Determining the location of damage to hidden electrical wiring in the apartment. What to do if the hidden wiring cable is damaged. Causes of malfunctions

The presence of electricity in the house today seems to be something self-evident, we remember it only if some breakdowns suddenly occur and we lose the opportunity to use one of the most useful inventions of the last millennium. However, when building a house, or when performing a major overhaul, it will be necessary to carefully consider all the nuances of laying electrical wiring - in the end, only a rational choice of the type of cable laying can provide home owners with an uninterrupted supply of energy necessary for the operation of lighting fixtures and all modern household appliances. .

Types of wiring, their advantages and disadvantages

It is difficult to clearly distinguish what type the electricity supply option used in the room belongs to, according to some - in the case of using hidden wiring, the wire laying route should not be noticeable at all, according to others - the option with a cable passing through pipes or cable channels should also be classified as a hidden type. In principle, the cable in this case is also invisible and is provided with protection against mechanical influences.

Traditionally, hidden wiring in a house involves laying all the wires in walls, ceilings, floors, slabs or baseboards. This option makes it more secure.

For laying wires can be used:

• metal pipes,
• flexible plastic corrugation or flexible metal hose,
• strobes or building recesses, which are subsequently covered with plaster,
• false ceiling space,
• plastic wall panels.

Hidden wiring in the house has some disadvantages, the main one being the difficulties that arise during installation work, including even installing a circuit breaker. Problems also arise when repairs or maintenance are required. However, the hidden option has a number of advantages that make it prefer hidden wiring.

The name itself suggests that all wires should be hidden from the eyes, i.e. the appearance of the room is not spoiled by wires laid on the walls or ceilings, they do not create obstacles when performing repair and finishing work.

The wires are under a layer of plaster or concrete, which significantly restrict the access of air, this contributes to a significant reduction in the level of fire hazard, in addition, such an arrangement of wires minimizes the possibility of contact with current-carrying cores. The service life of concealed wiring is much longer than open wiring, due to the protection of the wiring from exposure to sunlight and mechanical damage.

If we continue talking about the problems that the hidden arrangement of wires creates, then we should remember how problematic it can be to find the path laid by such electrical wiring, and with very high accuracy - otherwise there may be a risk of damage to it when performing work related to chasing walls or drilling holes.

When performing the installation of hidden wiring, it is required to provide for the location of the outlets - subsequently their installation will be quite problematic. The cross section of the wires used for laying hidden wiring should be larger than if the wiring were laid outdoors.

Requirements for concealed wiring

Among the basic requirements for concealed wiring is fire safety, especially care should be taken when wiring is installed in a wooden house and laid under the inner lining, steel or PVC pipes should be used for cable laying.

1. You should also consider the possibility of replacing or adding wires, if necessary, but, unfortunately, in practice it is not always possible to fulfill this requirement.
2. The wiring path should not be arbitrary, it is customary to lay cable transitions at a height of 2.5 m or under the ceiling, strictly horizontally or vertically, even if this leads to increased consumption of materials.
3. When laying the wiring, a plan must be drawn up, all junction boxes are indicated on it, it is imperative to adhere to the plan when performing work, it is also desirable to ensure its safety for the entire period of operation of the constructed power supply system.

Experts recommend that when performing hidden wiring, provide for the presence of a third conductor (PE), even if there is no corresponding main wire on the shield at the entrance at the time of connection, it will be possible to connect the left free wire when possible.

For rooms with a high level of danger (kitchen, bathroom), it is advisable to provide for the installation of differential circuit breakers or RCDs.

hidden wiring detector

Since finding damage to hidden wiring can be problematic, the use of special signaling devices will be required. These devices will help not only electricians, but also owners of private houses and even ordinary city apartments. The detector is quite safe in operation; its use does not require direct contact of the device with sockets or bare wires, it is safer than the commonly used tester.

With the help of a hidden wiring detector, it is easy to determine the exact location of the cable and accurately determine the location of the break, if any. When passing the location of the cable under voltage, the signaling device will give a visual signal - the LED light will turn on. To operate the device, it is sufficient to act on the electrostatic field generated by alternating current. Those. direct contact of the device with the wire is not required. Some models of detectors have an audible signal function.

Safe and easy to use, the non-contact detector will undoubtedly prove to be an essential item in the household - it will allow the home master to detect cables hidden in the walls without outside help and without the involvement of specialists, or to find the place of a broken circuit, which will greatly simplify repair work and eliminate the need to remove plaster from all over the wall.

