Electricity everywhere! ... Seriously

Electricity everywhere! ... Seriously

Author
Discussion

andharri

Original Poster:

166 posts

157 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
Hi,

Was trying to put up a new toilet mirror in a house we have just bought.

Being a good a boy I did a quick detector check in the area I wanted to drill for live wires etc.

The entirety of the toilet wall is indicating live wires, as is the whole of the adjacent wall!

I then went to the bathroom upstairs where I was installing another mirror and same again, in fact large chunks of the entire house are showing live wires with not one but two detectors.

I did a systematic check and the issue goes away for the downstairs toilet if I turn off the "kitchen sockets" fuse which is connected to an RCD (that isn't tripping). The toilet backs onto the kitchen so that makes sense.

So any ideas what this might be? Lead paint? eddy current??

House is 1950s roughly with black/red wiring. Two RCDs with 4-5 fuses per RCD

Thanks

bobtail4x4

3,701 posts

108 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
foil backed board and a dodgy connection?

call a decent sparkie in

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

169 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
FFS just call a local registered sparky.

This is way beyond armchair experts & forum posts.

andharri

Original Poster:

166 posts

157 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
Alucidnation said:
FFS just call a local registered sparky.

This is way beyond armchair experts & forum posts.
Maybe I fking will!

phumy

5,671 posts

236 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
andharri said:
Alucidnation said:
FFS just call a local registered sparky.

This is way beyond armchair experts & forum posts.
Maybe I fking will!
Well you just fking go right afkinghead and fking do as you fking jolly well fking want.

Lotobear

6,232 posts

127 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
...it's not a BISF or other system built fking house is it?

(edited with added profanity)

Edited by Lotobear on Tuesday 27th October 12:08

andharri

Original Poster:

166 posts

157 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
phumy said:
Well you just fking go right afkinghead and fking do as you fking jolly well fking want.
Don't fking swear!

andharri

Original Poster:

166 posts

157 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
Lotobear said:
...it's not a BISF or other system built fking house is it?

(edited with added profanity)

Edited by Lotobear on Tuesday 27th October 12:08
Nah all brick and timber framed

Lotobear

6,232 posts

127 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
a timber framed 1950's house, ...it is system built then

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
If its a standard house that hasn't been too bodged over the years and you have a rcd/rcbo then you should be able to work out how the cables are run.

Older houses don't have as much wiring either, its not like modern and bodged houses where there are sockets everywhere

Or just get a sparky who could map out rooms for you

Sheepshanks

32,533 posts

118 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
andharri said:
The entirety of the toilet wall is indicating live wires, as is the whole of the adjacent wall!

I then went to the bathroom upstairs where I was installing another mirror and same again, in fact large chunks of the entire house are showing live wires with not one but two detectors.
If you put your free hand on wall do the detectors still show voltage present?

Jambo85

3,311 posts

87 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
Intrigued - please keep us updated OP biggrin

guindilias

5,245 posts

119 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
I had a live wall once when someone had plastered a choc block into the wall when moving a light switch. No insulation round it, nothing, just slapped it in. Only noticed when I was papering it and put my hand on the damp plaster - faint tingle. eek

PositronicRay

26,958 posts

182 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
A sparky was telling me of something similar.

A nail for a picture into the live, apparently like this for yrs. Only discovered when the wall was damp from a leak.

V8RX7

26,766 posts

262 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
Slowly drill through the PB with a 6mm masonry drill (no hammer action) unless you're an idiot you won't go through a cable with it - it's also easy to look in the hole to see what you're drilling into

Teddy Lop

8,294 posts

66 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
Most detecting/tracing tools are a dark art in usage.

Use an old blunt screwdriver to carefully make a hole, cable will be spongey, if you hit brick after half to an inch you're good to drill

andharri

Original Poster:

166 posts

157 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
Thanks for everyones comments. I think first port of call will be a sparkie ... wonder if I should use the same guy who passed the electrical safety check when it was rented last year?!

Will let you know the outcome!


Gareth79

7,628 posts

245 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020
quotequote all
Teddy Lop said:
Most detecting/tracing tools are a dark art in usage.

Use an old blunt screwdriver to carefully make a hole, cable will be spongey, if you hit brick after half to an inch you're good to drill
Just turn off the power first of course... (the whole house)