What to do if the hidden wiring cable is damaged. What are the types of wiring faults and how to fix them? What factor can damage the wiring?

Regardless of the cause, a short circuit in the electrical wiring is one of the most unpleasant (in terms of diagnosis and repair) malfunctions of any electrical circuit - in an apartment, private house or industrial premises. Especially severe case is a closure hidden electrical wiring, because the wires are hidden under a layer of plaster. Even if the home electrician’s tools include devices that will help you find the location of the damage without opening the walls, you will still need to remove the wires to repair it.

Types of wiring short circuits, their causes and search methods

It would seem that the reasons for a short circuit in power wiring and their varieties are different issues, but in fact they are closely intertwined. In fact, a short circuit is a consequence of a number of reasons why the phase wire is in direct contact with the neutral wire, or the insulation between them does not prevent the occurrence of an arc discharge (of course, if there is voltage on the conductors). The main reasons why the wiring shorts and what the consequences may be, by which you can determine the location of the breakdown, are as follows:

Physical wear of insulation

Occurs over time and due to even minor but regular temperature changes.

Usually, in this case, the insulation gradually becomes brittle from flexible - cracks appear on it, in which moisture or dust can accumulate. In the event of an unfavorable combination of circumstances, this can provoke the occurrence of a short circuit through a microarc, and this is the most difficult case from the point of view of troubleshooting.

At the same time, outwardly all the wiring looks intact, but when voltage is applied to it, over time it knocks out the circuit breaker.

The search for the vast majority of faults in an electrical circuit occurs on the principle of checking “weak links” - these are any contacts, transitions - all those places where the outer insulation of the cable is exposed during installation. Therefore, in hidden wiring, troubleshooting should always begin in sockets, boxes and panels.

As a result - in this case, a careful inspection of the wiring is carried out - if the circuit breaker is already knocked out, then perhaps the place where the insulation is damaged will be burnt and it will become visible. In some cases, it is necessary to “stress test” the wiring by applying increased voltage to it. This is a rather extreme method, because in essence you have to provoke a full short circuit in the electrical wiring, after which the location of the fault is visible to the naked eye.

For hidden wiring and finding microcracks in the insulation, you can also use a megohmmeter, but it will only show the presence of a short circuit in a localized section of the electrical circuit, and will not be able to determine the location of its occurrence.

After we find the fault, then depending on general condition Wiring needs to be decided whether to change the cable or make do with restoring the insulation using electrical tape.

An example of the operation of a megohmmeter is in the video:

Damage to insulation by rodents

This is a fairly common occurrence in rural areas, and even in industrial conditions such breakdowns are far from uncommon - mice gnaw through the outer insulation of cables, then the inner insulation and short-circuit the phase with zero.

The difficulty in finding such a malfunction may lie in the fact that it is unknown where the mouse could have chosen a place for its “meal”. But on the other hand, usually the location of the damage is clearly visible, so a superficial inspection of the wire, albeit along its entire length, is sufficient.

It should be taken into account that a complete short circuit does not always occur here - sometimes the mouse can partially damage the insulation and short the wires not directly, but through itself. In this case, there is a high probability of finding the location of the wire damage by looking at the dead animal, which is chained to the chewed wire by a spasm from the electric current. Although sometimes it happens that the mouse is thrown away from the cable, especially if it manages to short-circuit the wires directly and a complete short circuit occurs in the chewed wiring.

Significant overheating of cable insulation

This is not always noticeable to the eye, but when voltage is applied to the wires, an electromagnetic field begins to act on them, which tends to straighten their metal part. As long as the wire is operating normally, this does not matter much, but if too powerful a consumer is connected to it, the wires will begin to heat up. When, as a result, the insulation becomes soft, the conductors, under the influence of the electromagnetic field, will loosen the plastic from the inside, and over time, they will completely break through it. As a result, a complete short circuit will occur and the circuit breaker will be knocked out, and if you are completely unlucky, the cable insulation itself will catch fire.

