How to find out where the wiring runs in the wall: devices that allow you to find hidden wires

In many modern rooms, electrical wires and communications are hidden directly in the walls. This installation option allows you to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the interior, as well as save free space. But if you want to carry out repair work or replace old wires, you will have to figure out how to find hidden wiring.

general information

It is unlikely that today there is an apartment or a private house in which there is an external wiring. Such schemes can be used only in cases where it is not possible to carry out internal installation or there is no desire to saw the wall structure. However, if the wires are located deep under the layer of plaster and there are any problems in their work, many people have a logical desire to figure out how to find the hidden wiring in the wall.

This is necessary for quick troubleshooting, as well as keeping the wires intact. To solve the problem, you can use special professional devices or home inventions that indicate the location of the line.

Open circuits for the installation of electrical wires have long ceased to be in demand and have gone out of use. They are found in single old-style buildings that have not undergone restoration work. With outdoor installation, there will be no problems with finding wires. However, this option significantly spoils the aesthetic appeal of the building and, moreover, becomes vulnerable to various damage. And if small children or pets live in the house, they can corny touch the wiring and get an electric shock, which is very dangerous.

Concealed features

In the construction of modern dwellings, as well as in the restoration of old houses, hidden wiring is practiced.

It has two main advantages:

1. Enhanced security.
2. Aesthetics.

For successful installation, it is necessary to install the cable in special grooves, and then seal it up with plaster. But if it is necessary to search for wires from the owner of the building, all kinds of difficulties may arise. Therefore, before proceeding with the repair of a home electrical network, it is important to clarify how to find the wiring in the wall, and only then begin any work. Otherwise, unjustified difficulties and problems may arise in the future.

Knowing how to locate the wires can be useful under these circumstances:

1. If you need to fix furniture items, interior items or paintings on the wall structure.
2. If there is any failure in the power grid, for example, short circuit, phase failure, and so on.
3. If the restoration of the house and the redevelopment of the entire power supply chain are planned.
4. If the building is undergoing renovation work.
5. If it is necessary to connect the ground.

In general, such skills will be useful in any work that involves drilling or partially breaking the integrity of the baffles. They will avoid damage to the line and prevent a lot of trouble.

Search devices

Currently, on the market for technical devices and accessories, you can find a lot of devices for determining the wiring in the wall. They work on the basis of simple physical principles and allow you to effectively locate the placement of wires under a layer of plaster. However, such electrical appliances may have not only pluses, but also minuses.

A significant number of such inventions are capable of responding to the electromagnetic field that is created near a conductor when current flows through it. Other models work like a metal detector and detect hidden metal. In this case, they propagate special waves and pick up the returning modified signal. In both types, the basic laws of physics are involved, but in terms of work productivity, they are significantly inferior to industrial, and especially professional counterparts.

Depending on the principle of operation and design features, devices for finding wiring in the wall can be divided into the following categories:

1. Electrostatic - work by detecting the electromagnetic field in the wire.
2. Electromagnetic - capable of functioning only if the wiring is under a load of 1 kW or more.
3. "Metal detectors" are professional equipment that looks for a specific metal-containing material under the plaster.
4. Combined - are a combined option and combine the capabilities of different types, which significantly improves their accuracy.

The most popular type of wire finder is the electrostatic model. This is not strange, since they are much cheaper than other devices, and at the same time they effectively determine the placement of wires under the wall.

But if the network is de-energized, then this option is useless and it is necessary to use metal detectors. Combined models are sold at high prices, but this is justified by their functionality and quality of work.

Popular models

In the electrical appliance market, there are different models of devices for finding wiring. Each manufacturer wants to be distinguished by something, therefore, it introduces additional functions and advanced principles of work in its products. Naturally, this affects the detection depth and other operating properties of the equipment.

Professional type models quickly point to the location of the found cable and allow you to identify hidden wiring in the wall. In addition, they can locate network disconnections, making them an indispensable tool.

