How to find a wire break in the wall: an overview of ways to detect and fix a break

How to fix a hidden cable break

After finding the exact location of the break using one of the above methods, the wire should be connected. To do this, you must first turn off the phase, and then open the strobe of the cable laying with a hammer approximately 10 cm to the left and right side of the damage site. Then the broken core must be carefully separated from the conductor, without violating the insulating layer on other cables.

The further course of action is as follows:

• Pull apart the ends of the broken cable.
• Using a perforator and a special crown, drill a recess in the wall. It must be large enough to fit the branch box.
• Insert the box into the hole and fix it there with alabaster, and then place the cables in it.
• Connect and insulate damaged wires.
• After repairing the damage, close the box with a lid.
• Plaster the previously opened section of the strobe.

If the damaged cable is located inside a special tube, then it must be carefully pulled out, and a new conductor must be tightened in its place using a pulling device.

The video shows the wire recovery process:

The above process is performed when repairing a broken phase. Restoration of the neutral wire is carried out in almost the same order, with the exception of the initial stage. When repairing zero, first of all, the damaged cable must be separated from the bus. Then zero is attached to the phase. Further work is carried out in a similar sequence.

Professional electrical wiring search devices

On sale you can find testers GVD-504A, BOSCH DMF 10 zoom, GVT-92, GVD-503, VP-440, produced by European manufacturers. They are usually used to detect hidden under the finish and analyze its condition by professional electricians. From Chinese counterparts, they differ in build quality, compact and beautiful design. Their principle of operation is about the same, but the cost is quite high, especially if you buy for a one-time use.

Water table of prices of the considered devices

Old-fashioned ways to find wires in the wall

The high price of special devices is one of the reasons why home craftsmen are interested in how to find a wire in a wall without a device and often prefer grandfather's proven methods for solving this problem more than once. After all, in the old days, when wiring was found in the wall, they did without devices, finding electrical networks under plaster and wallpaper using safe methods.

There are several ways to find hidden wiring in the wall without special technical means, and each of them can provide a different degree of accuracy.

1. Visual determination of the location of the route. This method is suitable for brick and concrete walls covered with wallpaper, which are removed during repairs, this makes it easy to find a strobe where wires are usually laid. Since the integrity of the surface is violated during gating, and even after embedding, the place where it was carried out remains noticeable. If the wall is plastered or covered with putty for wallpaper, then it is not possible to visually detect an electric wire in the wall.
2. With a radio or receiver. The masters advise this method to amateurs who are interested in how to determine where the wiring passes in the wall. Moreover, for this purpose, the most common receiver tuned to the medium wave frequency will do. To pleasant music, it must be driven along the wall, watching for the appearance of crackles.
3. A microphone connected to the radio can become an alternative to the receiver. You should work with it, as with a radio receiver, the appearance of noise and crackling will mean the detection of hidden wiring.

It must be remembered that using a radio or a microphone, you can determine the location of the wiring in the wall with an error of 15–20 cm. Therefore, when using these devices, it is better to make a small indent to avoid electric shock and such a safety net will not be superfluous.

We examine the electrical network in the room

It's just that suddenly the cables can't fail. There is always a reason for this:

• drilling holes in the wall;
• poor-quality installation of wiring at the stage of construction work;
• previous incorrect repair of electrical networks.

If in the place where the network is faulty, you can see a nail on which a picture hangs, for example, this is the cause of the malfunction. But simply removing the nail from the hole, of course, will no longer save the cables. They will probably need to be replaced with new ones. More on this later.

The nail on which the picture hangs can cause a break in the wiring in the wall. But removing it won't help the situation.

In the meantime, we will look for damaged conductors. There is a problem with the power grid, if there is no voltage in one of the sockets in the room, or it is low (you connect household appliances to it, but it does not function, while there is no doubt about the operability of the supply wire and the household appliances themselves), the lighting in the room does not work or throughout the apartment. It won't be hard to find.

First you need to find all parts of the electrical system that have ceased to function:

Check if there is power in every outlet in the house. With the help of a multimeter, it is quick and easy to understand which sockets work, which ones do not;

The multimeter is ideal for home use. With it, it is easy to check whether there is voltage in the sockets or not.

Important: a multimeter costs from 500 to 3 thousand rubles. Both for professionals and for domestic use, the products of such manufacturing companies as: "Hama", "Master", Gembird are popular. Is there lighting everywhere? Check all ceiling and wall lights in the house

Find the ones that don't work because of a wiring problem, not because the light bulb burned out.