Until the wire insulation melts, it is impossible to visually notice that it is becoming soft - therefore, after laying a new line or connecting additional electrical equipment to it, it is necessary to check whether the cable is heating up.

Wire manufacturers usually indicate on the labels how much short-term heating the insulation can withstand, but in any case, if overheating has already occurred, then it is better to change the cable.

Direct connection of phase and neutral wires

The reasons why the power wiring is directly shorted can be very diverse - from simple carelessness, which is sometimes allowed during installation, to an accident due to a storm or other natural disaster.

The main thing here is that with direct contact between phase and zero, there is always an abrupt increase in current strength and temperature on the current-carrying conductors. In most cases, the wires are not designed to withstand short-circuit currents, so a mini-explosion occurs at the point of contact, as a result of which the insulation burns out, and flying molten particles of current-carrying conductors carry its ashes around. In this case, there is no particular problem in how to find a short circuit in the wiring - everything is visible to the naked eye - the wires are melted and everything around is covered in soot.

Here it is especially necessary to take into account that soot, which covers the entire adjacent surface, like dust, in certain concentrations is capable of conducting electricity, therefore, when eliminating the consequences of a short circuit, it must be thoroughly cleaned.

How to prevent a short circuit

The easiest way is to follow the recommendations specified in the PUE - almost all entries in this book are preceded by some kind of accident or at least an emergency situation. Well, since most likely no one will learn the rules, you should at least be guided by common sense, which dictates the following:

If the wiring is old, then replacing it is highly recommended. If for some reason this is not possible, then at a minimum, you need to inspect the contacts of the sockets and assess whether they require additional insulation.
If the apartment is flooded by neighbors from above, then, even if nothing is short-circuited, this is a reason to reconsider the twisting of the wires in the distribution boxes - under the influence of moisture, the sticky side of the electrical tape loses its properties.
Care must be taken when driving nails into walls - unsuccessful hammered nail brings with it a lot of headaches in replacing a broken wire.

You can also simply take a photo of the wires before they are hidden in the wall.

In the private sector, it is imperative to take additional measures to protect wiring from rats and mice - there are a fairly large number of ways to combat rodents found by home electricians - these can be metal corrugations, coating cables with mastic and other methods.
If you had to plug a powerful device into the outlet, then it’s worth double-checking whether the contacts and the insulation condition are not burnt.

An example of searching for a short circuit with a special device is in the video:

Elimination of short circuit consequences

Most often, it all comes down to replacing the damaged section of the wiring, and it is almost guaranteed that you will need to extend the cable instead of its burnt-out piece. The basic rules are as follows:

The space adjacent to the place where the short circuit occurs must be thoroughly cleaned of soot - it can provoke a recurrence of the short circuit.
You should not skimp on the wire and try to leave the current-carrying core on which the insulation has burned - it is always better to completely replace the wire.
If a full circuit has not yet occurred, but the sockets have begun to melt, then you should not try to repair them - after numerous heating/cooling, the structure of the metal changes and the device becomes more vulnerable.

If the wiring begins to short out “from old age” (the insulation has become brittle), then this is an urgent signal for a full repair - in any case, it will cost less than eliminating the consequences of a possible fire.

As a result, should we be afraid of a short circuit?

Usually the process of a full short circuit occurring in the electrical wiring takes place very quickly - everything happens within a fraction of a second, after which the protection is triggered. Old-school electricians even have a dark humor on this topic: “Turn it on - if it has a short, we will see it right away.” This means that all necessary security measures must be applied before an emergency situation occurs, and if it does occur, then all that remains is to eliminate the consequences.

If the electrical wiring is properly designed and installed in accordance with requirements of the PUE, malfunctions rarely occur in it.

However, if the power supply is interrupted in any part of the circuit, the problem must be found and corrected. In this article we will tell you how to find a break in hidden wiring in the wall.

