How to Use a Pipe & Cable Detector - DIY Tips!

[@heinrichberger3908]

Tip from the Bosch manual: "When the measuring indicator continuously shows an amplitude even though there is no metal object in the vicinity of the measuring tool, the measuring tool can be calibrated manually. For this, remove all objects in the vicinity of the measuring tool (including wristwatches or rings of metal) and hold the measuring tool up in the air. With the measuring tool switched off,press the On/Off button until the illuminated ring lights up red and green at the same time. Then releasethe button. When the calibration process was successful, the measuring tool will start over after a few seconds and is then ready for operation."

[@caramel_clouds4751]

genius - like you i've had my PD06 for donkeys, but i think the last time i used it KZbin videos weren't that common - i'm about to put up a coat rack. TODAY S THE FIRST DAY I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO DO IT SAFELY. good on ya fella - the range detector and not the noise is defo the way forward

[@MM-zb9tw]

Don't usually leave comments, but this is one of the most helpful, informative videos I've watched. Trying to put up shelves around gas and electricity meters felt like a minefield in Victorian tenement with a variety of walls. About to give up, terrified (my brother, a welder, suffered bad burns when he drilled into a live wire that had been wrongly marked as a safe point by others). Now have half the shelving up. Great stuff.

[@philmaples9865]

I use one that is basically just a thin long magnet and have had better results than with the flashy, beepy ones. I had no idea that someone made one with a digital display. I'll be on the lookout for one here in the states. Keep up the good work Andy! I enjoy your videos immensely.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers Phil! Magnets can work really well! I keep a bunch of them in my screw box. 👍👊

[@johnfithian-franks8276]

Hi Andy, I lost a mate who went to school with me and started working for his dad who was an electrician, they were working on old council houses and had all the plans for the houses. he drilled into a wall that was not supposed to have any cables in it and all the electricity in the house was off. he was using a steel-cased drill (they were common then) and because he was gripping the drill they could not pull him away from it. If it had happened today with plastic-bodied drills he would have probably survived the accident but it goes to show that even when the power is off you have to take care. I don't think detectors were available then either.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Oh man - so sorry to hear. That's awful. Yeah, you can never take anything for granted with this stuff. The amount of new builds I see that still don't follow the 'safe zones' is crazy. 👍👊

[@mrfaffley4479]

I own an unbranded detector which often gave false positives. I bought a Stanley S200 which does the same. After researching the problem, I learned to use it with my fingertips gripping the edge and just proud of the scanning surface so that the detector is a few millimetres off the wall. This greatly reduces false positives for both the S200 and the unbranded detector. The S200 manual suggests keeping your free hand at least 15cm away from the detector and wall surface to avoid interference.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Interesting! Yeah, I think it's a static thing. 👍

[@nickgoogle4525]

I thoroughly tested several detectors and found that there is not "the best". I checked at locations where I exactly knew which cables or studs or metal objects were behind the surface and different technologies worked differently good in different locations. In the end I decided to keep the Tacklife DMS03, which is very low priced, but often can find the objects very quickly. In addition I also kept the Bosch GMS 120, which sometimes is more accurate, but needs often more time to auto-calibrated by moving backwards and forwards several times. It also has the downside that it's pretty big, so for smaller places the Tacklife is the only usable option. The Bosch D-Tect 120 did not detect more accurate nor more reliable or more objects than the other two devices (combined). In contrast the D-Tect 120 gave me lots of false warnings. The advantage of the the GMS 120 and Tacklife DMS03 is that you can switch between different modes. This dramatically helps to fine-tune the search and differentiate between different types of objects, but also double checking with the two devices made decisions where to drill much better informed. Last not least it's important to remember to put the free hand on the wall to discharge (hope that's the right word here, in German I'd say: "erden").

[@olivernavarro9748]

Yep, they all don’t seem to work very good. It’s 2022 you’d think they’d have something that actually works by now

[@JasGawera]

I have a similar detector. I think one of the tips that were in the instructions say that to avoid or reduce the false positive detection of electricity, place your other hand palm flat on the wall. It does seem to reduce it a bit but I still only treat it as a guide.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Interesting! Doesn't mention that in the instructions of mine but it can sometimes help to discharge static. 👍

[@EdibleCastleWill]

This definitely helped with 1 detector I used recently (can't remember the model). It dramatically improved it from beeping all over the wall to very accurately showing me a diagonally running light switch wire. Can't say it works with all detectors though and not sure it was discharging static either. Hand off - terrible, hand on - accurate, hand off - terrible, hand on - accurate.

