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mcoc1981

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Looking a bit of advice please, in case it’s something simple. I would like to drill a hole through an internal wall (about 10 inches thick) to feed the broadband cable from my hallway into another room, so the hub can sit there. My concern is drilling into an electrical wire, and I’m wondering whether, before I look into buying a wire detector device, is it possible to tell from the pictures below the likelihood of a wire being in the wall?

First picture is the hallway. There’s an electrical box on the left, and the broadband/phone box along the bottom. The other picture is the other side. I’m sure there’s wires in there somewhere given there’s a box and a light switch in the other room, but just looking at these pics, is there a spot I could drill through and be safe? or is it a case of just being safe and buying a piece of kit!

thanks in advance
 

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Looking at the pic you have put on on, the right hand side of the modom I would driil.
Considering it should be OK, but with out a metal detector I would be advisable.
Thanks for responding. If I drilled to the right of the modem box, that would be vertically in line with the light switch on the other side. Could the wire for that switch be passing there? Or would it come down from the ceiling?
 
Most likely the light switch cable goes up, not down.

If you turn the power off you can remove the switch from the wall.
Undo the two screws, without disconnecting any cables pull switch carefully away from the wall by a few inches.

You can then see what direction the cables go
 
I would open the cupboard and check if you can see any cables coming to the consumer unit or whatever else is in the cupboard. If it looks clear then I'd try drill in the bottom left corner
 
I would open the cupboard and check if you can see any cables coming to the consumer unit or whatever else is in the cupboard. If it looks clear then I'd try drill in the bottom left corner

Do you mean drill through the left side in here?maybe above that small white box which is the meter reader?
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Most likely the light switch cable goes up, not down.

If you turn the power off you can remove the switch from the wall.
Undo the two screws, without disconnecting any cables pull switch carefully away from the wall by a few inches.

You can then see what direction the cables go
ill check this out, thanks!
 

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Seeing the picture you just posted it would probably best to avoid drilling in the cupboard.

Another choice would be to open the BT phone socket and drill directly behind it to come out the other side of the wall.

It looks like you've already got some sort of phone socket/extension being run in trunking
 
Looking at it and thinking again,
I would be concerned that there could be wires hidden behind any area of that wall

I expect it is not a brick wall, so I would start by cutting carefully with a pad saw to make a hole for a dry line box.
You can then look in and check for cables that may well be half way through the cavity space.

Poke or drill a small hole when sure there are no cables in the way and then repeat on the other side.

Use blank plates to cover holes after.
Then when new modem etc is installed later it is easy to pass new cables through the hole.
 

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