Let's figure out how to find a fault in the electrical wiring? Malfunctions occur due to incorrect or careless installation, violation of insulation integrity, broken wires, poor contact between circuit elements or network overload. A malfunction is indicated by:

Absence of zero;
Absence ;
Absence of phase and zero at the same time;
Sparking;
Short circuit.

Indirectly, a malfunction is indicated by too frequent operation of the protective automation.

Classification

Most often, malfunctions occur at the places where the wires are connected, at the places where they are connected to the contacts of automatic machines or switches of the lighting network. Such malfunctions classified as first class, they account for more than half of the cases of problems electrical network. All of them are relatively easy to detect and eliminate.

Second class of faults– damage to hidden wiring during repairs when drilling, chiseling and other work related to the need to penetrate into the thickness concrete structure. As a result of repairs, a screw or nail may be driven into the wiring. In such cases, there is a high probability of a short circuit in the wall.

Minor damage to the insulation does not always show up immediately; the problem may occur several months or even years later.

Third class– wire break directly in the wall without outside intervention. This is enough a rare event and class three faults account for about 20% of fault cases. A break may occur due to severe wear of the wiring made of aluminum wire, network overload or malfunction.

The cause of the break may also be violations of the installation technology., for example, twisted connections, mechanical damage to the insulation or incorrect calculation of the wire cross-section for a specific connection group.

The most “harmless” consequence of a wire break is a lack of voltage at a single connection point, at an entire connection group, or in the apartment as a whole. If the neutral conductor breaks, in addition to de-energizing a single branch or an apartment as a whole there is a threat of overloading a healthy part of the network. Sparking wiring or a short circuit can cause more serious consequences until a fire occurs.

Search procedure

To find a cliff you will need:

Locator or other device for searching for a break in hidden wiring in the wall;
Screwdriver;
Pliers;
Knife with insulated handle;
Insulating tape.

First of all, you need to define an emergency connection group. If you have, there is nothing difficult about it. If there is a phase on the damaged socket, then By turning the machines on and off, you can find the wire you are looking for. The presence of a phase is checked by an indicator. The connection group in which a problem is detected should be completely disconnected from the machine, disconnecting all cable cores.

After this, you need to sequentially ring all the connections, starting from the cable in the panel to finding the place where the sockets are connected by one wire. If there is access to distribution boxes, they need to be opened. If there are no internal problems, the damaged core is dialed from the connection.

If the boxes are inaccessible or the wiring is done without them, you need to remove the sockets along the entire length of the damaged area and ring through them. Most often, problems arise in the first outlet, since it bears the maximum load. If the damage is not found, it means it is inside the wall.

Looking in the wall

Most quick way detecting the location of a phase conductor break - search using a locator. The device consists of a receiver and a generator. The generator is connected to the damaged wire: the negative terminal of the device is attached to the whole core and grounded on the access panel, the positive terminal is connected to the damaged core.

After this, the generator is turned on in the whole core, and pulses are sent from it. The locator receiver must be moved along the wiring route.

The receiver responds to impulses from the generator and emits a sound signal. The sound signal stops above the rupture point..

To clarify the location of the break, the generator is connected to the other end of the damaged area and the search procedure is repeated. Ultimately, the sound signal disappears at the previously detected point.

Counter search for the accident site- a necessary condition, since the accuracy of determining breaks is usually approximately 10-15 cm. The more accurately the location of the damage is detected, the less work will have to be done.

Sometimes problems arise with the neutral wire. In such cases, when checking the contacts, a faint glow is observed on the indicator screwdriver when it comes into contact with the zero contact. People who have no experience troubleshooting electrical faults interpret this as “two phases”. When checking with a multimeter, any voltage in the range from 0 to 220 V can be detected on the contact.

It should be remembered that if the zero is broken, the faulty socket can produce an electric shock, since it has a phase. Searching for a zero break is carried out in exactly the same way as searching for damage to a phase conductor.