Among the most popular models there are the following devices:

1. E121 signaling device ("Woodpecker"). The device finds breaks and the location of a line that is energized and hidden under a layer of plaster no more than seven centimeters thick.
2. POSP-1 - detects hidden electrical wiring and damaged areas.
3. STANDARD LA - 1012 - reacts to the electromagnetic field and quickly finds breaks.
4. The ExtechDA30 sensor is characterized by high sensitivity to lines that are exposed to alternating voltage. They even find shielded wires.

It is no secret that repairs affecting the electrical circuit, sockets and switches are carried out very rarely. After the major finishing of the building, such actions are not carried out soon. Therefore, if there are any single problems with the electrical network, it is not necessary to buy an expensive detector - you can get by with an ordinary indicator screwdriver. Such an invention is quite inexpensive, but its functionality is very limited.

In any case, there is a wide range of accessories on the market, so choosing the right option will not be difficult.

However, if we are talking about a professional device, it is necessary to understand that it requires appropriate experience and skills in the correct analysis of the received signals.

Using a multimer

To diagnose the home power supply circuit, multimeters are used, which are connected to a field-effect transistor.

To identify the wiring using such a device, you need to follow this instruction:

1. First of all, it is necessary to set the resistance measurement mode to 200 kOhm.
2. Then you need to connect the probes to the middle and left terminals of the transistor, and leave the right one as an antenna.
3. The device must be carried along the wall structure.
4. If the multimeter detects a change in the internal resistance of a semiconductor element in an electromagnetic field, then the wiring has been found.

Conventional Chinese-made multimeters find not only the location of the wire, but also determine where the break occurred. To increase its sensitivity, you can use a simple trick: fix a small piece of copper wire at the free output of the transistor.

Alternative methods

In addition to professional and specialized devices for finding wiring lines, you can use available tools. Their functionality is determined by the assembly scheme and the model class.

In most cases, an ordinary indicator screwdriver is enough for basic tasks, but with simple skills, you can independently make a wire finder with good sensitivity. To do this, you should prepare such components:

1. Telephone speaker (from a stationary device).
2. Pointer ohmmeter.
3. Field-effect transistor.
4. Power supply.

There are many schemes for such inventions. The main thing is to find an option that will be easy to make with your own hands, and the efficiency of determining the wires will be quite high.

By the way, currently, you can use a regular smartphone running iOS or Android to make wire finders. All you need to transform your device into a high-performance wire finder is a phone with a special program like "Metall Detector" (or any other analogue), as well as a small magnetic sensor.

A smartphone equipped with such an element becomes a full-fledged metal detector that can determine the location of cable cores and other metal products. Another useful tool for finding wiring in the wall is a conventional radio. To do this, set the frequency to 100 kHz and start driving the receiver near the wall. As you get closer to the wiring, the noise will become very intense.

Also, to solve this problem, you can use an old cassette player or tape recorder, ordinary headphones, and a reel microphone. Such devices are capable of responding to any electromagnetic interference, but they are characterized by low sensitivity. However, the basic working properties are quite enough to find a place for laying the cable, therefore, for isolated cases, such alternative means are quite relevant.

Useful Tips

If the search for hidden wiring becomes too difficult, and there are no suitable devices at hand, you can do simple ways and try to locate the cables by the termination points and insignificant protrusions. You can also make the assumption that the wiring was carried out according to the PUE, and all the branches are located at right angles.

In the first case, the remaining traces of the wiring should be present on the wall, and it will be possible to trace the entire circuit. The second option is risky and involves an assumed orientation in the placement of wires. Alternative search methods are quite simple, so you don't need to expect high accuracy from them. However, they are sufficient for most household tasks.

The most affordable wiring detector option is the indicator screwdriver. But it is only effective if the unshielded cable lies under a thin layer of plaster and is energized. Otherwise, you will have to use a deeper search, which consists in determining the metal or electromagnetic field.

When figuring out how to find out where the wiring runs in the wall with the help of some device, you can be sure that the end result will correspond to reality. Advanced devices respond perfectly to any electromagnetic changes or to metal surfaces. True, they are not cheap, and the purchase of such devices will justify itself only if they are often used for electrical work.

In fact, finding wiring in an apartment is a completely feasible task that anyone can perform. And you don't need to have professional skills or buy expensive equipment for this. It is enough to follow the simple instructions and know the general principles of the procedure.