TOP 20 best hidden wiring detectors for 2022

Almost everyone will say that repairs are a costly and tedious event. But not everyone knows that it can be life-threatening. But thousands of people regularly suffer injuries of varying severity from unplanned contact with hidden live wiring. A special device – a detector – will help protect yourself from such a situation. We have prepared for you a rating of the best hidden wiring detectors for 2022.

Expert's choice:

Model	Price
1.STAYER 4520-48	from 500 rubles
2. Sparta 938225	from 800 rubles
3.ADA instruments Wall Scanner 50	from 900 rubles
4. Bosch PDO 6	from 3000 rubles
5. BISON Master DX-350 45265	from 2500 rubles

Mini rating

Metal and hidden wiring detectors: concept, types, principle of operation

Hidden wiring detector
How to find a live cable in the wall? In such situations, you cannot do without a device for searching wiring. It is quite simple and has a wide range of uses. It is used during renovations of apartments and houses to find wires in a concrete or, for example, wooden wall. Also, detectors are often used in the process of car repair.

The operating principle of the device is based on the generation of certain vibrations. The device generates them itself, so it easily reads the vibrations that come from the wiring and sends a signal to the diode. It starts flashing, notifying you that wires have been found.

All detectors are divided into three categories:

• testers;
• indicators;
• metal detectors.

The first ones are simple and highly reliable. But they are recommended for indoor use, as high humidity levels can create unnecessary interference. Also, testers do not react well to steel; it is a strong interference for detecting wires. Despite this, the devices have found wide application, being used in various fields.

Indicators are even simpler, but they only “see” wires under high voltage. Therefore, their range of operation is greatly limited.

Classic metal detectors, by their operating principle, cannot be classified as effective devices for detecting wiring, since they react to any metal objects. As a result, the process of searching for wires may drag on indefinitely. But still, in some situations such devices will be useful.

Important! Detectors are widely available on the market. Therefore, initially decide on the type of device and only then start looking for a suitable model in the store.

Folk and old-fashioned search methods

Good devices for detecting hidden wiring cost a lot of money. Therefore, there is no point in purchasing them if you need to make a couple of holes in the wall. It is possible to find wiring at home using old-fashioned or folk methods.

These methods are not very accurate and reliable results. But they allow you to identify the cable using available tools. For traditional detection methods, you will need devices such as:

• hearing aid;
• radio;
• compass;
• smartphone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOhEbo4vW9k

Additional Information. If you need to find the junction box from which the wires diverge, you can do without instruments. You will need a screwdriver with a solid handle. The box is an empty cavity. If you tap a wall with a screwdriver, then where there is solid concrete, the sound will be dull, and where the frame is, it will be loud.

Hearing aid cable detection

Older models of hearing aids are able to detect cables embedded in walls quite effectively. Examples of such devices include the AK-1. The device is equipped with a “telephone” function. It is designed to allow people with hearing impairments to talk on the phone without unnecessary interference.

Hearing aid “AK-1”

Working in this mode, the device is able to sense electromagnetic waves from wiring. To search, the device must be moved along the wall at the location of the suspected cable. Current must flow through the wire under test during detection.

Radio search

The method based on the principle of detecting a wire is similar to the previous one. Radio receiver antennas pick up alternating electromagnetic fields with a frequency of 50 Hz. Therefore, the radio is able to sense a current-carrying wire located at a distance of 30-50 mm. Cheap receivers with poor noise immunity are especially sensitive.

Before searching in the wall, you should check the operation of the radio on an open wire. For example, on the one that powers the table lamp. Bring the receiver close to the conductor and adjust for maximum sensitivity. Then, without changing the reception and volume parameters, you need to start searching for the cable in the wall. You should search with both the receiver itself and the antenna, depending on which is more susceptible to interference.

Additional Information. The radio receiver is able to find a short circuit in the wall. The wire with the suspected short circuit should be disconnected from the network. Then apply a signal to it from a powerful low-frequency generator and listen to the trace with a receiver. The short circuit will be in the place where the sound signal from the generator disappears. In a similar way, it is also possible to find a breakdown between the phase wire and the ground. However, the method will not work if there is a break in the line. The circuit must be closed.