If you don’t have a locator at hand, you can find the break point using a radio receiver. The receiver is tuned to any medium-wave channel, and a low-power electrical appliance, for example, an electric razor, is plugged into an emergency socket. The switched on receiver is slowly moved along the route.

Wire integrity is indicated by noise, crackling or other disturbances.. Above the damage, the nature of the interference changes or it disappears altogether. Find out what other devices you can use to determine if hidden wiring is broken.

In the place where the integrity of the cable is broken, the groove is opened with a perforator or a hammer.

Troubleshooting

If the problem occurs in the new wiring, the ends of the wire must be connected. The connection is made as follows:

In some cases, the damaged area must be completely replaced by pulling it through using a broaching device.

The procedure for repairing a damaged neutral conductor is slightly different from repairing a phase. The neutral wire is disconnected from the bus and the phase wire is attached to it. After this, all other actions are performed in the same way as when eliminating a phase loss.

Prevention

It is extremely difficult to identify and eliminate hidden wiring defects, but some troubles can be avoided. Before starting any repair work involving penetration into the thickness of walls, you should find hidden wiring using a locator or any other available device.

If we're talking about about old-style wiring made of aluminum wire, it is advisable to replace it completely as soon as possible.

The main measure to prevent electrical network problems is proper design and strict adherence to installation rules.

Damage to electrical wiring, although infrequent, does happen, and any owner in his house or apartment should be able to find the causes and location of the damage. This article was written to help you in this simple matter.

In it we will look at troubleshooting methods, the most likely damages and, of course, ways to eliminate them.

The reasons for a short circuit in electrical wiring are quite varied, but most of them are related to its improper operation and non-compliance with standards during installation.

We will list only the most common causes of damage:

The first and most common is aging wiring. Like everything in our world, wires do not last forever. They are subject to oxidation, which changes them physicochemical characteristics. At the same time, not only the wire material, but also the insulation is subject to aging. This is especially pronounced in aluminum wires.
The second, but no less important factor is wire overload. The reason for this could be: incorrect choice electrical wiring cross-sections (see), as well as connecting electrical equipment for which it is not intended. Due to overload, the wire overheats, which destroys its insulation and changes its physical and chemical properties.

Also, any instructions will indicate to you that it is not correct connection wires leads to their accelerated aging. After all, contact connections are the weak point of any electrical wiring, and they must be made in accordance with clause 2.1.21 of the PUE. This clause allows the use of only welding, soldering and screw or bolt clamping methods to connect wires.
Well, in last place in our article is human activity. Due to flooding, intentional or accidental damage to the wire insulation, or mechanical impact, a huge amount of damage occurs.

Finding the location of wiring damage

Finding the location of the damage will greatly facilitate the electrical wiring plan, if you have one. This will not only significantly reduce the search area, but will also eliminate unnecessary actions in an undamaged section of the power grid. But usually there is no such plan and you have to search in the hope of compliance generally accepted norms and rules.

Definition of damage

Before we begin searching for the location of the damage, we should determine the nature of the damage. We will consider damage to a single-phase 220V network, since this is what is used in most houses and apartments.

For a three-phase circuit, there can be significantly more damage options, and just determining the nature of the damage will require much more effort.

So:

To determine the nature of the damage, we will consider two main options. The socket doesn't work and the lighting doesn't work. For normal operation These devices require that a phase and neutral wire be connected to them. If they do not work, then one of the wires is not suitable and we need to determine which one.

To further determine the location and nature of the damage, we will need a two-pole voltage indicator. With its help, we check the presence of a phase in the socket. If there is a fault in the lighting network, then we check for the presence of a phase directly on the lamp or the connection point of the lampshade.

Note! When checking the presence of a phase at the connection point of the lampshade or chandelier, the lighting circuit breaker must be turned on. If the phase is present, then turn off the switch and make sure that it is gone. If the phase is still present, then the connection of your lighting network does not comply with the PUE standards. This will greatly complicate further DIY searches.