Other methods for detecting hidden wiring

Unfortunately, often homeowners do not have reliable information about the exact location of hidden wiring cables, in addition, no one can give guarantees that the wiring exactly matches the plan, especially if the work was carried out several years, or even decades ago . The professional tools that we mentioned above are also not always at hand at the right time. It is likely that a situation will arise when it will be necessary to find damage to hidden wiring with the help of tools that will be at hand at the right time. Well, if you can find any testers, indicators, signaling devices, probes.

Of the modern tools that can be purchased at quite affordable prices, experts recommend paying attention to the following models.

1. Signaling device E-121, in the people it is often called the Woodpecker. It is readily used by professional electricians, the device is highly sensitive and allows you to detect a break in wires located in the wall at a depth of about 7 cm.
2. MS signaling devices are produced in China, except for the wiring located in the wall, they can easily detect any other metal objects located inside the walls (MS-58M tester). But at the same time, with the help of a tester, it will not be possible to find objects wrapped in foil - the foil serves as a screen that creates an obstacle to metal detection.

Working with signaling devices will require some preparation - the signal given when wires are detected will differ from that emitted when a metal object is detected.

POSP-1 devices are able to warn not only about the presence of wiring in the wall, but also to give a signal about the presence of an alternating electric field emitted, for example, by an electrical panel.

Different models of VP-4404 brand devices are distinguished by their ability to accurately find wire break points, which is the reason for the increased interest of professional craftsmen and home craftsmen in them.

Masters recommend: regardless of the signaling device used, hidden wiring in the wall should be searched for with the utmost care and accuracy, in compliance with the rules and regulations for this kind of work.

How to find hidden wiring in the wall using folk methods

If there are no modern signaling devices at hand, and buying them seems irrational due to the high cost, then you can apply the old methods that were used by the craftsmen in the past. One such option is to use a radio tuned to 100 kHz. Turning on the receiver, it should be slowly moved along the wall, in the places where the wiring is located in the speaker, there will be visible crackles and noises.

If it is possible to remove wallpaper from the walls, then the roughness on the concrete that is available at their location will help determine the location of the wires. If the installation work was carried out according to the rules, then the wires must run horizontally or vertically.

Hidden wiring in the wall - how to find a broken wire

The process begins by determining the damaged wire, whether it is phase or zero. You can determine this by touching a screwdriver with an indicator to the contacts of an inoperative switch or socket. In this case, when the switch is in the off position, only one of the contacts should be energized, in the on position, both. A working outlet has only one of the contacts energized. Having found the presence of a phase on the above devices, it can be assumed that the neutral wire is broken.

In the event of damage to an inaccessible section of the wiring, it is best to seek help from a professional electrician; it will be difficult to find the place of damage on your own, without the use of special devices.

If access to all sections of the wiring is available, then it will not be difficult to find a problem area by using any of the signaling testers.

The order of work will be as follows:

1. First, turn off the voltage on the shield.
2. Then the insulation is cut and small notches are made so that there is access to the metal conductor.
3. The first notch is made at the exit point of the wire from the junction box, the second - at a distance of about two meters.
4. Using a tester, measure the resistance in this area. Its small value indicates the absence of breaks.
5. A similar test should be performed on subsequent sections, until the device shows that there is no resistance.

If the place of the alleged breakage is located in a brick or plastered wall, then it is possible to detect it using a non-contact indicator designed to detect hidden wiring.

The correct laying of wires will greatly simplify the process of tracking the path of electrical wiring - horizontally or vertically, with obligatory turns strictly at an angle of 90 degrees.

Hello.

As I understand it, you entered into an agreement with the provider for connecting to the Internet, and during the work on the wiring of the cable, he damaged the common property in the MKD, which is this wire, unless of course this wire is not after the meter, because. in this case it is the neighbor's property.

Then you are not responsible.

Approved
Government Decree
Russian Federation
dated August 13, 2006 N 491
REGULATIONS
MAINTENANCE OF COMMON PROPERTY IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING
7. The common property includes an intra-house power supply system, consisting of introductory cabinets, input-distributing devices, protection, monitoring and control equipment, collective (general house) electrical energy meters, floor panels and cabinets, lighting installations in common areas, electrical installations smoke exhaust systems, automatic fire alarm systems for internal fire water pipelines, freight, passenger and fire elevators, automatically locking devices for entrance doors of an apartment building, networks (cables) from the external boundary established in accordance with clause 8 of these Rules to individual, common (apartment) electrical energy metering devices, as well as other electrical equipment located on these networks.

