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When we had an outbuilding built, the electrician put in a box with a run from the breaker panel and another empty (i.e. completely disconnected) run from the box up the wall because we didn't know if we were going to want a single light over a medicine cabinet or lights along the side. He said he left the other end in the wall somewhere. Now, 15 years later, I don't remember where he put the wire. Is there a way to find it without tearing out the drywall?

Duston
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    I know it is too late for you, but in case this will help anyone else, whenever you are building new, or remodeling 'down to the studs' take pictures of all your walls after electrical and plumbing are in place and before the drywall is up. It will save you from having to ask a question like this. – Glen Yates Feb 17 '22 at 14:26
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    @GlenYates Of course, taking pictures of "everything" is far more routine (and easy and essentially free) for most people now, in the age of smartphones, than it was 15 years ago. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Feb 17 '22 at 14:36
  • What is the current status of the wall? Does it have a medicine cabinet (or other fixture covering a large part of the wall)? If so, is that removable? If not, are you planning on adding anything? Or do you have a blank wall and want to add just a light fixture? – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Feb 17 '22 at 14:38
  • If you have access to at least one end of the wire then get yourself some [wire tracers](https://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracers-Audible/dp/B01E9QUXGG). How much money you're willing to spend is up to you. – MonkeyZeus Feb 17 '22 at 14:54
  • The wall is currently a plain wall with a 2-gang box at "the height you would put a box if you were to eventually put a sink there" height. We don't have any immediate plans for a medicine cabinet, but yeah, that would be an opportunity to find the end. I've looked at cable finders but too pricy for a one-off. I was hoping some place would rent/lend one but I haven't dug into that idea yet. – Duston Feb 17 '22 at 15:21
  • I'm not advocating nefarious behavior but if you buy wire tracers then you can return them within the return window assuming the packaging does not get destroyed. You know what's more expensive? Tearing out drywall and fixing drywall. I really don't know what other solution you were expecting; maybe grow bigger ears and use sonar to detect the wire behind your walls? On that note, some stud finders do have an alert for electrical wire but I'm not sure if it works on dead wire. – MonkeyZeus Feb 17 '22 at 15:31
  • @MonkeyZeus my “wire” finder even finds the screws holding the drywall. Had fun testing it with my daughter, before we fixed her shelf. We had a bit of drywall with a lamp cable and a few screws on one side. Located them on the other and were amazed at how accurate it was. – Solar Mike Feb 17 '22 at 16:01
  • @SolarMike Not sure I fully understood your objective and procedure. Why were you looking for screws? Is this a testament to the accuracy of wire tracers? I find screws with a [neodymium magnet](https://www.amazon.com/Swivel-Powerful-Magnetic-Strong-Neodymium/dp/B07D5SK7ND) – MonkeyZeus Feb 17 '22 at 16:09
  • @MonkeyZeus This reminds me, I keep getting ads for Walabot on youtube, maybe OP could look into that product. – Glen Yates Feb 17 '22 at 19:50
  • Does it matter? There's a box in the room somewhere with power, right? And you want some lights somewhere else. Cut a hole where you want your new lights. If it isn't there, then you just do old work starting from scratch. - It's probably about six feet up, and in the middle like it should be. – Mazura Feb 18 '22 at 08:13

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If you're not completely opposed to buying something, you can get an inexpensive inspection camera. The end of the camera can be jammed between the existing box and the drywall, then manipulated to look above and below.

longneck
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Pull out the two-gang box. Should be just a couple of nails or screws holding it to a stud. Fish around in the wall cavity for the cable. Assuming the box was installed at the same time as the cable was run, it should be in the same stud bay.

As far as wire finders and other relatively unusual tools that you don't want to buy for a one-time use (which I totally understand), that's what neighborhood email lists are for. Even pandemic issues shouldn't affect that - you can arrange a not in-person dropoff/pickup.

manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
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  • The nails holding the box to the stud are behind the drywall. – Duston Feb 17 '22 at 16:19
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    Yeah, this won't work, assuming a new-work box with a nail flange that's _outside_ the box. If it's a metal box and it was screwed in, you might be able to remove the outlet and get access to the screws with a bent screwdriver. The second tip about social media is a really good one, though. Someone you know will either have what you need or know someone who does. – FreeMan Feb 17 '22 at 16:23
  • @FreeMan Well, if it is a new-work box with a nail flange outside the box then a little bit of drywall work is going to be needed at some point anyway. I really don't understand this one though: If you put in a box, stick the coiled end of the cable inside the box. If you don't put in a box (which is why I asked) then I understand "cable in the wall somewhere". – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Feb 17 '22 at 16:40
  • 1) I didn't put in the box, the electrician did 15 years ago. 2)The wire has two ends, one of which is in the box, the other is in the wall somewhere in such a way that when the day came, it would minimize tearing out drywall to find it. – Duston Feb 17 '22 at 20:09
  • I know it was the electrician. The point is the electrician *should* have stuck the end of the wire (minimum 8", but ideally a few feet coiled up so that the box could be moved a bit if needed) inside the box. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Feb 17 '22 at 20:23