If the phase is present, then most likely we have a break in the neutral wire. This is much worse, because it is more difficult to determine. In order to accurately verify that the neutral wire is broken, you can use two options. Both of them can only be used with precautions and only by people with at least a knowledge of basic electrical engineering. Otherwise, it is better not to perform this check.

So:

Option number one. We find the zero contact on the nearest outlet. We connect a wire of sufficient length to this contact. We check for the presence of a circuit between this wire and the neutral contact of a non-working socket or lighting network.
Option two. In the distribution box of the damaged area, after removing the voltage, disconnect the phase wire of the damaged area. It should be insulated. In its place we connect the neutral wire of the damaged area. Apply voltage and check for the presence of phase on the contact, which was previously zero. The absence of a phase is sure evidence of a break. Having convinced ourselves of this, we restore the previous scheme.

Finding the location of damage during a break

Having determined the nature of the damage, you can begin directly searching for its location. In more than 50% of cases, the site of damage is one of the contact connections.

After all, this is the weakest point. Therefore, we begin the search by inspecting the contact connections of the socket, switch or lampshade.

Using this method, we will not only eliminate one of the possible reasons, but we will also significantly narrow the search area. So, by checking the contact connections, you can say exactly in which area the zero or phase is lost.
Now comes the fun part - pinpointing the exact location of the damage. If you use an open wire laying method, then a simple visual inspection of the wire in this area will reveal the problem in 90% of cases. Otherwise, you can replace the entire wire.
If you have hidden wiring, then everything is a little more complicated. To search, you will need a wiring plan, at least an approximate one, and a special device for searching for damage. But the cost of such a device is quite high. Some suggest creating your own device to search for a damaged element. But personally, I use a much simpler method.
To do this, you will need a non-contact voltage indicator. The price of this device is not high, and in general it makes the work much easier. This indicator works from the influence of the electromagnetic field that exists around any live wire.
If the wire is not laid under a very thick layer of plaster, then a non-contact indicator is usually sufficient. When it is brought near a live wire, it begins to glow or make sounds, or both. You simply move the pointer along the line of possible wire laying until the indication disappears.
If the indication disappears, then at this point you check that you have not simply lost the wire or that it has not turned. If everything is correct, then this point is your place of damage.

Note! To avoid making a mistake, check that adjacent room no socket or switch. Also, check everything a few more times before you start repairing the damage.

But, you say, what about the place where the neutral wire is damaged? Its indicator cannot be determined. Yes, it won’t determine. Therefore, the neutral wire should be made phase, as we did when checking the integrity of the neutral wire.

Finding the location of damage during a short circuit

We will separately consider the question of how to find the location of damage during a short circuit. Indeed, with this damage, it is not possible to apply voltage to the damaged area.

When voltage is applied, the machine turns off or the plugs burn out:

In order to exclude a short circuit, we should get rid of it. A short circuit is a connection between uninsulated phase and neutral wires. To eliminate this, you should disable one of them.
To simplify further search, the neutral wire is usually disconnected. He is isolated and taken aside. After all, when you turn on the machine that supplies the damaged section of the network, it will be energized.

Note! While performing these operations, no electrical appliances should be powered from the sockets or lighting network of this group. All of them must be removed from the sockets, otherwise they may be damaged.

Now we apply voltage to the damaged section of the circuit. If there are no other short circuits, then the machine should not turn off. Otherwise, it is necessary to look for contact of the wire with grounded parts or a short circuit with the neutral wire of another group.
If the machine does not turn off, then we carry out further search, as in the case with a broken phase wire. If a short circuit occurs with the wires going to the socket or switch burning out, you can easily identify the damage.
You can check whether the wires are burnt out or not by simply checking for the presence of a phase in the socket or switch in the damaged area. If there is a phase, then this indicates that at least one wire has not burned out.