Is there lighting everywhere? Check all ceiling and wall lights in the house.Look for the ones that don't work because of a wiring problem, not because a light bulb burned out in them.

Now you need to find a specific damaged area, namely, where it is located: between the switch and the socket, between two adjacent switches or sockets. How to find a break in hidden wiring? In this case, use a multimeter. It is connected in series to sockets and switches, noting those that do not produce voltage.

If the lighting does not work in the room, then a break in the wiring could occur in the area between the box (the junction of the conductors) and the switch, between the switch and the illuminator. To find the exact location, you need a voltage indicator that will show the phases.

Important: a voltage indicator can be purchased for an average of 300 rubles. Firms have good products: MASTAK, GTC, Resanta, Lux-Tools. The hardware looks like a straight screwdriver.

At the end is a warning light. If there is a phase, then the lamp lights up, if not, then it remains in the off state.

The hardware looks like a straight screwdriver. At the end is a warning light. If there is a phase, then the lamp lights up, if not, it remains in the off state.

The voltage indicator at the end has a signal light. If there is voltage in the socket or switch, the light will “beep”

Remove the decorative cover from the switch and use the indicator to check if there is a phase in the contacts. The examination must be carried out when the lamp is switched off! If the indicator does not detect the presence of a phase, then the wire is faulty somewhere between the wire box and the switch itself.

Did the phase "appear" when the lamp was off? Turn it on and check the contacts with the indicator again.Now there is no phase? Then the wires are faulty in the area from the connection box to the lighting fixture.

If there is no phase at all in the switch, check the lamp with a voltage indicator. The device must be inserted into the cartridge in place of the light bulb. Phase detected? So, it was confused with zero during the installation process. This is a violation of the rules for the operation of the electrical network. It is necessary to change the system without fail.

Debugg

Wiring repairs must be carried out in a safe manner.

Step-by-step instructions for repairing a phase cable:

1. Turn off the conductor with the phase.
2. We release from the plaster on the wall a section of 150-200 mm from the center of the cable break.
3. Using a perforator, we drill a hole in the wall according to the size of the junction box, in which we will connect the damaged area.
4. We part the ends of the dangling conductor.

5. We fix the box on the alabaster, insert the wires into it, connect it correctly, fix it with insulating tape. For detailed answers to the question, see this video:

If you need to replace the zero cable, first disconnect the zero from the bus, attach a phase to it. Then install the junction box and connect the wiring. If the cables are in a housing made of tubes, they must be removed and new ones pulled into the housing using a special tool.

Devices for finding a broken wire in the wall

So, if you just need to find the electrical wiring in the apartment, then it is enough to make a metal detector with your own hands. A simple homemade product is made from improvised means and will allow you to detect a live conductor up to 10 cm under a decorative finish.On the Internet you can find many schemes by which you can make a simple detector, we have provided you with one of them in the article to which we referred.

An example with a homemade metal detector

If the issue of money is not particularly important for you, then it is better to choose a special device for detecting hidden wiring in the wall, which will allow you not only to determine with high accuracy where the cable is located, but also the exact location of the fault if there is a burned out or punched area. The best in terms of price and quality is a device called "Woodpecker" or signaling device E-121.

Using this detector, you can not only track the exact location of the electrical wiring in the wall, but also find the place where the electrical conductor is broken. The depth of work is 7 cm, which is quite enough for amateur use and detection of a broken core even under a plasterboard wall.

Device "Woodpecker" in action

Another, no less suitable device for detecting hidden wiring in the wall is the MS signaling device. Chinese testers have their own characteristics and features of work, so you need to get used to them. The problem is that the products react equally to both metal parts (for example, a nail) and a current-carrying core. To properly operate the tester, you must learn to distinguish signals from each other. That is why professional electricians bypass them, although for home use the option is pretty good.

Another important drawback of the devices is that if the cable is protected by a foil screen, it will not be possible to detect it.Such signaling devices have a lot of negative reviews on the Internet, only for the reason that they are difficult to use, otherwise this is a good option for determining electrical wiring.

How to use a probe?

Also, to detect hidden wiring in the wall, devices such as: POSP-1, GVT-92, Bosch DMF 10 zoom, GVD-504A, VP-440 are used. All of them have proven themselves well for finding a broken conductor, as well as detecting electrical wiring under plaster.

