hidden wiring detector according to the scheme What are the

hidden wiring detectors for? A lot of times, apartment owners or private houses do not have a wiring plan that is needed for various repairs. During the drilling of holes or in the process of chipping, you can accidentally hook wires under high voltage.

Remember! Regardless of whether you know where the wiring is located or not, all work should be carried out only when the power is off.

If you yourself did the repair in the room, and you know where the electrical wires are, this will greatly simplify the process of work. But the fact is that often the wiring is done by the masters, who, trying to save money, lay the wires along the simplest path - from the junction boxes, not at a right angle, as expected, but diagonally. And in this case, one cannot do without a special device that allows you to quickly and accurately find hidden wires - hidden wiring detectors.

Such a detector can be purchased at radio stores or markets. They are inexpensive( budget models) and expensive. A cheap device helps to determine the wires under the current and various electrical devices. More expensive devices are multifunctional and therefore can detect de-energized wires.

For home use, you can buy the simplest detector or assemble it yourself according to the scheme. Each person who understands electrical circuits can independently make an inexpensive budget device.

Types of modern devices for search and their characteristics

To date, there are a large number of detectors of various types. Some devices help to find not only wires in the wall, but also an accidental break.

According to the principle of their actions, these types of searchers are distinguished:

• Electrostatic.
• Electromagnetic.
• Metal Detectors.
• Combined.

Electrostatic Testers

Electrostatic detectors help detect electromagnetic fields that come from live wires. These are simple searchers who can be made according to a certain pattern independently.

Features and Characteristics of Detectors:

• Since the searcher reacts to certain electromagnetic fields, the wires in the wall must be under high voltage so that they can be detected.
• When working with the device, it is necessary to choose a certain level of sensitivity, because if it is too low, problems with the detection of wires that are too deep in the wall under the plaster may appear. If the level is too high, the device may malfunction.
• If the walls in the room are damp or there are many different metal structures in them, then the search for wiring will be almost impossible.

But given the low cost, ease of use and efficiency, such devices are even used by electricians.

Electromagnetic devices

Such devices help to find the electromagnetic excitation that comes from the wiring connected to a specific load. The quality of work and accuracy of such searchers is much higher than previous ones.

Also, these devices have one feature of work. In order to determine where a specific wiring is laid in the wall and how deep, it must have a load of at least 1 kW.For example, you can simply plug in an electric kettle or iron.

Detectors( searchers) of metal

There are situations when it is impossible to connect the voltage to the wires or the load, in this case detectors or metal detectors are used. The devices work in this way: various metallic elements enter the electromagnetic field of the searcher, which cause certain oscillations that are trapped by the detector.

Such devices clearly respond to any objects made of metal that are in the walls, so besides wires they will find them.

Combined Devices

Detectors of this type are multifunctional, as they are able to combine several types of devices that find wiring in the walls. Such functions significantly expand the use of detectors, and increase their degree of efficiency.

The TS-75 model, which contains a metal detector device and an electrostatic finder, is in great demand.

Self-made detectors can be:

• With audible indication. During the operation of such a device, when it detects hidden wires, a characteristic sound is produced.
• With sound and light warning system( indication).When the device finds the wiring, it will not only sound the alarm, but the light will flash.
• At the field effect transistor. This device is easy to make according to a specific scheme. There are several different options for assembling an instrument with a light alert.
• The search alarm without batteries. The device operates from the mains, which also signals the detection of a bright light bulb, located on the body of the finder.
• Detector on the microcontroller. Such a detector works on the responsiveness of the searcher to the electromagnetic field, which is formed by the current flowing through the wires. At assembly it is possible to use an LED or a sound piezo emitter as an annunciator.
• Two-element device. The detector has an LED lamp as an indicator, which starts to glow when wiring is detected.

Examples and Comparison of Popular

Models At present, there are so many different brands and models of hidden or broken wiring search devices that it’s hard to consider and describe their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, we consider only the most popular detectors that are used in household items.

• Electronic Tester No. 48M is a multifunctional device for home use, which is used to check the integrity of the wires, as well as to find the wiring hidden in the wall in a contact and non-contact manner. It has LED indication and can detect wires that are located at a depth of 2 cm in the wall.

  A small compact device for contactless and contact searching for hidden wiring

• A device for searching wiring and metal elements “Sparta” has a sound and light alarm. Allows to detect not only wires, but also various metal elements. Finds the place of an open circuit.

  The “Sparta”

• “Search” hidden electrical wiring search device is used not only for accurate detection in the wall and wiring ceilings, but also allows you to check the correctness of electric meter phasing, detect equipment with a break in ground vanishing or grounding, check the condition of fuses, determine breakswiring. Equipped with four ranges of sensitivity.

  Detector of hidden wiring “Search”

• The searcher M121.3 helps to find hidden wiring, check the correctness of the meter phasing, detect phase wires on different parts of the room surface, etc. It has a plastic case with an edge of restriction for safe work and fourdegree of sensitivity.

  Detector for detecting concealed wiring “MEMBERS M”

• China's small, non-contacting UNI-T UT12A detector allows you to determine voltage from 90 to 1000 V AC.Has the light and sound indicator, and also system of automatic shutdown at 30 minute idle time. Externally similar to a regular marker. Very comfortable in home use.

  Chinese-made concealed wiring detector

• The TS-75 wiring finder in a metal convenient case allows you to accurately determine the location of the wiring in a wall under current. It has light and sound indication.

  Multifunctional detector for detecting hidden wiring

• Inexpensive American-made S100 STANLEY STHTO-77403 detector is perfect for home and even professional use. Allows you to find not only hidden wiring, but also the place of an open circuit. It has a small size and a convenient durable plastic case.