In this case, searching for the location of the damage becomes extremely difficult and it is almost impossible to do it at home. Therefore, it will be easier to either unhook the damaged area or install completely new wiring.

Repair of damaged area

Repairing a damaged area is quite simple (see). Although ideally a new wire should be installed, temporary repairs can be made to this area. To do this, it is important to use a wire with a cross-section no smaller than the existing one and made of the same material.

So:

First of all, we will have to remove the layer of plaster under which the wiring is hidden. This should be done carefully so as not to damage it further.
We make sure that we have correctly identified the location of the damage by the presence of a break or traces of a short circuit.
We cut the damaged wire and connect to it a small insert made of wire of the same material. The connection is best done by soldering or pressing. This will significantly reduce the depth of the required niche for subsequent plastering of the wire.

It is best to use heat shrink as insulation, which will be much easier to put on and which will again save space.
After repairs, check the functionality of your network by applying voltage and turning on the load. If possible, apply a higher load and check that there is no increased heat at the joints. If everything is fine, you can plaster the niche with the wire.
It is better to reapply voltage and put it into operation after the plaster has dried.

Conclusion

As you can see, finding the location of wiring damage and troubleshooting is not such a difficult task. The main thing is to follow safety measures and have a minimum set of knowledge.

After all, there are videos that are best example what happens to those who, without understanding electricity, try to repair it.

The presence of electricity in the house today seems to be something taken for granted; we remember about it only if some kind of breakdown suddenly occurs and we lose the opportunity to use one of the most useful inventions last millennium. However, when building a house, or when performing it overhaul, you will need to carefully think through all the nuances of laying electrical wiring - in the end, only a rational choice of the type of cable laying can provide home owners with an uninterrupted supply of energy necessary for work lighting fixtures and all modern household devices.

Types of electrical wiring, their advantages and disadvantages

It is difficult to clearly distinguish what type of electricity supply option used in the room belongs to, according to some - in the case of using hidden wiring, the route for laying the wires should not be noticeable at all, according to others - the option with a cable passing through pipes or cable channels should also classified as a hidden type. In principle, the cable in this case is also invisible and is protected from mechanical influences.

Traditionally, hidden wiring in a home involves running all the wires into the walls, ceilings, floors, slabs, or baseboards. This option makes it safer.

For laying wires the following can be used:

metal pipes,
flexible plastic corrugation or flexible metal hose,
grooves or construction recesses, which are subsequently covered with plaster,
space under the suspended ceiling,
plastic wall panels.

Hidden wiring in the house has some disadvantages, the main one being the difficulties that arise during installation work, including even installing a circuit breaker. Problems also arise when repairs or maintenance are required. However, the hidden option has a number of advantages that make it necessary to give preference to hidden wiring.

The name itself suggests that all wires should be hidden from view, i.e. appearance premises do not damage the wires laid on the walls or ceilings, they do not create obstacles during repair and finishing work.

The wires are located under a layer of plaster or concrete, which significantly restricts the access of air, this helps to significantly reduce the level of fire hazard, in addition, this arrangement of the wires minimizes the possibility of contact with live conductors. The service life of hidden wiring is much longer than open wiring, due to the protection of the wiring from exposure sun rays and mechanical damage.

If we continue the conversation about the problems that the hidden arrangement of wires creates, then we should remember how problematic it can be to find the path laid by such electrical wiring, and with very high accuracy- otherwise, there may be a risk of damage to it when performing work related to gating walls or drilling holes.

When installing hidden wiring, it is necessary to provide points for the location of sockets - subsequently their installation will be quite problematic. The cross-section of the wires used for laying hidden wiring must be larger than if the wiring were laid externally.

Requirements for hidden wiring

Among the main requirements for hidden wiring is provision fire safety, you should be especially careful when installing wiring if it is carried out in wooden house and is laid under the inner lining, steel or PVC pipes should be used for laying the cable.