You are a consumer of a service (work), and therefore the performer is responsible for any actions. which resulted in damage to any other third parties.

Article 1095
Harm caused to life, health or property of a citizen or property of a legal entity due to structural, prescription or other defects in a product, work or service, as well as due to inaccurate or insufficient information about a product (work, service), is subject to compensation by the seller or manufacturer of the product, person, who performed the work or rendered the service (performer), regardless of their guilt and whether the victim was in a contractual relationship with them or not.
Article 1096
2. Damage caused as a result of shortcomings in work or service shall be subject to compensation by the person who performed the work or provided the service (performer).
Article 1098
The seller or manufacturer of the goods, the performer of the work or service is released from liability if he proves that the harm arose as a result of force majeure or violation by the consumer of the established rules for using the goods, the results of work, services or their storage.
LAW
ABOUT CONSUMER PROTECTION
Article 14
1. Harm caused to the life, health or property of the consumer due to design, production, prescription or other defects in the goods (work, service) is subject to compensation in full.
2. The right to demand compensation for damage caused due to defects in the goods (work, service) is recognized for any victim, regardless of whether he was in a contractual relationship with the seller (executor) or not.

If the wiring is properly designed and installed in accordance with the requirements of the Electrical Installation Code, malfunctions rarely occur in it.

However, if the power supply to any part of the circuit is interrupted, the problem should be found and corrected. In this article, we will tell you how to find a break in hidden wiring in the wall.

Let's see how to find a malfunction in the wiring? Malfunctions occur due to incorrect or careless installation, violation of the integrity of the insulation, wire breakage, poor contact between circuit elements or network overload. The fault is indicated by:

• No zero;
• Absence ;
• Lack of phase and zero at the same time;
• spark;
• Short circuit.

Indirectly, a malfunction is indicated by too frequent operation of protective automation.

Classification

Most often, malfunctions occur at the junctions of wires at, at the points of connection to the contacts of automatic machines or switches of the lighting network. Such malfunctions belong to the first class, they account for more than half of the cases of electrical network failures. All of them are relatively easy to detect and eliminate.

Second class of faults- damage to hidden wiring during repairs during drilling, chiselling and other work related to the need to penetrate into the thickness of the concrete structure. Due to repairs, a screw or a nail may be driven into the wiring. In such cases, there is a high probability of a short circuit in the wall.

Minor damage to the insulation does not always show up right away, it can take months or even years for the problem to show up.

Third class- a wire break directly in the wall without outside intervention. This is a rather rare occurrence and the share of third-class faults accounts for about 20% of cases of malfunctions. A break can occur due to severe wear of the wiring made of aluminum wire, overloads in the network or a malfunction.

The cause of the break may also be violations of the installation technology., for example, twisted connections, mechanical damage to the insulation or incorrect calculation of the wire cross section for a specific connection group.

The most “harmless” consequence of a wire break is the lack of voltage at a single connection point, the entire connection group, or the whole apartment. In the event of a break in the neutral conductor, in addition to de-energizing a single branch or an apartment as a whole there is a threat of overloading the healthy part of the network. Sparking wiring or a short circuit can lead to more serious consequences, including a fire.

Search Procedure

To search for a break you will need:

• Locator or other device for searching for a break in hidden wiring in the wall;
• Screwdriver;
• pliers;
• Knife with insulated handle;
• Insulating tape.

First of all, you need to define an emergency connection group. If you have, there is nothing complicated about it. If there is a phase on the damaged outlet, then turning the machines on and off, you can find the wire you are looking for. The presence of a phase is checked by an indicator. The connection group in which the problem has been identified should be completely disconnected from the machine, disconnecting all cable cores.

After that, you need to sequentially ring all the connections, starting from the cable in the shield until you find the place where the sockets are connected by one core. If there is access to junction boxes, they must be opened. If there are no problems inside, the damaged core is called from the connection.

If the boxes are not available or the wiring is done without them, you need to remove the sockets along the entire length of the damaged area and ring through them. Most often, problems occur in the first outlet, since it accounts for the maximum load. If the damage is still not found, then it is inside the wall.

looking in the wall

The fastest way to locate a break in a phase conductor is search with locator. The device consists of a receiver and a generator. The generator is connected to a damaged wire: the negative terminal of the device is attached to the whole core and grounded at the access shield, the positive terminal is connected to the damaged core.