Compass

The method of detecting hidden wiring using a compass has a completely logical physical justification. A cable hidden in the wall creates an alternating electromagnetic field. It interacts with the constant field of the compass needle and sets it in motion. To do this, the wire must not be broken so that the current that creates the fields can flow.

In fact, the method is dubious. You can try it, but you shouldn't rely on it seriously. Residential wiring does not carry large enough currents to create powerful electromagnetic fields. The force that acts on the needle of a compass applied to the wall is not enough to displace it.

There is another problem. Household wiring emits an alternating field. If the compass needle could deviate from its influence, it would move left and right 50 times per second. This is hardly possible to notice with the eye.

Smartphone app

There are applications for smartphones that allow you to turn your device into a metal detector. For this trick, the phone must be equipped with a magnetic sensor. This is a radio component that is physically connected to the motherboard. Without this element, no application will force the smartphone to show where the cable runs.

If the phone's hardware is equipped with a field sensor, then the method has a right to life. Its effectiveness depends on the depth of the cable and the talent of the programmers who developed the application.

Additional devices connected to the smartphone via USB are highlighted separately. They contain the electronics necessary to find cables in the wall and display an informative picture on the phone screen, but they cost a lot of money, and purchasing such attachments just to hang a picture is a dubious proposition.

Finding the wiring with a professional device with sufficient accuracy will ensure that you do not damage the cable in the wall. The detector must be of good quality, and you must know how to use it correctly. There are plenty of similar devices on the market; finding them is not difficult.

Finding wiring using a smartphone

However, there is no point in buying professional equipment if you need to make several holes. In such a situation, it is easier to use old-fashioned or traditional search methods. But you should understand that they cannot 100% guarantee that you will not hit the wire with a drill and damage it.

Leading manufacturers of sensors for detecting hidden wiring

Wire and metal detectors are produced by many companies. If you have never purchased such devices before, then focus only on the most famous and reliable manufacturers:

1. Rexant . A domestic company that does not produce products itself, selling items produced at Chinese industrial sites. Devices from this brand are affordable and quite reliable. Wiring sensors have different types of indication and are lightweight.
2. Precision Mastech Enterprises Co . The Hong Kong company is in great demand on the market, since its testers are able to “see” even cables that do not work. In addition, they do not damage the insulation and are most often equipped with a display on which all information is displayed.
3. Duwi. The company from Poland has been producing measuring instruments and other specialized products for a long time. Meters of this brand are in demand among professionals and ordinary people, as they are able to “see” wires at great depths. They are equipped with screens and a convenient notification system.
4. Bison This Russian manufacturer is well known on the market. It produces lightweight and easy-to-use meters equipped with displays, backlighting and sound indication.
5. Allsun. The Chinese manufacturer offers consumers very worthy products. It “sees” at great depths, is capable of working at low and high temperatures, and is also very light.
6. Eltes. A company from Ukraine has been producing scanners for over 20 years. They are durable and have high sensitivity, thanks to which they even detect a break in the line.
7. Bosch. Leader in scanner production. The company produces devices that scan walls to a depth of 7 centimeters. In addition, they recognize different metals and are extremely easy to operate.

Principle of operation

Determining hidden wiring involves the same principle as a metal detector. The device contains a scanner that sends and receives special signals.

By comparing the sent and received waves, it determines and estimates the density of the medium. The calculation results appear on the display.

Most detectors are capable of detecting various metal objects, wires, voids, wood and plastic.

Everything is shown on the display

Many even not very expensive models of equipment can respond to electromagnetic radiation and detect electrical wiring that is energized.

It is worth remembering that the detection of hidden wiring by a detector is influenced by many different factors:

• Strong influence of various fields. Electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic.
• The presence of various foreign metal objects of various sizes.
• Humidity of the wall.
• Conductive properties of the surface.
• General room humidity.
• Nearby wires.