You should also consider the possibility of replacing or adding wires, if necessary, but, unfortunately, in practice this requirement is not always possible.
The route for laying the wiring should not be arbitrary; it is customary to lay cable transitions at a height of 2.5 m or under the ceiling, strictly horizontally or vertically, even if this leads to increased consumption of materials.
When laying wiring, a plan must be drawn up; all branch boxes are indicated on it; adherence to the plan when performing work is mandatory; it is also advisable to ensure its safety for the entire period of operation of the constructed power supply system.

Experts recommend that when performing hidden wiring, provide for the presence of a third conductor (PE), even if there is no corresponding main wire on the panel in the entrance at the time of connection, it will be possible to connect the wire left free when the opportunity arises.

For rooms with high level hazards (kitchen, bathroom), it is advisable to provide for the installation of differential circuit breakers or RCD.

Hidden wiring detector

Since finding damage to hidden wiring can be problematic, the use of special alarms will be required. These devices will help not only electricians, but also owners of private houses and even ordinary city apartments. The detector is completely safe to use; when using it, there is no need for direct contact of the device with sockets or bare wires, i.e. it is safer than the commonly used tester.

Using a hidden wiring detector, it is easy to determine the exact location of the cable and accurately determine the location of the break, if any. When passing the location of a live cable, the alarm will give a visual signal - the LED light will turn on. To trigger the device, the influence of the electrostatic field generated by alternating current. Those. Direct contact of the device with the wire is not required. Some detector models have a sound signal function.

Safe and easy to use, the non-contact detector will undoubtedly turn out to be a necessary item in the household - it will allow home handyman without outside help and without the involvement of specialists, detect cables hidden in walls or find the location of a circuit break, which will greatly simplify renovation work and will eliminate the need to remove plaster from the entire wall.

Other methods for detecting hidden wiring

Unfortunately, homeowners often do not have reliable information about the exact location of hidden wiring cables; in addition, no one can give guarantees that the wiring exactly corresponds to the plan, especially if the work was carried out several years, or even decades, ago . The professional tools we mentioned above are also not always at hand at the right time. It is likely that a situation will arise when it will be necessary to find damage to hidden wiring using means that are at hand at the right time. It will be good if you can find any testers, indicators, alarms, probes.

From modern means, which can be purchased at very affordable prices, experts recommend paying attention to the following models.

Alarm E-121, popularly called Woodpecker. It is readily used by professional electricians; the device is highly sensitive and allows you to detect a break in wires located in the wall at a depth of about 7 cm.
MS signaling devices are produced in China; in addition to the wiring located in the wall, they can be used to easily detect any other metal objects located inside the walls (MS-58M tester). But at the same time, using the tester, it will not be possible to find objects wrapped in foil - the foil serves as a screen that creates a barrier to detecting metal.

Working with alarms will require some preparation - the signal given when wires are detected will be different from the one emitted when any metal object is detected.

POSP-1 devices are capable of warning not only about the presence of wiring in the wall, but also giving a signal about the presence of an alternating electric field, emitted, for example, by an electrical panel.

Different models of VP-4404 devices are distinguished by their ability to accurately locate wire breaks, which is the reason for increased interest in them professional craftsmen and home craftsmen.

Experts recommend: regardless of the signaling device used, hidden wiring in the wall should be searched with the utmost care and precision, in compliance with the rules and regulations for performing this type of work.

How to find hidden wiring in a wall using traditional methods

If you don’t have modern signaling devices at hand, and buying them seems irrational due to the high cost, then you can use the old methods that were used by craftsmen in the past. One such option is to use a radio tuned to 100 kHz. After turning on the receiver, it should be slowly moved along the wall; in the places where the wiring is located, audible crackling and noise will appear in the speaker.