  American-made Detector “STANLEY”

If we talk about domestic-made detectors, then they are perfect for domestic use. Have affordable prices and can offer good quality. Chinese models are more compact and convenient to use. Also have low cost, but, as we know, this manufacturer can not boast a long service life of its products. Choosing brands of well-known European or American manufacturers, you can be sure that the detector will serve for a long time and will have the required amount of functionality for both home use and professional work at an affordable price.

General recommendations for choosing a device for wiring

To date, the choice of factory detectors is quite extensive, but some people are often “lost” in such a variety of instruments. Therefore, before buying such a device, experts recommend a clear definition of what it is necessary for - for single use or for permanent work with hidden electrical wiring. Skilled craftsmen usually choose multifunctional devices that can recognize hidden metal elements of various characteristics.

When choosing a detector, you need to pay attention to the degree of its scanning depth. If the device is designed for a shallower depth, then during operation you can skip the wire located at a much greater distance from the scanned wall surface.

Professional detectors can operate over long distances. Usually for home use get home appliances that are quite suitable for the walls of apartments, private houses and thin partitions.

Low cost options that allow you to find only the wiring that is under voltage, are much inferior in their effectiveness to expensive models, but they will help save a person from burns during work.

Schemes for assembling various types of searchers with your own hands

Consider the simplest schemes that you can assemble yourself, having all the necessary devices.

A circuit with a sound diode indication

You can make such a device yourself on the basis of a resistor R1, which protects the circuit from direct induced voltage.

A small copper wire of 5–15 cm is used as a small antenna. When the device finds wires in the walls or ceiling, a characteristic crackle is published. The sonic piezoelectric element is connected to the detector using a bridge circuit that controls the degree of loudness.

Device layout with light and sound siren( indication)

This simple circuit only requires a single chip.

The resistor R1 must be 50 MΩ or greater than this figure. The LED light for indication is used without any restrictions on the degree of resistance, since this chip can perform its task without "outside help."

field-effect transistor device The devices of this type are sufficiently responsive to a stable electric field. This characteristic of the device is used in the diagram below.

field resistor. Such a detector can be made independently without the use of special devices. The voltage should be from 3 to 5 V. For the operation of this device, so little electric current is needed, that it can operate for about six hours without turning off. The coil for the antenna is attached with a wire of 0.3–0.5 mm to a special core Ø 3 mm. The speed will depend on the wire thickness. If its diameter is Ø 0.3 mm, 20 turns are required, and if Ø 0.5 mm, 50 turns are required. The antenna works well with or without the frame.

Metal Detector

The metal detector circuit looks like this:

• VT1 frequency generator( 100 kilohertz).
• Detector - VT2.
• Indication - VT3, VT4.

The coils of the generator are wound on a special ferrite core. Core - Ø 8 mm. The number of turns on 1 coil - 120 turns, 2 - 45 turns. The wire is recommended PEVTL0.35.

The metal finder is set up away from all steel objects. The adjustment is performed with special resistors R3 and R5 so that the generation process is significantly reduced( blinking diode light and low brightness).Then, R3 is tuned in order to erase the radiator.

The second step is to set the degree of sensitivity. This process is carried out using a small metal object and several resistors. Experts recommend adjusting the sensitivity with some regularity. To optimize the process and convenience, the regulators are built into the detector housing.

The tuned metal detector starts to work when the antenna is near metal elements - the light comes on or blinks.

Detector wiring without batteries

Such a device operates from the mains. This scheme operates through the use of a high-capacity capacitor( C1 is indicated in the diagram).The capacitor is charged from the mains and in this state it can transmit voltage from 6 to 10 V. Here, the brightness of the LED light will depend on the voltage level, and this indicator does not affect the operation of the device.

batteries Finders on the

microcontroller In the diagram we can see the detector, which is assembled on a PIC12F629 microcontroller. This device works with responsiveness to the presence of a magnetic field generated by the current that goes through the wires.

microcontroller. When assembling, you can use an LED or a piezo emitter. When a magnetic field is detected, the indicator starts to work( the light comes on or the emitter starts to pop).

Such a device can only respond to alarms at a specific frequency of 50 Hz. Therefore, errors during operation are excluded here, since it will not respond to other types of frequencies.

Dual-element device for finding hidden wiring

A chip and a diode bulb are used here. You can take a chip like DD1 and a light bulb HL1.It is necessary to connect the leads so that 3 inverters are created in the electrical circuit. Due to this, the device will amplify the currents coming to the searcher from the magnetic field of the wires. When they are nearby, the light starts to flash. At a distant distance, it goes dead.

There are two schematic options:

• Connection: 3 with 8, 2 with 10, 4 with 7 and 9, 1 with 5, 11 with 14.
• Connection: 3 with 8, 10 with 13,1 with 5 and 12, 2 with 11 and 14, 4 with 7 and 9.

Break Detector Circuit

This version of the assembly uses a KP103 microcircuit. This transistor has a high degree of sensitivity. In the event that its gate is very close to the wiring, the resistance decreases and other transistors open, and the LED light starts to flash.

Attention! The KP103 transistor can be used of any type, as well as the AL307 light bulb. And the whole thing is that biopolar field workers with such a degree of conductivity have a small power, and a large transmission coefficient. Therefore, instead of the KT203 device it is necessary to use KT361.

The device has a small size, so you can even assemble it in an empty case from a regular office marker. A thin antenna is pulled through a small hole in the marker. Its length can vary from 5 to 10 cm. But if the wires lie in the wall not too deep( no more than 10 cm), then you can simply use the leg of the selected transistor. It will be easier and more convenient.

The transistor itself is mounted in a horizontal position, and the gate must be bent so that it is directly above its body.

Video: how to assemble a hidden wiring detector

according to the scheme. Such home devices also do a good job with their “responsibilities” and find hidden wires.