Hello,
I am a complete beginner: But how do you know where you are allowed to drill, for example in ceilings for light fixtures or in walls for pictures – especially if you have purchased an existing property built in 2016? According to VDE standards, the electrician should have installed cables 30cm (12 inches) above the floor or below the ceiling. But if the power cable for a lamp is hanging down vertically from the center of the ceiling – how do I know where I can drill without hitting the cable? Any tips or tricks?
I am a complete beginner: But how do you know where you are allowed to drill, for example in ceilings for light fixtures or in walls for pictures – especially if you have purchased an existing property built in 2016? According to VDE standards, the electrician should have installed cables 30cm (12 inches) above the floor or below the ceiling. But if the power cable for a lamp is hanging down vertically from the center of the ceiling – how do I know where I can drill without hitting the cable? Any tips or tricks?
bauenmk202027 Dec 2020 21:33Is it actually safer to drill using a corded drill connected to a power outlet (same electrical circuit) instead of a cordless screwdriver when there is a risk of drilling into an electrical cable?
Winniefred27 Dec 2020 22:54I hope it’s obvious to everyone that the power should be switched off beforehand 😱
Winniefred schrieb:
Hopefully, it’s obvious to everyone that the power should be turned off beforehand 😱 I’ve never turned off the power before drilling, at least not when drilling into walls. However, I would do it when working with a light fixture.
Hello,
what should change with a corded drill?
The cable doesn’t care whether it’s being drilled by a battery-powered drill or a corded drill.
If you cause a short circuit, the circuit breaker trips, the drill stops – but the cable is still damaged!
If you hit the neutral and/or the protective conductor, nothing happens.
If you only nick a live wire, it could be dangerous, not during drilling, but later when you screw something in; the screw and the attached component could be live.
The problem is: at first, you won’t notice anything, no breaker trips, everything seems normal.
It’s unpleasant if you’re, for example, attaching a bathtub grab bar or something similar.
That’s why RCDs (residual current devices / ground-fault circuit interrupters) should always be installed.
Regards, Olli
what should change with a corded drill?
The cable doesn’t care whether it’s being drilled by a battery-powered drill or a corded drill.
If you cause a short circuit, the circuit breaker trips, the drill stops – but the cable is still damaged!
If you hit the neutral and/or the protective conductor, nothing happens.
If you only nick a live wire, it could be dangerous, not during drilling, but later when you screw something in; the screw and the attached component could be live.
The problem is: at first, you won’t notice anything, no breaker trips, everything seems normal.
It’s unpleasant if you’re, for example, attaching a bathtub grab bar or something similar.
That’s why RCDs (residual current devices / ground-fault circuit interrupters) should always be installed.
Regards, Olli
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