After that, the generator is turned on and into the whole core, impulses are supplied from it. The locator receiver must be moved along the wiring route.

The receiver responds to pulses from the generator and emits an audible signal. Above the gap, the sound signal stops.

To clarify the localization of the gap, the generator is connected to the other end of the damaged area and the search procedure is repeated. Ultimately, the audio signal disappears at the previously detected point.

Counter search for the accident site- a necessary condition, since the accuracy of determining gaps is usually about 10-15 cm. The more accurately the location of the damage is detected, the less work will have to be done.

Sometimes problems arise with the neutral wire. In such cases, when checking the contacts on the indicator screwdriver, a faint glow is observed when it comes into contact with the zero contact. People who do not have experience in troubleshooting the electrical network interpret this as "two phases". When checking with a multimeter, any voltage can be fixed on the contact in the range from 0 to 220 V.

It should be remembered that when zero breaks, a faulty outlet can shock because it has a phase. The search for a zero break is performed in exactly the same way as the search for damage to a phase conductor.

If there is no locator at hand, you can find the place of the cliff using a radio receiver. The receiver is tuned to any channel of the medium wave range, an electrical appliance of small power, for example, an electric razor, is plugged into the emergency outlet. The included receiver is slowly moved along the route.

The integrity of the wire is indicated by noise, crackling or other interference.. Over damage, the nature of the interference changes or they disappear altogether. What other devices can determine the breakage of hidden wiring, find out from this.

In the place of violation of the integrity of the cable, the strobe is opened with a perforator or with a hammer.

Troubleshooting

If the problem occurs in new wiring, the ends of the wire must be connected. The connection is made as follows:

In some cases, the damaged area must be completely replaced by pulling it through with a pulling device.

The procedure for repairing a damaged neutral conductor is slightly different from repairing a phase. The neutral wire is disconnected from the bus and a phase wire is attached to it.. After that, all other actions are performed in the same way as when eliminating a phase break.

Prevention

It is extremely difficult to identify and eliminate hidden wiring defects, but some troubles can be avoided. Before proceeding with any repair work involving penetration into the thickness of the walls, you should find hidden wiring using a locator or any other available device.

If we are talking about old-style wiring made of aluminum wire, it is advisable to replace it completely as soon as possible.

The main measure to prevent power failures is proper design and strict adherence to installation rules.

There are many reasons for electrical wiring problems, and everyone can do all the removal work. In this article, we will look at ways to identify damage and the process of their elimination.

What could be the reasons for the broken wiring?

A break in the wiring can happen at any moment, as well as at a time when the wires are energized. Damage can be caused by any malfunction, for example, wire marriage, poor-quality wiring, and so on. In places where the cable is damaged, the wires will constantly heat up, and in case of increased voltage, a wire break occurs.

The causes of malfunctions can be mechanical damage, which is preceded by hammering nails or inaccurate drilling of holes in the wall. Also, other reasons may be the lack of light or electricity in the wall, which means that all the plugs in the system have burned out, due to an increase in the voltage in the network. This happens when one phase or all are overloaded. An increase in voltage in the electrical network can also cause a wire break.

How to deal with a broken wire

If there is a break in the wiring in the electrical network, then it can be of two types:

• break in hidden wiring;
• break in open wiring.

How to detect an open with a transistor receiver

In the case of a hidden system, you need to find the location of the problem in the wall. Finding a cable line is easy with the help of an ordinary transistor receiver. To start the procedure, you first need to connect any device to the outlet, for example, an electric shaver. In this case, your receiver must be restored to the medium wave range, and move it over the entire surface until you find the location of the problem. Determining a wire break at a particular point will be accompanied by noise and crackling when you pass a certain area.

Finding a wire break in different networks using a tester

In the absence of electricity within the apartment, it is necessary to determine whether the voltage is supplied to the meter. To do this, it is necessary to touch the contacts of the meter with an indicator tester, before turning off the machines in the electrical panel. If there is no voltage when pointing the tester at the meter, it means that the place of damage is in front of the meter. Otherwise, when the voltage is shown on the meter, this means that a break has occurred in the apartment. In some cases, all faults can be eliminated by replacing the fuses. In more difficult cases, it is necessary to troubleshoot the system, which we will discuss later.

