New Build Home Pipe locations

Newbie66 · Oct 27, 2019

We've got a great new UK Persimmon home with dry wall linings. We're planning on putting screws in the wall in the following locations:
1 Above an upstairs sink to hang a mirror (picture enclosed)
2 Above a downstairs toilet to hang pictures
3 At the back of the bath we want to hang a towel rail (picture enclosed). However on the other side in the airing cupboard there is the pipe work for the heating pipes that come from the heat exchange unit downstairs (picture enclosed)

My question for all of these is, can we safely start drilling in to the dry wall and fixing things without any danger of hitting water/electric pipes? We have one of those boxes which is meant to identify things but it goes off everywhere. I suspect it is giving false positives.

Any help would be welcome. I just don't want to hit either a water pipe and flood the house - or an electric cable and fry myself.

Thank you!

Murdoch · Oct 27, 2019

Contributing as a spark.

Cables should always run vertically or horizontally from a switch, socket, or other electrical accessory.

The only exception is that cables can run within 6 inches of a corner or the ceiling

If this isn’t clear google safe zones.

Hope this helps

Fos · Oct 27, 2019

Your only drilling 12.5mm just go easy with the drill and mark the drill bit with tape to stop you going too deep, or use a small screwdriver to make a pilot hole before using a plasterboard fixing.

centralheatking · Oct 28, 2019

You could get a good quality hand held diy sensor which will check for metallic stuff behind the dry linning.and sound an alert ..I even saw one that picks up wooden studwork as well recently. centralheatking the micky mouse ones are as you have found out

king of pipes · Oct 28, 2019

Always a risk but go easy use a small Philips type screwdriver on hollow plasterboard walls as a guide before drilling , the best drywall fixing without doubt is a Brolly type that you pull up on the back of the plasterboard leaving a threaded secured section in the wall and a removable threaded screw that then can be used to fix your items . Kop.

townfanjon · Oct 28, 2019

Similar to whats been said above , drill a small hole , but not all the way through and then I push a bluntish ( real word , honest lol ) bradawl through.

Newbie66 · Oct 28, 2019

Thank you! This is a real help and does give me more confidence to tackle it. I really appreciate everyone's replies.

Ric2013 · Oct 28, 2019

king of pipes said:
Always a risk but go easy use a small Philips type screwdriver on hollow plasterboard walls as a guide before drilling , the best drywall fixing without doubt is a Brolly type that you pull up on the back of the plasterboard leaving a threaded secured section in the wall and a removable threaded screw that then can be used to fix your items . Kop.

Looks good. Bit confused by some of the very detailed negative reviews on Screwfix site regarding the setting tool though. Do you even need the tool or not?

king of pipes · Oct 29, 2019

I would say yes Ric but on the odd occasion I have got away without one but if the fixing spins and pulls through the plasterboard you have had it , if you're going to use them get the string tool . Cheers kop

Littlespark · Oct 29, 2019

As a spark (good morning, @Murdoch) and a persimmon home owner I can offer a little suggestion.
New builds, the cables in the partition wall should be clipped down the centre of the vertical joists.
As suggested, the cables run horizontally or vertically from sockets and switches, but that’s if the electricians stuck to the regs.

Give it a little time and the screw heads holding the plasterboard on will start showing through, then you know where the wood is

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New Build Home Pipe locations

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