If it is possible to remove wallpaper from the walls, then the roughness on the concrete in the places where they are placed will help determine the location of the wires. If installation work were carried out according to the rules, then the wires must run horizontally or vertically.

Hidden wiring in the wall - how to find a broken wire

The process begins by identifying the damaged wire, whether it is phase or neutral. This can be determined by touching a screwdriver with an indicator to the contacts of a non-working switch or socket. In this case, when the switch is in the off position, only one of the contacts should be energized; when the switch is on, both should be energized. A working socket has only one of its contacts energized. Having detected the presence of a phase on the above-mentioned devices, we can assume that the neutral wire is broken.

If damage occurs to an inaccessible section of the wiring, it is best to seek help from a professional electrician; it will be difficult to find the location of the damage on your own, without the use of special instruments.

If you have access to all sections of the electrical wiring, then it will not be difficult to find the problem area using any of the alarm testers.

The order of work will be as follows:

First, the voltage is turned off at the panel.
Then the insulation is cut and small notches are made so that there is access to the metal conductor.
The first notch is made at the point where the wire exits the junction box, the second - at a distance of about two meters.
Using a tester, measure the resistance in this area. Its small value indicates the absence of breaks.
A similar check should be performed in subsequent sections until the device shows that there is no resistance.

If the location of the suspected break is located in a brick or plastered wall, then it can be detected using a non-contact indicator designed to detect hidden wiring.

Will greatly simplify the process of tracking the path of electrical wiring correct gasket wires - horizontally or vertically, with mandatory turns strictly at an angle of 90 degrees.

This material will help you deal with electrical wiring problems in your apartment. Electrical wiring installed in accordance with all standards and rules has been working properly for more than one year. Its damage is most often caused by voltage drops in the network, the inclusion of faulty electrical appliances, malfunctions of protective systems or mechanical damage.

Breaks in the circuit mainly occur as a result of corrosion and fractures of the strands formed due to frequent kinks and weakening of contact bends. In damaged areas of the wire (inside the insulation) may form electric arc, capable of causing a short circuit, the consequences of which can be very tragic.

If the lights in your apartment suddenly go out, first of all you need to check the presence of voltage in the electric meter using a test indicator. If there is voltage in the meter - the source of the problem is in the apartment, the light in the tester does not light - the violation must be looked for in the network in front of the meter. In the first case, you should try to turn on and off the automatic packetizer or press the automatic fuse button. If the power goes out due to a simple power surge, this should help.

It is much more difficult to find problems in the electrical wiring of an apartment that appear as a result of mechanical damage or overloads. Very often, a wiring break may be located in the ceiling junction box. In this place, due to overheating of the wires or failure of solder contacts due to increased resistance, localized fires sometimes occur.

Mechanical damage to hidden wiring most often occurs when nails are driven into walls or when drilling holes with a drill. To prevent such damage, before carrying out any work, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the layout of the apartment electrical wiring.

If the location of a mechanical break in the wiring is known, it must be carefully opened, the damage repaired, observing all safety rules, and carefully repaired.

In the case where the damage site is located in a cord with plastic insulation, it is almost impossible to visually find it. To do this, it is best to call a professional electrician. But if you still decide to troubleshoot the electrical wiring yourself, you will have to use a special tool to locate the break.

The simplest and most convenient device for detecting a break in wiring is a probe (ohmmeter). This device consists of a scale with an electromagnetic needle, a current limiting resistor, a galvanic element and cords with probes.

Two probe probes are applied to the wire in which the damage site is supposed to be located and the location of the break is determined by the oscillations of the arrow. The main rule that must be observed when manipulating the probe: do not work under voltage!

Professional electricians use special, more complex devices to detect breaks in electrical wiring: clamp meters, digital multimeters, multifunction testers, etc. Working with such tools requires special training and a certain level of skill, but it guarantees a 100% accurate diagnosis of the condition of the electrical wiring.

Therefore, to fix serious electrical wiring problems, it is best to contact specialists.