…and then I switched back the power button from the panel, and power went on again. No sparks, no smoke. Should I be worried I hit a cable somewhere?

by tom_bishop_

31 comments

  1. I highly recommend calling an Elektriker because you definitely hit a cable

  2. It’s literally next to an outlet. Did you check the wall beforehand with a beeper?

  4. You drilled in the electric wiring zone hit a wire, causing a short that triggered the fuse. The cables at this point are no longer insulate. Please call an electrician. Electric wiring zones are standardized in Germany. 15cm from the neighboring wall and ceiling, and 15 to 30cm from the floor. Or pretty much above and below light switches, and left and right of wall outlets.

  5. Never drill directly horizontally or vertically from a socket or a switch!

  8. You big doofus are lucky that you are still able to ask this question.

  9. Never drill 90 dregrees to a socket or up and down from it. Imagine a cross with the width of the socket and apply it over the socket. Thats your “no-no-zone”

  10. Were you using a driller with a wire or battery? Chances are low since you drilled six holes before, but there‘s a possibility that the driller caused it. To check this, use the driller again, plugging it into the same socket you used while drilling the last hole.

  13. Did you use a metal/electricity detector beforehand?

    If not, I’m really glad you got this chance to learn a lesson

  15. That’s the exact reason why you get yourself a wall detector for power lines and water pipes

  16. why the fuck did you drill a hole horizontally from the socket?

  18. For future drilling: A beeper is cheaper than an electrician or god forbid a pipe repair job.

  19. Does the socket on the right still work? Can you carefully open the cover and check in which direction the wires go? Turn the main power off if you decide to check it.

  20. Why post this to r/Germany though? Seems like you should call an electrician.

  21. Anyone know how the electrician is going to fix this? Does the wall now need to be teared down?

    How long would this take approx?

  24. I just bought a beeper and gonna scan all the previous holes, just to be sure until I put a metalic screw into the Dübel. Wished to have done that before, but I got cheap at 25 euro.

  27. Never drill on the left or right of an outlet, also no need to go under or above it.

    Y***Y
    **0**
    Y***Y

    Zero is the outlet, * is dangerous, Y is safe. But you cannot be absolutely but most of the time for me it was.

  29. Carefully open up the wall with a chisel, assess the damage, most fuses will blow if even the tiniest bit of insulation is damaged. If it’s just the outer insulation you can fix that yourself easily. Which sounds like may have happened, since you still have power on those lines

  30. Drilling a hole parallel to a power outlet was a bit insensible because the cable are running straight up or down or to the side from a power outlet so that one can deduct that there a place where a cable is likely to be or not to be

  31. Lol it’s impressive how level you are compared to the socket

    If I tried intentionally, it wouldn’t look like that

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