devices, it is better to play it safe and step back a little so that an electric shock does not occur!

These are the complete instructions on using the devices to detect hidden electrical wires in the wall. We hope you now know how to find the wire and power cable under the plaster at home without any help!