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Tracing electrical cable in the wall

  • 07-05-2021 8:29am
    #1
    xckjoo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,434 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    I want to try and figure out the routing of some cables in my house. It's an old house so electrics were added later and probably at different times. I can't for the life of me figure out where one of them is coming from.There's a short to ground fault on that circuit so it's disconnected from the mains so AC detection won't work. Would the regular metal detection function of stud finder be of any help?


Comments

  • #2
    blackbox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,713 ✭✭✭blackbox


    My experience is that stud finders are not great for this but you might be lucky.

    Cables in walls are supposed to be routed vertically to sockets (from above or below).


  • #3
    McHardcore
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 353 ✭✭McHardcore


    You can buy cable locators for such a job. https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/measuring-instruments/test-meters/cable-locator-kat_150814.htm


  • #4
    xckjoo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,434 ✭✭✭xckjoo


    blackbox wrote: »
    My experience is that stud finders are not great for this but you might be lucky.

    Cables in walls are supposed to be routed vertically to sockets (from above or below).


    I think they actually are routed vertically from above but the wiring is all hidden behind the wall (the only room in the house like that since it's an extension) so can't see how it's getting in/out of the room. I'd say I'll need to get new cabling run but unless I can figure out the old routing (and assuming it's possible/easy to retrace it), I'm going to need to get some new holes drilled in my house. Plus it's annoying me that I can't figure it out :D


    McHardcore wrote: »
    You can buy cable locators for such a job. https://www.pce-instruments.com/english/measuring-instruments/test-meters/cable-locator-kat_150814.htm
    Thanks. Hadn't come across these before. I'll do some reading on them. Might be worth the investment since it probably won't be the last time something like this happens!


  • #5
    meercat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,828 ✭✭✭meercat


    If you take the socket off,can you see where the wavin runs(up,down or horizontal)
    It could also be fed from behind
    Wouldn’t bother with a detector


  • #6
    xckjoo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,434 ✭✭✭xckjoo


    meercat wrote: »
    If you take the socket off,can you see where the wavin runs(up,down or horizontal)
    It could also be fed from behind
    Wouldn’t bother with a detector

    They look like they're running up. To be honest the main thing I'm interested in is how it's getting into the room since it's an extension so has to get out of the original building and into the extension. I'm going to see if I can trace it from the main board first to see if that sheds some light on things


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  • #7
    punisher5112
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,644 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    xckjoo wrote: »
    They look like they're running up. To be honest the main thing I'm interested in is how it's getting into the room since it's an extension so has to get out of the original building and into the extension. I'm going to see if I can trace it from the main board first to see if that sheds some light on things

    Most likely up into ceiling and brought through the wall between old and new part....


  • #8
    meercat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,828 ✭✭✭meercat


    xckjoo wrote: »
    They look like they're running up. To be honest the main thing I'm interested in is how it's getting into the room since it's an extension so has to get out of the original building and into the extension. I'm going to see if I can trace it from the main board first to see if that sheds some light on things

    Look for loose floorboards in the bedrooms upstairs beside the extension


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