What is the safe way to drill on a wall where a circuit breaker is located?

Question

I am trying to install a shelving system on the same wall my circuit breaker sits on. How can I be sure not hit any wires? I assume there are many on this particular wall.

Answer 1

Many, if not most, stud finders have a mode to detect AC electricity in the wall. With a little hunting and mapping where the wires are, you should be able to get a good idea where the safest places to drill will be. Start at the electrical outlets, light switches, etc and work your way to the panel. Wires to floors above or below generally go straight up or down from the box, though not always.

If you are not s******g into the studs, you can use toggle bolts or drywall anchors and won't have to worry much about drilling into wires as you just need to drill deep enough to get through the drywall.

If you are expecting to put heavy items on the shelves and need to drill into the studs, only going 1" or so into the stud (be sure to take into account the 5/8" of drywall plus however far the shelving system brackets stick out from the wall) will minimize the chance of hitting a wire, as the wires are generally run through the center of the stud. 1" should still give you enough holding power for all but the heaviest needs.

As always, turn the electricity off before starting to drill. Since you are on the wall with the breaker panel, you may want to flip the main breaker, which is usually on the outside of the house where the electric meter is at. In an apartment building, the manager may have to do this for you as it may be inaccessible to you.