Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Decent Wire Detector for behind plasterboard.

  • 22-04-2019 4:50pm
    #1
    john_doe.
    Registered Users Posts: 643 ✭✭✭


    Hi

    Looking to mount a TV on wall. It's a dot and dab wall. There are two light switches on opposite sides of wall, I've mapped these out to where I think the wires are going .

    I was looking to get a detector to find live wires behind the plasterboard to avoid me drilling through one.

    It's a house from around 2010, but with lot of DIY so wouldn't be over confident the wires are running straight and I'll avoid hitting one.

    Problem is every wire detector I've looked up has awful reviews. Seems the method to detect using these tools is not reliable.

    That said anyone recommend a decent live wire detector?

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    antiskeptic
    Registered Users Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭antiskeptic


    john_doe. wrote: »
    Hi

    Looking to mount a TV on wall. It's a dot and dab wall. There are two light switches on opposite sides of wall, I've mapped these out to where I think the wires are going .

    I was looking to get a detector to find live wires behind the plasterboard to avoid me drilling through one.

    It's a house from around 2010, but with lot of DIY so wouldn't be over confident the wires are running straight and I'll avoid hitting one.

    Problem is every wire detector I've looked up has awful reviews. Seems the method to detect using these tools is not reliable.

    That said anyone recommend a decent live wire detector?

    Thanks

    Dot and dab means concrete wall an inch or so from the back of the plasterboard. You can "drill" a small hole with a thin, flat screwdriver, gently existing the rear. You can then encounter:

    concrete wall an inch away (feels like space then a scratchy sounding wall if scraping the screwdriver

    dab (which may contain a wire) avoid

    wire (which will contain a wire) avoid

    plumbing

    The difference will be obvious.


  • #3
    john_doe.
    Registered Users Posts: 643 ✭✭✭john_doe.


    antiskeptic wrote: »
    Dot and dab means concrete wall an inch or so from the back of the plasterboard. You can "drill" a small hole with a thin, flat screwdriver, gently existing the rear. You can then encounter:

    concrete wall an inch away (feels like space then a scratchy sounding wall if scraping the screwdriver

    dab (which may contain a wire) avoid

    wire (which will contain a wire) avoid

    plumbing

    The difference will be obvious.

    Thanks so an explatory little hole with a screwdriver should give indication of what's behind. I have mapped out the space assuming the wiring runs straight up.

    Would a 18V drill with hammer function go through block for fixing ?

    http://buyrigifixonline.co.uk

    Was going use those for fixings. I have an 18v drill with hammer but not an SDS drill or anything. There is one in Lidl this week though so might get that in case need the extra oomph.


  • #4
    Stoner
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    Know anyone one with a ir camera? leave the lights on and let the cable heat up a little. The blobs show up really well on IR and they are a thermal bridge ( and a poor enough from a heat retention point of view


  • #5
    antiskeptic
    Registered Users Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭antiskeptic


    john_doe. wrote: »
    Thanks so an explatory little hole with a screwdriver should give indication of what's behind. I have mapped out the space assuming the wiring runs straight up.

    Yeah. Go small screwdriver to gently explore. If you think you've got safe locations then bore a hole the size of the fixing and have another look.
    Would a 18V drill with hammer function go through block for fixing ?
    Ordinary solid or cavity or brick, yeah. You have to lean on it, use a decent quality new bit, and drill in bursts of perhaps 20 seconds with 20 second rest.

    Mass concrete no.



    http://buyrigifixonline.co.uk

    What kind of telly mount? Flat plate with decent surface area contacting the wall or something more petit with long extension arm?


  • #6
    Twenty Grand
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭Twenty Grand


    Stoner wrote: »
    Know anyone one with a ir camera? leave the lights on and let the cable heat up a little. The blobs show up really well on IR and they are a thermal bridge ( and a poor enough from a heat retention point of view

    Does that really work?
    Wouldn't think the cable would heat enough to heat the plasterboard a noticeable amount above room temp.


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Stoner
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    Twenty Grand wrote:
    Does that really work? Wouldn't think the cable would heat enough to heat the plasterboard a noticeable amount above room temp.

    It can show a hot cable and is used for this, it will show blobs and help determine a route, the detectors are very unreliable, very few tradesmen have them in their toolbox. The IR camera can provide good accurate information, but you are correct the cameras show water pipes better and cable temps seldom end up registering on the far side of the plasterboard where the signature is measured, but it's good background info

    The cables "should" be within the zone of the accessory vertically rising upwards


  • #8
    Twenty Grand
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭Twenty Grand


    I've used them for fault finding in cabinets and they're quite good, but I've never thought a perfectly sized and working cable behind plasterboard would heat up.


Advertisement