Video instruction manual for the detector

I would like to pay special attention to thermal imagers. These devices allow you to track not only where the broken core is located, but also find current leakage, short circuit and the quality of the electrical wiring in a panel house

Of course, their cost is prohibitively high, but there is a service for calling a master, for which you will pay about 2,500 rubles. In this case, you will be given a full report on what the existing power line in the rooms is like and whether there is a burnt conductor somewhere.

In addition, you can find out where the wire is in the wall using an indicator screwdriver. This method of searching for wiring is only suitable if the conductors are energized shallowly in concrete.

Finding a break point: procedure

The search for a break in a hidden wire, regardless of the cause of the damage and the devices used for searching, is carried out in the following order:

• De-energize the wiring before looking for a damaged cable.
• Sometimes, to reduce the level of resistance, the wire insulation is burned through.
• To search, you can resort to an acoustic or induction method, as well as use a transistor receiver or a conventional household multimeter.
• Professional electricians use tracers in their work. These devices allow not only to quickly find the electrical line, but also to find all current-carrying conductors, and also to find out whether they are energized or not. For greater efficiency, certain types of such devices are used together with generators.

It is worth mentioning the latest technology of power grids, which not so long ago began to be used in European countries, but, unfortunately, is not yet practiced in Russia. A feature of this installation is the embedding in cable cores when laying lines of beacons (markers).

Non-standard options

Of course, if among the above tools you only have logic at your disposal, which, for example, did not help you determine the location of the wire break in the wall, then you can resort to not the most standard "old-fashioned" methods. True, and they will require you to have a certain technique, which we will list below.

Microphone

If you are a modern person, then the radio may not be in your house. But more likely there is a microphone that can be connected to a device that reads and records / reproduces sounds. It can be a music system, a DVD player, and much more. As for the search process itself, it is similar to the previous one. All you need to do is drive along the wall at the suspected area of ​​damage to the wiring and listen for interference.

It is also worth remembering that these two methods cannot be called the best, since there may be significant errors in their “results”. That is, the one detected by ear may not be exactly in the place where you pick up these interferences.

What could be the reasons for the broken wiring?

With normal operation, the power grid system has been working properly for many years. In case of excessive current overload or when connecting electrical appliances, the protective system does not turn on, the circuit does not work as expected.

The reasons for this are the following factors:

• Interruptions in hidden wiring occur when several pieces of home appliances are connected at once, especially to one power point (for example, using a carrier).
• Long operation. When the deadline is reached, the wires begin to fail and collapse.
• Mechanical damage. When repairing, they can damage the wire, and this can dramatically accelerate its destruction.
• Poor-quality wire and installation of electrical networks. In this case, they quickly heat up and fail.

How to fix a break in the phase and neutral wires

After finding the break point of the electrical wire and determining the type of damage (phase or zero), you should proceed to repair the break.

In accordance with the rules for the installation of electrical installations, it is strictly forbidden to connect the cores with a twist when laying an electrical wire. When connecting wiring conductors in the wall, this rule must be unquestioningly observed!

It is best to replace the broken wire from the junction box to the place of its attachment, if it is advisable in each individual case.

If the damaged conductors are short, then they can be connected with terminal blocks.But then for this block it is necessary to install a junction box.

To repair a phase wire malfunction, the following manipulations must be performed:

First you need to de-energize the phase wire.
Clean the surface, remove plaster or other finishing materials from the wall section, freeing the area for work within a radius of at least 15 cm from the point of failure.
Disconnect the damaged core from the network without damaging the insulation on other cables.
If the wire is copper, then the connection must be made using soldering, which will provide such contact of the wire that the intact wire has. To do this, you need to take an additional part of the same material from which the jumper is made.
Previously, a PVC or heat shrink tube must be put on the core of the damaged cable

The ends of the jumper are connected to the ends of the damaged wire, then the connections are soldered.
The repaired place should be firmly fixed with an insulating tape, after which a tube dressed on a wire is carefully pushed onto it. This will keep the seal tight.
The place of soldering can be closed with plaster, no additional junction box is required.

Aluminum wires are quite difficult to solder, so for this process you should take a special flux for soldering aluminum and the appropriate solder.

Sometimes it is more expedient to use a mechanical method to connect a break in an aluminum wire.

From the ends of the wire, the insulation is first removed by 15 mm for further formation of rings from the bare wires. An insert is prepared from an aluminum wire with a cross section similar to that of electrical wiring or a little larger. With the help of a washer, a grover is assembled: a grover is put on the screw, then a regular washer, followed by a ring of wires, again a simple washer and completes the nut. The connection is covered with electrical tape and closed with a tube of insulating material.