The process of detecting a broken wire within the home can sometimes be difficult to find, especially if the cause is an overload of the system or mechanical problems in the wire. The place where most often there is a break in the wiring is movable boxes. This is due to the fact that at moments of high resistance, the wires can burn out.

Of course, in the case of open wiring, it is easier to find the point of damage, and in the case of hidden wiring, it is possible to rip off the entire circle of plaster in an apartment or house. This is necessary because the wires have two-core plastic insulation, which makes it quite difficult to find the point of failure. In such cases, it is recommended to seek support from specialists, because the amount of work is very large.

How to detect a break in open wiring

Before starting all electrical work, you must prepare and find the following tools:

• voltage detection tester;
• special screwdriver-indicator;
• screwdriver;
• pliers;
• knife with insulated handle;
• insulation materials;
• non-contact indicator of a hidden electrical wire.

In many cases, the proximity indicator is screwed into an indicator screwdriver. But, in order to determine the efficiency and accuracy of the work, it is necessary to double-check the wall for the absence of metal elements that can interfere with finding a broken wire.

How to identify a break in open wiring: a step-by-step process

1. First you need to determine the type of damaged wire, for example, phase or zero.

2. This is done with the assistance of an indicator screwdriver, which determines all contacts of switches or sockets for their serviceability.

3. If it is determined that the socket is energized, then only one of the contacts is present in it. In the case of a circuit breaker, at the moment of power amplification, only a single contact will be open or all will be closed.

4. If this screwdriver detects that the phase is operational, it means that the damage has occurred on the neutral wire.

In the case of hidden wiring, the point of damage to the wire can only be determined or repaired by electricians. Otherwise, when the fault is in an open system, finding a broken wire is easy using an electrical tester.

5. To determine the break point, it is necessary to turn off the voltage for the base in the junction box, as well as on the wire.

6. At the point where the wire is connected to the junction box, the main incision is made, that is, the waterproofing is notched. This is carried out in order to expose the cable to its metal base.

7. After, after about a meter, a new incision is made. On the marked area between the two notches, the electrical resistance is determined by the tester. If the indicators are too small, then the gap is not located here.

8. Next, after the second cut, through a meter, you need to work out another notch, and measure the voltage level in the new area. A similar procedure is carried out until you find the wire break point, and the resistance is displayed on the tester. Within this meter, there will be a break in the wiring.

9. The next step involves limiting the line of the damaged area. Further, in the same way, it is necessary to make cuts on the wiring, but with a smaller distance between them. For starters, an interval of half a meter is suitable. This will determine which part is showing resistance. When determining the area, it is necessary to carry out the procedure again with incisions already with a smaller distance. Using an electrical tester in the given case, a wire break can be determined with considerable accuracy, even measuring the damage distance to the millimeter. In many cases, the need for accurate measurement is not necessary, because the damaged area is located earlier.

10. After the stage of determining a wire break, the repair is eliminated, and all open areas are insulated back.

How to detect a break in a hidden electrical network

A break in hidden wiring has more complexities than an open system. Troubleshooting can be done in two ways:

• with the assistance of the acoustic method;
• using the inductive search method.

Finding damage to cables can be done using the acoustic option. To complete this procedure, the presence of these elements is required:

• generator to be connected to the cable;
• headphones;
• acoustic specialized sensor.

The process occurs by listening to the damaged area using the above devices. At the point of searching for a break in hidden wiring, characteristic clicks will be heard in the headphones. It is important that the generator can be tuned to the required frequency.

In the case of the inductive cable break method, the generator is connected to the power cable. The situation of connection to the system can be different, as evidenced by the type of damage. The load level is set, after which a specialized sensor and headphones are used for listening. At the moment of high load, the specialist will hear a certain signal at the point where there was a break in the wiring in the wall.

General instructions for finding a broken wire

There is a certain order for searching for a broken wiring, regardless of the type of damage and search breaks.

So, the search process is carried out as follows:

1. Before starting to search for the place of damage, it is necessary to disconnect the electrical cable power from any sources.

2. In some cases, cable insulation is burned to reduce the level of resistance;

4. In some electrical work, locators are used. With their assistance, you can easily and quickly determine the cable line, as well as find all the conductive wires that have a certain voltage level or not. In this case, a generator can be used for the best effect, which can be purchased along with individual models of locators.

In the modern world, especially in European countries, they began to use a new technology for conducting cable networks. It lies in the fact that some beacons or markers are installed in the wires. By using locators when searching for a cliff, these elements help pinpoint the location of the problem. This is very efficient and convenient for electrical work, although such a system has not been installed in our country.

