10 TIPS to avoid Pipes and Cables in Walls

In this video I'm giving you 10 tips of how to avoid pipes and cables hidden in walls! Specifically based on UK practices and regulations but may apply wherever you are in the world - please check your own regs. This is a re-edit of my original version of this video with a few updates and also made a lot shorter. Really sorry, I rambled on far too much in the old version of this - I didn't think it would be so popular! Hopefully you'll find this version a bit more to the point - I really struggled to trim more than 10 minutes out of it.

The cable detector I use is a Bosch PDO 6 but it isn't made any more. I haven't tried either of the ones below - I'd try the cheap one first and if it doesn't work out try the Bosch. The cheap one seems to have better reviews! I put a LOT of stuff up on walls - from floating shelves through to attaching bookcases and furniture that I've built to walls. It's been 15 years since I've drilled through a pipe or cable and that wasn't even my fault. In this video I'm giving you some tips to help you find electric cables or plumbing pipes in walls. If you have any other good ideas for avoiding drilling through stuff you don't want to drill through pop it in the comments! Also let me know what the regs are like where you live! IMPORTANT: No digital detector is 100% accurate and it takes time to learn how to use them properly. Always take special care when drilling in to walls!

Gosforth Handyman Christmas Jumper:

These videos might be useful:

Here's some affiliate links to products I use or would consider using - read more about affiliate links at the bottom of this description:

UK Electrical Regulations - On-Site Guide:

Unbranded Digital Cable Detector:

Bosch Digital Cable Detector:

#GHTL #DIY #DIYTips

[jtcopacobana]

I was going to drill a hole for my TV bracket but now i am happy just to put it on the floor

[PCoutcast]

From this video I learned: Never drill into a wall for any reason :)

[SirBenJamin_]

You should do an April 1st version of this where you end up with a wall with no remaining uncovered taped area.

[jonnyd]

So, I followed ALL of this advice... Brilliant, only took me 6 hours to hang my new picture on the hall wall! 👍😂😂😉

[Kpsy]

My top tip; when you think you know where you want to drill a hole in a hollow-back plasterboard wall, before you drill, use a bradawl or a small screwdriver to poke a small hole through the board first. If the bradawl pushes through the board freely then there is likely to be nothing to worry about. This will give information up to a couple of inches deep. If there is anything behind the hole you can stop and relocate the hole if necessary. Using a power tool to make the first penetration in a wall is more risky than poking a small hole with a hand tool. Your force pushing the hand tool is much lower than the power of a metal drillbit spinning in a chuck.

I usually mark where I ideally want to drill, use a stud/pipe/cable finder, and if that shows all clear I make a small hole by hand to double check. This is also a good tip if you want to screw into a wooden stud and want to besure you are firmly on the stud before using a screw. The bradawl hole acts as a screw guide.

If you need to move the hole to a different position there is only a tiny hole to fill.

[beardedbanter]

Good tip: turn the heating on for 10 mins prior to drilling through. Reason being you will feel warm spots a lot easier.
Great video, was just about to start a project and needed a refresher. Clear and cheery. Thank you

[mreh]

So when your drilling into a wall hope for the best because wires and pipes could be anywhere?

[mangoyacho]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge -exactly what I needed to learn whilst doing our renovations!

[HCkev]

Cable installer here. Outside of avoiding obvious locations that could potentially have wires or pipes, as you've shown in the first part of the video, I simply avoid drilling into drywall, it's not even necessary to drill most of the time; I just poke a hole with a screwdriver(I start with a thin screwdriver then enlarge the hole with a bigger one, which happen to be the size I need for the cable I need to run). Not only it won't damage pipes or wires if any, but it also makes a nice smooth hole (as the drywall paper is pushed in) unlike drill bits. If I need a bigger hole, then I know I can proceed and drill with confidence now that I know I previously didn't hit anything with the screwdriver.

[CL-yjce]

Great video, thanks. I just moved into my new flat and tips gave me a lot more confidence to work around the hazards 😀

[dusttilldawn]

Cheers Andy and a big thankyou for the video on Electrical issues in the shop and at Home it was from your video that I took the decision to buy a detector and feel a lot safer when I do any electrics in my home and in the workshop

Again thank you

[Etrehumain]

Tip zero: make a massive hole to see what's behind then rebuild the wall

[hippopotamus]

I spent hours across a few days trying to find where I can drill. Bought 3 detectors, each more expensive than the last but was getting strange results everywhere. In the end I just went for it, and realised then that the plasterboard was metal backed everywhere.

[glenbrusk]

i hit one of those nail plates while driving in a screw and am glad i did saved me alot of headaches glad they followed code and installed those steel plates to protect pipes and wires thanks for video

[zeushe]

You could unscrew the switchboard and pull it out a little. You'll see the direction of the wires of the switches (Vertical/Horizontal). It's illegal to install wires diagonally but there are some houses with it.

[mischievousbimbo]

This is a brilliant video. So very informative. You certainly seem to know your stuff. Thank you.

[amandaclaybeauty]

You are so very lovely and very easy to listen too. You have taught myself - a novice - so much during lockdown whilst I've been out of work and it's very much appreciated. Thank you for all your help 😊. Now, let's hope I don't drill through a cable today as I reopen my salon tomo and I don't want to shut before I've even opened 🤣. Persimmon built our home so there could be wires absolutely anywhere. We found out after many leaks that the forman from our site (who's not a qualified plumber) did all out plumbing and we've been left with the huge bills ripping out bathrooms and toilets over the last 6 years as they will make it so you have to take them to court and not many of us can afford to do that which is how they get away with it! I'm sure you are familiar with how rubbish these new builds can be. Never again.

[billyireland]

1) Rule out the obvious (0:19)
2) Work out Danger areas (1:03)
3) Use a detector (5:21)
4) Use a blunt masonry bit (7:06)
5) Feel what's in the wall (8:05)
6) Look what's in the wall (8:46)
7) Avoid using nails (9:37)
8) Prepare for the worst (11:15)
9) Know how to switch services off (13:00)
10)...? Metal studs suck? (14:10)

[kevintodd]

Hi Andy.Back in the day when plumbers did a proper job and used copper pipes not plastic, you knew that pipes would be teed off at 90 degrees so you more or less knew where they were in relation to taps etc, but with plastic pipes I've found that ( especially in new builds) they can run at any jaunty angle.
I had a repair job not a million miles from you when a new build home owner hung a picture in the middle of a staircase landing wall and punctured a plastic pipe which ran diagonally from the top corner to the bottom corner. Keep up the good work and all the best for Xmas !

[sj_harris]

Great video as ever, but I now totally have the fear