Stud finder is sensitive to the electric field; electric field depends on the distance (i.e. how far you are from the live wire) and the medium (i.e. the material between you and wire (air or other material). If you put some paper between the stud finder and the wall you decrease the sensitivity of the stud finder.

Can a stud finder find electrical wires?

Some electronic stud finders also can detect trace amounts of electrical current behind walls. Stud finders with this feature will give you a general idea of where wires are, and where they’re going, but won’t tell you exactly how many wires are in that spot.

How do you know if there are wires behind a wall?





According to Popular Mechanics, the best tool for locating wires is a stud finder with AC wire detection. Use painters’ tape around the area you wish to scan; this will serve as a place to mark the location of the wires after detection.

What can interfere with a stud finder?

Remove any nearby wall-mounted photos or other partly-metal objects that could interfere with readings on a magnetic stud finder and set them aside for now.

How far into the wall are wires?

an inch

2 – Avoiding wires



Most cables will be at least an inch deep into the wall, so by avoiding deep drilling, you can be sure to avoid wires.

Can stud finder detect pipes and wires?





A quality stud finder is capable of detecting pipes in your walls. Digital stud finders often come with a “deep scan” mode that detects objects that are recessed inside your wall. That makes these stud finders ideal for finding plumbing and electrical wires.

How do you find electrical wires behind drywall?


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How do you trace electrical wires?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: If you have the need to trace wires that are energized or receiving power. You can look for wire tracers that are made for live wires. These are typically more expensive. But they can come in handy.

What happens if you drill into an electrical wire?

If you suspect that an electric cable has been hit, it is absolutely necessary to repair it. You should immediately ensure that the power is switched off before touching anything. In the worst case, if the protective earth conductor has been damaged you otherwise run the risk of a fatal electric shock.

Are electrical outlets on studs?



Studs are sometimes located next to electrical outlets and light switches. Often times, locating studs is as easy as finding your electrical outlets and light switches. Standard outlets and light switches are fastened to studs. Remove the outlet or switch cover, then look inside the electric fixture.

Do electric wires run up or down?

Horizontally from any switch or socket – The zone runs horizontally from both sides of the socket or switch until it reaches a corner or an obstacle such as a door. Vertically from any switch or socket – the safety zone runs the width of the socket or switch both up to the ceiling and down to the floor.

Do plug socket wires run up or down?

Wires ‘NORMALLY’ travel down into the socket; however if the sockets are daisy chained (and an outlet most likely will be) in other words you will have more than one socket on a circuit; you will have wires traveling horizontally to the next outlet.

What happens if a nail hits a wire?



That nail has contact with electricity and anyone touching it that and is also grounded can die. It can also heat up the wire and cause a fire. Turn off the breaker for that circuit until it is fixed. Do not leave until it is fixed.

Can a stud finder mistake a pipe for a stud?

In our last video, ‘mapping a wall’ we discovered a wall can hide objects like pipes and conduit; which a stud finder will detect along with the studs. Here are Four ways to check to see if what you found is actually a stud: Studs should be about 16 to 24 inches apart Center to Center.

What does a C mean on a stud finder?

AC Scan is a dedicated Scan mode on certain MultiScanner ® tools that enables the user to narrow the location of live AC (using the interactive calibration technique). With AC Scan, the display changes to indicate when the tool is moving towards or away from the live electricity.

How do you find hidden pipes in the wall?

The best methods for finding plastic pipes in your wall are:

  1. Use a wall scanner.
  2. Use a stud finder to detect pipes while water is running through them.
  3. Use a borescope camera that links with your smartphone.
  4. Run water and use a stethoscope to locate pipes by sound.

Can a stud finder find copper pipes?



A good stud finder is capable of detecting copper pipes easily. Choose a model that has a metal detection feature and deep scanning mode. These two features allow you to scan deep enough to find pipes and identify metal installations in your wall. This stud finder is excellent for locating copper pipes in your wall.

Which is the best cable detector?

1. Radiodetection eCAT4+ Cable Locator. The eCAT4+ is the most used cable detector in the industry and our bestselling cable detector! It offers an excellent combination of features & capabilities at and incredibly affordable price.

Can you turn your phone into a stud finder?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: And it has a sensor in the back of your phone that detects metal are far nails or screws in your wall. So all you have to do is put this up roll it over your walls.

Is there an app to find electrical wires in the wall?

Wire Metal Detector is the App that allows you to detect power lines (wires) in distance up to 5 inches (12 cm) as well as metal by using a magnetic field sensor of your Android device. Thus, you can find hidden power lines in walls and other places as well as easy detection of metal objects with reduced false alarms.

Is there an app to find wires in walls?



Stud Finder by Antilogics



Built for Android, this stud finder is a convenient app to locate screws, studs, and other metal objects through your walls. The app works using the magnetic sensor of your phone so the ability to detect studs depending on the quality of your sensor.