Such a connection guarantees the excellent operation of the wiring, provided that the permissible load is not exceeded.

Also, a WAGO terminal will be a reliable connection method, after installation of which it must be wrapped with electrical tape and covered with sealant.

Cables can also be connected using a spur box. To do this, it is necessary to remove the insulation from the damaged wire, then branch its ends in different directions. After that, it is necessary to punch a hole in the wall according to the dimensions of the junction box, using a puncher with a special wide crown.

The box is inserted into the opening, after which it is securely fixed with alabaster. Wires are carefully inserted into it, while the damaged cores must be connected by color and wrapped with electrical tape. After all the manipulations, the box with the repaired wires should be closed with a lid.

If the wires are placed in special tubes, then the broken wires should be pulled out, and new cables should be placed in their place with a pulling device.

In the event of a malfunction of the neutral wire, it is first disconnected from the bus by attaching a phase conductor. All subsequent repair operation coincides with the process described above.

Search for a break

With the help of such home-made devices, you can find the place where hidden wiring breaks. If a broken contact is detected, the device will stop beeping, the nature of the noise will change, or the indicator light will go out. However, these devices have one significant drawback: cable detection is impossible if the hidden wiring is at a depth of more than 5 cm.

But if there is an armature or other metal element in the wall, then the detection of hidden cables is more difficult, because. false signals will appear. This must be taken into account.

For the most accurate search for a break in hidden wiring, seekers are used that have the possibility of additional settings, which allows you to ignore large metal objects in the wall. This feature eliminates false signals. If there is direct access to the wiring along the entire length, then the damaged area is often visible to the naked eye. In the case when there is no visible damage, the search for a broken electrical wiring can be done using a conventional tester. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

1. first of all, it is necessary to de-energize the room by turning off the electricity supply in the electrical panel;
2. after that it is necessary to strip the wire in two places: at the outlet of the distribution block and at a distance of 1 meter from the notch made;
3. resistance is measured on this segment, then another notch is made after 1 meter and the procedure is repeated;
4. the resistance at all measured intervals should be the same. When the device finds a section where the value is very different or completely absent, a break occurred in this place.

If it is not possible to buy a special finder, but there is a great desire to solve the problem without outside help, you can assemble a primitive device to search for a broken wire with your own hands.

All you need is a working cartridge, a light bulb, two solid wires, a knife, pliers and electrical tape.

A light bulb is screwed into the cartridge, wires are connected. From the other ends, the insulating material is cleaned 4-5 mm from the edge.

Detection of a broken wire consists in connecting the tester to the wire under test, on which it is necessary to make notches with a knife (before stripping the cable, you must turn off the power supply).

If you find an area where the light on the tester does not light up, you need to start moving in the opposite direction, making notches at a smaller distance. After finding the desired location, the damaged section of the wiring will be replaced, all the notches made must be insulated.

It is advisable to find out the location of hidden wiring and draw up a detailed diagram before a break occurs. This will protect against damage to the cables during repair work. In case of accidental contact with hidden electrical wiring, at best, the room will be de-energized, at worst, human health will be harmed.

Causes of electrical breaks

If you follow all the rules for the use of electrical wiring, household appliances and electrical appliances, the power grid can last for several decades. However, with the rapid increase in the number of electrical appliances at home and at work, electrical damage is increasingly common.

Incorrect use of adapters can cause wiring problems

wasted. The main reasons for the phenomenon:

• Long cable life.For many years, the wiring can work productively and smoothly, but after a certain time, the material from which the cable is made begins to break down. Networks in such cases crumble into twists and leaks appear. Such violations inevitably first lead to interruptions, and then to a complete blackout.
• Incorrect use of adapters. Wiring problems can be caused by improper use of tees or extension cords. For example, this can be observed when several high-power household appliances are connected at the same time - washing machines or dishwashers, a refrigerator, a drill, etc.

• Mechanical damage. If you do not know the scheme according to which the wiring is laid, during repairs with a drill or hammer, when driving nails, you can break the integrity of the wire, break it and cause a short circuit. Even minor damage will show itself over time.

• Poorly executed wiring or the use of defective wires. Damaged and defective cables are prone to overheating, which leads sooner or later to fatal consequences. Also, the strands of wires can break off abruptly with a strong power surge.

In all these cases, it is necessary to immediately find the place of damage and eliminate it.