How to find a break in a brick or concrete wall

To determine the point of failure in a concrete or brick base, it is worth using a non-contact indicator to detect hidden wiring. Before starting work, you need to know the fact that all cables in such buildings are installed in a horizontal and vertical position. In this case, all turns in the arrangement are made at right angles. On the one hand, this helps to determine the layout of wires and cables from the box to the outlet as correctly as possible.

To the question: how to find a wire break in the wall in the delivered episode, you need to use the indicator. Along the network of cables, it is moved along the wall, and in the area where the break happened, be sure to hear a characteristic signal. As a rule, the device stops beeping at the points of broken wiring.

To detect faults in a concrete or brick base, other methods can be used: an oscillatory discharge, a capacitive method, and a step voltage method. In these episodes, the determination of the point of damage and its correction is carried out with the assistance of companies that are engaged in electrical work and are licensed to carry out these procedures.

Special companies, as a rule, have not only experience in work, but also the necessary tools, materials, and equipment, which is designed to eliminate all problems. In situations where you yourself carry out electrical work, you must remember safety precautions, as well as follow clear instructions. The main thing is to make sure that you turn off the electricity in the entire apartment or house several times.

How to fix a broken wire

With the question: how to find a break in the wiring, we figured it out. This is a rather important stage, which requires care and accuracy in the work. The process for fixing a broken wire is as follows:

1. Before starting work, turn off the phase wire.

2. Using a hammer, it is necessary to remove all plaster from the surface, including the right and left sides from the center of damage. Approximately, you need to release about 10 - 15 centimeters.

3. Separate the two ends of the interrupted wire to different ends.

4. Using a hammer drill and special hole saw, make a hole in the wall to fit the junction box.

5. After that, it is necessary to place a box in the opening and fix it with alabaster.

6. Place the wires carefully into the box.

7. If there is a reserve, damaged wires must be combined by color and wrapped with electrical tape.

8. After that, the box with the restored wires must be closed with a lid. Now the repair place can be covered with plaster. In a situation where the wiring is in special tubes, the broken wires are carefully pulled out. Instead, you need to insert new wires using a pulling tool.

We covered the phase wire troubleshooting process. To carry out the repair of the neutral wire, all steps remain the same, except for the first. At the beginning of work, you need to disconnect the neutral wire from the bus and attach the phase wire to it. Further, all troubleshooting steps remain the same.

In fact, all work with devices for breaking wires and troubleshooting has been completed, after which you can turn on the electricity in the room.

The process of finding a wire break, as well as its elimination, requires certain knowledge. In a situation with open wiring, everyone will be able to complete all the procedures, and in moments with hidden wiring, it is better to contact specialists. We hope that this article will help determine the location of the cliff, as well as eliminate them using special devices.

If the light goes out in the apartment or the socket does not work, this may occur due to a break in the electrical wire.

To fix the problem, you need to invite a professional electrician or try to find the damage and fix it yourself.

Consider how to find a wire break in the wall, what devices will be needed for diagnostics and how to fix the problem.

Causes of wiring damage

Wires can be damaged during repair

The reason for damage to the electrical wire may be the use of thin, low-quality cables, violation of the installation technology, network overload, damage during construction and repair work, etc.

A power failure is indicated by:

• frequent operation of the machine on the shield;
• sparking;
• short circuit;
• the absence of a phase, zero separately or both at the same time.

Consider in the table the classes of faults and their characteristics:

№	Fault class	Characteristic
1	First	It accounts for more than 50% of all malfunctions. Occurs at the junction of conductors, their connection to the contacts of sockets, switches, electrical panels.
2	Second	If, during the repair, a nail was hammered or a wire was drilled with a puncher. This may cause a short circuit.
3	The third	In 20% of cases, a rupture occurs without outside intervention. It can occur due to cable wear, network overload, or a malfunction in the operation of the residual current device.

Most often, a break occurs at the junction of wires and the connection of conductors to contacts. These problems are relatively easy to detect and repair. Small damages can make themselves felt after a long time.

