Thread: avoiding electric in existing wall

I want to hang a couple of cabinets on the wall. How do I go about being sure to avoid drilling into buried electric cables.

Is there something akin to a stud finder?

Just drill into the studs. If you hit a spot where there is no resistance to your drill, and you started on a stud, you should stop. It means you are in a spot where a hole was drilled through the stud for electric to run horizontally. The wires should have enough play where it won't do damage.

The odds of this actually happening (drilling into the wires running horizontally) are incredibly minimal btw. As long as you drill into the center of a stud you'll always miss the wires running vertically (these are generally stapled to the sides of the studs). Just drill directly into the center of the studs and you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by redhaze

Just drill into the studs.

concrete walls are more than likely here in thai

a small wire coiled multiple times with a multimeter on it - measuring AC millivolts - may suffice

try google/youtube home made electric cable finder

Thais are clever, they often run the cables down the outside of a wall so no problem!

Cables are only likely to be buried in the wall in a vertical line to a wall-light, a light switch or a socket so avoid drilling directly above or below them.

Buy a cable finder. Its quicker easier and cheaper than a funeral.

Have a few Leos and fire away...Be a man...555...

Originally Posted by Neverna

Cables are only likely to be buried in the wall in a vertical line to a wall-light, a light switch or a socket so avoid drilling directly above or below them.

Yes.

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

Buy a cable finder. Its quicker easier and cheaper than a funeral.

To be sure. Most major hardware stores have them.

Originally Posted by Neverna

Cables are only likely to be buried in the wall in a vertical line to a wall-light, a light switch or a socket so avoid drilling directly above or below them.

Even when I insisted on this, they failed to do so in our house. I can't remember exactly whete the cables run even though I saw them in the cable runs. Ended up getting a cable finder to be on the safe side.

Need drill for everything since a wall is a wall in Thailand...internal or external.

I was just thinking there are plenty of stud finders in Thailand. And many many Geezer Pleasers. You will find them in the beer bars by the dozens. Drill away with caution. ........Safety first.

Maybe next time tell the electrician to put the cables in yellow plastic pipes and nail them to the wall.

Originally Posted by Hugh Cow

Buy a cable finder. Its quicker easier and cheaper than a funeral.

How much is a funeral in Thailand?

Can you recommend a "cable finder"?

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

Your electric drill has a plastic body so drill away. If there is a loud bang and the lights go out drill somewhere else.

If you spent more money that is sensible on a mobile phone there is probably a stud finder app. You can do the same with a magnet on a string to find wall studs if your local carpenter didn't leave convenient nail heads showing, so you could easily find therm.

Sparkies are quite lazy and they follow straight lines so don't drill directly above or to the side of a switch or outlet.

Just so I did it right according to your instructions I made sure the drill bit was embedded in the wall and afterwards energized anything possibly running in the wall.

I wish you could have seen the hole and metal left from the explosiv..

Do you enjoy pyrotecnics?