There is a light alarm
. Important! Some devices not only show that there is wiring, wood and metal elements in the wall, but also indicate at what depth they are located. Usually the depth is slightly higher than the numbers shown by the detector.

There are also devices that detect metals using a magnetic field. Only metals react to a magnetic field, namely pipes, screws, bolts and wires. Such devices are usually cheaper and quite accurately determine the location of metal elements. With reinforced concrete walls it is much more difficult to determine what is where. Some devices, in addition to metals, detect both plastic and wood.

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There is a sound alarm

If the device finds something, it can notify you about it in several ways:

• Sound signal. May have different durations and tones. Based on the signal, you can determine what the device has detected.
• Light signal. When wiring or any foreign elements are detected, the LEDs on the device light up. They can burn in different colors and with different intensities. The color and time of the alarm allow you to determine what exactly the tester detected.
• LCD screen. Sensors with such screens are the most expensive type of device, which is also the most convenient. If there is a screen, the search engine may also have a sound warning system.

How to choose a reliable hidden wiring detector: important criteria

The best detector for searching for hidden wiring is selected based on a number of parameters:

1. Device type. Decide whether you need the device to distinguish between metals and be able to find objects made of other materials. Based on this, choose a tester, indicator or metal detector.
2. Depth . The scanning range varies from 3 to 10 centimeters.
3. Spectrum of work. It is determined by the buyer's objectives. Some need to “see” network wiring, others need to see non-ferrous metals, and so on.
4. Error. For a number of wiring operations, a small error is acceptable, but there are situations where extreme accuracy comes first. For example, when searching for pipes.
5. Additional features. They are relevant mainly for professional devices. But the display on which all the information is displayed is also interesting to ordinary users.

A hidden wiring detector is not a one-time tool.
With the right choice, it will help cope with various tasks and will serve for many years. The best hidden wiring detectors video

Instructions for using the detector

Due to the variety of designs of hidden wiring indicators, it is necessary to consider the instructions for their use using the example of a specific model. For this purpose, the inexpensive electrostatic ISP “Dyatel E-121”, widely used by domestic installers, was chosen. But first you need to prepare for the search procedure.

Preparing for upcoming work

To speed up the detection of electrical wiring using any detector, experienced specialists suggest following a number of simple rules.

You can test the new detector using a regular extension cord that is plugged into an outlet. You can use books or ceramic plates as a barrier.

Below are the main ones:

1. Initially, test the functionality of the device on any live wire. The batteries in the detector may simply run out and it will not work correctly.
2. Calibrate the device at a distance of 1 meter from the walls, if such an option is present.
3. The surfaces to be tested should not be wet.
4. If possible, turn off all working electrical appliances in the apartment, including telephones.
5. The accuracy of electrical wiring detection will be greatly reduced if conductive wallpaper adhesive was used.

These recommendations will eliminate wastage of time due to inoperative equipment and unacceptable parameters of the surface under study.

Using the Woodpecker E-121 detector

The Woodpecker E-121 detector is capable of operating in 4 sensitivity ranges.

The procedure for using this device to detect wiring is as follows:

1. Press the sensitivity range buttons one by one. In this case, the signaling device should emit a short light and sound signal. If the device does not respond, check the battery.
2. Press button “4” (provides maximum sensitivity), bring the detector to the surface being analyzed and, if there is an indication, reduce sensitivity by pressing buttons “3” to “1” in sequence.
3. Simultaneously with the decrease in sensitivity, it is necessary to reduce the distance to the detected object, localizing the alarm zone.
4. To detect the location of the conductor, move the detector along the wall, trying to find the area with the maximum electromagnetic field.
5. To neutralize interfering surrounding currents, place your hand on the surface to be analyzed near the detector. If there is no conductor near the hand, then “Woodpecker E-121” will stop giving signals.
6. When searching for a broken wire, apply voltage to the damaged core and ground the rest.