[@garethheathcote4988]

@@EdibleCastleWill wax on wax off wax on wax off

[@shanecollier7952]

Very useful for myself. Starting out using a detector but as always using extreme caution. Patients and checking numerous times is so key for me. Its not all negative using these items, there are good sides to it.. Thanks for the simple and effective info.

[@peterratcliffe5115]

You had to say takeaways didn't you. I want an Indian now. Handy video as always. Keep it up Andy. I have the magusson 3 in 1 material detector which has a digital displsy. For a £30 tool its surprisingly accurate.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers Peter - now I want an Indian too! 😂👍

[@jurgenkoks9142]

@@GosforthHandyman And one year later, now I want indian xD

[@Vivinnn_]

Thanks a lot! I borrowed the exact same one from someone and the manual is lost. I had no idea what's going on with the beeping, and neither did the person who lent it to me :D

[@frankslittleworkshop]

Nicely done once again Andy, think I'll upgrade my old detector after watching your vid. Nice to see your one can detect that massive drawing pin you have stuck in the wall 😂🤣😂. Must be left over from one hell of a Christmas decoration....lol. Keep up the awesome vids 😁👍.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Ha - cheers Frank! 👍👊😂

[@markcarter1118]

Hi Andy. Great video. I have a Bosch detector and I found this following tip somewhere (can't remember where), but it seems to make my results more reliable. Would be interested if you could try it and see what you think? The tip is to place the palm of the hand that isn't holding the detector flat against the same surface you are measuring. Maybe it discharges static or something from your body, I dunno, but does seem to help....

[@grahambleach2947]

I've also got a Bosch that looks identical to Andy's and discovered this myself. There's one internal wall in the house that consistently gives false positives unless I place my free hand on it.

[@lynnenux5763]

Putting the palm of my free hand on the wall turns my cheapo Lidl detector from a gibbering idiot into a surprisingly accurate machine (locates studs to ~3mm).

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yeah - it's defo a static thing by the looks of it. Sometimes works for mine but sometimes doesn't - very weird. Great tip! 👍

[@Crooks103]

Excellent video. Straight forward info. Thank you

[@gregorydobson4307]

Nice one Andy, got a pdo6 second hand and loving it.

[@coolkita]

Hi! Love your videos. Please can you recommend different detectors that are available? I bought the linked Bosch one but it gives no information about how close the object is on the digital display (not sure what the point of the digital display is!) overly fancy for no reason, the beeps tell me the same thing as the display!! I’m returning it 😅 And the unbranded one you’ve linked is not available anymore 😔

[@stevebray71]

Hi ya only been watching your videos for & couple of days now and I must say I've really enjoyed them. I'm really interested in the device for mobile phones that actually let's u see on the screen of the phone an accual picture of what it's detecting. Would be really interested in seeing a video if possible of how they work, keep up thd great videos

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers! Yeah, I've heard of the mobile phone scanner thing but also heard very mixed reviews. Do you have a link to one?

[@AndyP85]

Great video...When I have used this unit and get the old false/positive I have turned the electrics off at the mains. Of course with light switches one of the two cables is always live so turning the switch on and off isn't really reliable

[@NikolaosZervas]

What if I get the electricity signal (little lightning) but no bars at all and the light is green (no beeping)... Do I proceed with drilling?

[@jimmcdonald6465]

Thanks Andy, really helpful but I have to say I have very little confidence in these things and have thrown two away in the past.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Ha, yeah - I'm very used to mine and know its limitations. I've heard of some that are frankly dangerous. 👍

[@36736fps]

I photographed all the pipes and electrical when we had our basement finished, so I know where every pipe and electrical wire is located. But my Zircon stud/metal/electrical detector gives lots of false positives or misses with all three. It has a very hard time with double wood studs. Electrical wire often jumps horizontally from one stud to the adjacent stud - I don't think that is a code violation as long as it is properly secured at both ends. I see many good reviews on the $50 Franklin 13 LED sensor which works very well with studs but does not detect electrical.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Photographing the place during 1st fix is absolutely the best bet. 👍👊

[@jorislacombe6105]

Thanks for the tips, but does it work with the new PVC / multi layer pipes? ... Here in Portugal plumber only use that. I have a big installation in a bathroom in the coming weeks and I am very stressed about the drilling part....