Fault Finding Tools

There are tools with which you can find a malfunction in the electrical system:

№	Tool type	Characteristic
1	Screwdriver with indicator	This is the simplest and most inexpensive device. The indicator is able to indicate the damaged area, located no more than 30 cm from the place of diagnosis.
2	locator	Designed to locate hidden or exposed live cables to eliminate cable breaks without damaging the insulation in conductive communications.
3	Signaling device E 121, they call it "woodpecker"	With this simple device, you can ring the presence of a wire at a depth of 7 cm.
4	MS signaling device	It reacts equally to the current conductor and metal fittings. Does not show foil cable. Due to its low cost, it is suitable for private use.

To troubleshoot the electrical network, you will need pliers, electrical tape and a sharp knife with an insulated handle.

We determine the malfunction with a tester

The tester will show if voltage is applied to the meter

If electricity is lost in the apartment, using a tester, we determine whether voltage is supplied to the meter. First, turn off the machines in the shield. If there is no current in the shield, then a break has occurred before the counter. If there is current, then there is a break in the apartment.

All current-carrying cables are located in a vertical and horizontal position, their turns are performed at right angles. Such a scheme simplifies the search for conductors leading from the outlet to the box.

Sometimes, to fix a breakdown, you just need to replace the fuses. Often cables burn out in junction boxes.

Looking for a break point

Turn off the power first

Before starting work, you need to turn off the power to all power sources. To lower the resistance, burn the insulation on the cable.

To find which one is damaged, you need to know all the wiring elements. Rupture or damage may occur in the area between:

• boxes;
• box and socket;
• box and switch;
• box and lighting fixture.

To find the location of a break or damage between the switch and the box, you will need a single-pole voltage indicator.

To determine the fault area, remove the box from the switch, put the toggle switch in the on position, check the presence of a phase on the contacts. If the phase is missing, then the damaged area is located between the box and the switch.

If the device shows the presence of a phase, then we check the contacts on the switched on lighting device. In the absence of a phase on the luminaire, a break is located between the luminaire and the junction box.

If there is no light, there is a phase on the switch, but it is absent on the lamp, which means that an error was made during installation, the phase and zero are reversed.

This means that the fault must be sought in the area between the box and the switch. We carry out diagnostics through the contacts of the lighting device.

If the phase does not reach the switch, this indicates that the wires are reversed between the switch and the box. We are looking for a malfunction, we connect the wires correctly. In this case, it is dangerous to replace the bulbs even when the switch is off.

The fastest way to find a problem

The signal will be interrupted over the break section

If the house has a locator, it can be used to quickly identify the location of the damage.

Search sequence for the damaged area:

1. We connect the generator of the device to the wire in the following sequence: the negative terminal to the undamaged cable, the positive terminal to the damaged one. Grounding is connected to the switchboard.
2. We call the receiver along the cable location, the signal will be interrupted above the breakage area. To more accurately determine the location of the break, we carry out the same operation, starting from the other end of the damaged wire. For more information on diagnosing ruptures, see this video:

If the neutral wire breaks, you need to be careful, the socket can shock.

grandfather's ways

Previously, when there were no instruments at hand, they managed to find the damaged area using the devices discussed in the table:

№	Way	Application
1	We are looking for a place where the cable passes by eye	If a breakdown occurred during the repair, when the old wallpaper was removed from the wall, you can see the strobe for laying the cable along the wall. There is a chance to find a place for wiring under plaster or putty if it goes in a strip. But if the entire wall is plastered, it will not work to visually determine the location of the strobe.
2	Receiver or radio	Set the device to medium wave. We drive them near the wall, listening for sound distortion and crackling. Over the damaged area, the nature of the interference will change or they will disappear altogether.
3	Microphone connected to the player	We drive them along the wall by analogy with the receiver. In the place where the cable passes under voltage, interference will occur. At the place of the cliff, they will stop or their character will change.

With the help of the old-fashioned methods described above, it is possible to determine the damaged area with an error of 150-200 mm.

Debugg

Wiring repairs must be carried out in a safe manner.

Step-by-step instructions for repairing a phase cable:

1. Turn off the conductor with the phase.
2. We release from the plaster on the wall a section of 150-200 mm from the center of the cable break.
3. We drill with a perforator according to the size of the junction box, in which we will connect the damaged section.
4. We part the ends of the dangling conductor.
5. We fix the box on the alabaster, insert the wires into it, connect it correctly, fix it with insulating tape. For detailed answers to the question, see this video:

If you need to replace the zero cable, first disconnect the zero from the bus, attach a phase to it. Then install the junction box and connect the wiring.

If the cables are in a housing made of tubes, they must be removed and new ones pulled into the housing using a special tool.