The accuracy of determining the location of an electrical cable depends on the degree of humidity and the materials surrounding the wire.

Locating electrical wires in plaster walls, reinforced concrete panels and ground shields will be difficult.

The domestic detector “Woodpecker E-121” effectively detects wiring at a depth of up to 8 cm and costs around $15, which guaranteed its popularity among electricians

To test fuses and fuse links, you must turn on mode “1” or “2” and touch the antenna to the contacts before and after the fuse. If there is a malfunction, the detector will not generate a signal.

The Woodpecker E-121 detector has a combined light and sound alarm system, which allows you to maintain the functionality of the device if one of the alarms breaks down

To correctly interpret the results of the device’s operation, you should first read its instructions, because almost every detector requires correct initial settings.

The best detector models

Wire identification can be done using various identifiers.

Tester Bosch GMS 120 Professional

The detector has an average price, but at the same time it is a professional device. Can detect hidden or damaged wiring at a distance of about 6 centimeters for metals and 12 for wood or plastic. The greater the distance from the device to the intended wire, the greater the error.

Model from Bosch

Bosch runs on batteries or the included battery. Can find wires made of specific metals, is able to accurately check the location of the wiring, regardless of humidity. Weighs about 300 grams. Has three operating modes:

• Drywall. Checking various objects located in plasterboard walls and roofing.
• Metal. Can check where metal parts are located, both magnetic and non-magnetic, found in any material.
• Conductive cable. Detects electrical wires that carry voltage between 110 and 230 volts.

After five minutes of inactivity, it turns off automatically. It may be difficult for an inexperienced user to set up the device and understand the instructions. Price - about 6000 rubles*.

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Mastech MS6906 - “3 in 1” metal detector

A detector that will be necessary for people involved in construction, electrical installation and finishing work professionally. Primarily used to search for metals and other foreign materials in walls and other surfaces. The device is small in size. Detection depth for steel - 3 cm, for copper - 6 cm, for electrical wiring - 7 cm. Able to accurately determine:

• Single-phase and three-phase wiring with constant or alternating voltage.
• Hidden elements made of wood and metal.
• Metal pipes.

Model from "Mastech" with auto shut-off
Unable to accurately determine:

• Wet wooden elements.
• Combined materials.
• Two or more live wires in a circuit.

Auto power off occurs after seven minutes of inactivity. Price - about 2000 rubles.

UNI-T UT387B

Detection depth for ferrous metals - 8 cm, non-ferrous metals - 8 cm, live wiring - 5 cm, wood - 2 cm. Power comes from an alkaline battery, which is not included. Automatic shutdown occurs after five minutes of waiting. Price - about 3000 rubles.

The model from Uni-t runs on one battery

Skil detector 550

A detector that is also capable of finding wood, wiring, non-ferrous and ferrous metals. The detection depth of steel is 8 cm, copper is 6 cm, wood is 2 cm, electrical wiring is 5 cm. It has separate modes for searching non-ferrous and ferrous metals, and for searching electrical wiring. The device has compact dimensions and light weight - about 300 g. Battery powered. Price - about 4000 rubles.

The model from "Skill" is easy

ADA wall scanner 80

The detector is capable of detecting wires, wood and metal elements. He does this using an electrical signal. The device body has protective pads, and the screen is equipped with a backlight. Detection depth for steel - 8 cm, copper - 6 cm, electrical wiring - 5 cm, wood - 2 cm. When switching the detector to the electrical wiring search mode, despite everything, the detection accuracy may suffer, so it is best to put the device in the metal detection mode. Another disadvantage is that the gadget does not provide anything for leaving marks. Inexperienced technology users may have significant problems setting up this device. The battery life on one battery is 6 hours. Price - about 3000 rubles.

You need to choose according to your requirements

Hidden wiring detectors are useful devices not only for professionals involved in repair, finishing or electrical installation work, but also for ordinary people. You should choose a gadget based on the purposes for which it will be used. For some, the simplest functionality may be enough, while others will need an expensive multifunctional device.

*Prices are current as of January 2022