[@GosforthHandyman]

PVC - not a chance unless they've run silver foil behind them, which they're supposed to do in the UK but not always done. 👍

[@vileguile4]

Thank you very much for this video!

[@GosforthHandyman]

No worries Sleepydog! 👊

[@markvickers4189]

I have a Bosch GMS 120 that's a very good model similar to yours , but I have used a Bosch D-Tect 150SV that a kitchen fitter lent me for marking out for a extractor duct and I must admit I don`t think I would of been able to do it safely with mine . I drilled the whole underneath the window lintel , between a cable and water pipe with only 12mm space each side . Fact after drilling to see both the electric cable and the water pipe that close in the cavity I did think maybe I trusted it to much . Since then I keep looking out for a good second hand one cause of the price . If you get the chance to try one I think you will be surprised .The best electric shock I have had is from painting a wall years after someone else had put a picture hook into the cable . So yes it wouldn`t of helped me for painting but does show even hanging pictures can be dangerous . Its not the first or will be the last time I have seen things like that happen . I was also working in a new property when the kitchen layout was changed and the fitter went to remove a base unit while undoing the fitting the power all went off. But I'm sure you have seen a screw in a pipe but no leak until for some reason the screw is remove or adjusted . Keep the videos coming they really do help when you have been out of work for seven year , after having a operation that recovery should of been six months , just had third two months ago .

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers Mark - best of luck with the recovery! 👍

[@Danieljfern]

I've found with mine (admittedly a simple light and alarm version without a digital display) that I need to firmly hold my unused hand on the wall, effectively grounding the wall, in order to get an accurate reading. Unless I do this then it shows my whole wall as having electrics behind it. I always thought this was due to bad grounding in my house. Is that a thing? Try it when you get a false positive from the light and the display reads as no electricity, it always works for me, but I'm not sure why

[@pauls8366]

We can still buy the Bosch PDO 6 here in Denmark, so probably in other countries too.

[@negotiableaffections]

So you've found the plasterer's mobile phone - explains where that strange ringtone was coming from!

[@GosforthHandyman]

😂😂👍

[@OthmanAlikhan]

Thanks for the video =)

[@markbowler]

Thank you

[@adewharton8645]

Bosch told me it’s due to static....rest one of your fingers on the surface of the wall as you run the detector over the wall and it stops it!

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yeah - seems to be - that sometimes works. Seems to be a bit random as sometimes even putting my hand on the wall it still gives the occasional false positive.

[@ianhumphreys3504]

Basically, confirmed what I suspected all along. These devices are a waste of time and cannot be relied upon with any degree of certainty. I have a Bosch and if I put it on a wall where I know there is no electricity or plumbing it still beeps and flashes read.

[@superiorbeing95]

If your neighbours were playing some heavy metal would that explain a false positive?

[@GosforthHandyman]

Possibly! 😂

[@dgm_making1675]

Hi how do they work to pick up wooden studs?

[@GosforthHandyman]

Mine isn't designed to pick up studs but you can get ones that do that - mixed results with the ones I've seen. 👍

[@dgm_making1675]

@@GosforthHandyman thanks, that's my experience too with those

[@jaysam22]

This wouldn't work on a brick wall would it

[@johnod87]

I bought one on eBay and now selling one there too if anyone is interested within the UK

[@SirBenJamin_]

Might have been better to have mocked up a fake wall. At least that way we could have seen if what you said actually worked

[@GosforthHandyman]

Lol, yeah - next time I'll do that. 😂😉

[@valkoua]

Is beeping because is it not set up correctly, please read the manual..

[@GosforthHandyman]

There's nothing to set up but feel free to tell me otherwise since you obviously know?

[@parchy2008]

None of those links work my friend.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Working fine for me? You sure?

[@parchy2008]

@@GosforthHandyman It is fine now.

[@ukguitarnoodle]

i use mine, tap the wall and end up saying sod it, let's drill !

[@stevebosun7410]

Hi Andy, building regs', NHBC, etc. What a con!!!

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yup to both. NHBC is an insurance policy for things that would never go wrong with a house after 2 years, IMHO. 👍

[@cimiqazolli274]

Oh no to much time sir