DIY Tracing Wires in Walls
Tracing house wires becomes necessary during repair or maintenance. Electrical, cable and telephone wires are installed behind walls, which is why tracing them can be slightly challenging. Because you don’t want to incur costly repairs associated with knocking these walls over, consider using a circuit tracer device that helps determine the locations of the wires in each circuit, allowing you to mark them on the walls without breakage. The tracer kit includes a transmitter than sends out the signal and a receiver that catches it. Together, these work to pinpoint the exact wire locations. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Circuit tracer
- Colored pencils
- Masking tape (optional)
- Scissors (optional)
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Instructions
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Plug in the tracer transmitter into the wall receptacle that is on the desired circuit you wish to trace. Ensure all other electronic devices are switched off, since they may interfere with the transmitter’s signal and prevent it from locating hidden wires.
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Tune the transmitter and receiver. Hold the receiver near the transmitter and turn the dial until it begins to produce a loud, continual beeping sound and steady light.
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Position the receiver against the wall, close to the transmitter, and slowly begin to slide it across the wall. As the receiver approaches a hidden wire, it begins to blink and produce a faint sound.
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Move the receiver slowly along the wall until the sound grows louder and the light becomes more solid, indicating it is directly above the wire. At this point, mark the location of the wire on the wall with colored pencil. Continue this process until you map the hidden circuit wires on the wall.
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Turn off the transmitter and remove it from the wall receptacle. Remove the bulb from the light fixture that is closest to the circuit you want to trace, and insert the transmitter into it. After tracing utility circuits, you want to trace the lighting circuits that are typically wired separately.
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Set the receiver on the wall near the transmitter, and slowly slide it across the surface until it signals the location of an electrical wire. Repeat the process for tracing the wires on the walls, but use masking tape or a pencil in a different color to avoid confusing these locations with the previous wires.
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Tips & Warnings
Wire circuit tracers are easily available in hardware and electrical supply stores.
The signal becomes weak as the distance between the transmitter and receiver increases along a wall. You may need to re-tune the dial several times when tracing the wires.
