How to Locate an Electrical Box in a Wallboard

By Andrew Latham, eHow Contributor 

 
 
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Electrical boxes can be hard to find once they've been covered by drywall.

Losing an electrical box in a wall can easily happen if you are working on a new build construction and the sheet rock crew that covered your outlet is nowhere to be found or it has been a few years since you installed the wallboard. If you are fortunate enough to have them, you can use accurate as-built electrical drawings to locate your box. You can also energize the box, if you know which line connects to it, and use a proximity voltage detector to find it. However, there is another way to locate an electrical box behind a wallboard without drawings or specialized equipment.

• d Wiring Behind Drywall

Things You'll Need

• Straight edge
• Thin shaft screwdriver
• Keyhole saw

Instructions

1. • 1
     Estimate the location of the electrical box by looking at the configuration used on other walls or rooms. For example, you can measure the height from the floor of other electrical boxes in the room. Electricians will generally install them at the same height.
   • 2
     Look down the wall surface and check where it is bowing out. The wallboard will have a slight hump where it covers the electrical box and is not flush with the wall. Run a straightedge or your hands along the wall and look for the hump's high spot. Use the measurements you made in Step 1 for a more accurate estimate.
   • 3
     Disconnect the power to the electrical box. If in doubt, disconnect power to the whole house or building. Introduce a thin-shafted screwdriver into the high spot of the bulge and feel around for the electrical cables in the box. Once you find the box, use a keyhole saw to cut out the section of wallboard covering it.

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