How can I detect if there is electric wiring behind wall?

[Millian]

I want to drill into a wall to add a shelf but need to detect if there is electrical wiring.

 

The hole i want to drill is above the light switch and aligns to the outside edge of it. As you can see, there is the door bell towards the ceiling offset to the right. 

 

Will the wire detectors they sell at Thaiwatsudu detect wiring or might it bee too deep/thick?

[CallumWK]

When you remove the switches, you most likely will see which direction the tubes run. Either straight up or to the left or right.

The wiring from the bell I presume will go up the ceiling

[richard_smith237]

A stud finder...

 

[Crossy]

Grammar Police post removed.

 

Please remember that our members may not have English as a first language.

 

[Crossy]

As above, a combination of the Mk-1 eyeball (which way do the tubes go from the switch?) and a stud finder should do the trick.

 

Turn off the power if you're still nervous 🙂

[bluejets]

Isolating power first would be a given in any case.

Best advice would be put the shelf somewhere else.

You can be assured there will be quite a few cables behind the mortar and not necessarily in a straight plum line either.

[sometimewoodworker]

There is also the virtual standard that wiring is almost always either vertical or horizontal from fittings so the best option is to choose a different place for fasteners, that is certainly something you can do. Of course because TIT there is nothing to have stopped the builders from using any other orientation.

 

Choosing to drill vertically or horizontally from a fitting multiplies you chance of hitting a cable exponentially.

[Crossy]

Some light reading https://www.surreytechservices.co.uk/news/what-are-electrical-safe-zones/

 

[Millian]

I'd read that a stud finder isn't much use in concrete and will only detect a few mms deep.

 

I took the sockets off and observed the wiring routing was vertical. 

 

Turned off the power and drilled away and turned out fine.

 

Thanks