6 tips for reliable results with your wall scanner
Getting started with the wall scanner
Follow these tips for a reliable result with your wall scanner. This way, you prevent damage during a drilling job.
Tip 1: remove any jewelry and watches
Tip 2: put your phone, tablet, and laptop aside
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Tip 3: check the batteries
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Tip 4: don't apply stickers to the sensor
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Tip 5: ensure proper grounding
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Tip 6: move slowly
Tip 1: remove any jewelry and watches
Jewelry can disrupt the signal of the wall scanner. It also detects materials less well due to the keys in your pocket. You'll think you're drilling safely, but may still touch a pipe or cable. That's why you should remove jewelry, remove keys from your pocket, and put them somewhere far from your workspace.
Tip 2: put your phone, tablet, and laptop aside
Your phone, tablet, and laptop also interfere with the signal of your wall scanner. The scanner won't detect materials in the wall well or at all as a result. This increases the risk of hitting a pipe. Put all your devices at least 1m away and turn on airplane mode or turn them off
Tip 3: check the batteries
Before you start, always check if the batteries are charged. With weak batteries, the wall scanner doesn't work very well. It may accidentally miss pipes or tubes as a result, causing you to possibly drill through them. Use full or charged batteries.
Tip 4: don't apply stickers to the sensor
The sensor of a wall scanner is on the back. Never apply stickers or labels to it. Stickers with metal mainly disrupt the signal, causing the device to not detect materials very well. This will result in wrong results, so you might accidentally drill through a pipe or cable.
Tip 5: ensure proper grounding
Proper grounding means that electricity can easily flow through you into the ground. This is important, because this is the only way for your wall scanner to detect live pipes. That's why you have to hold the scanner without gloves, hold it by the designated grip, and firmly place both feet on the ground. Don't wear shoes with thick rubber soles and don't use isolating ladders. Your wall scanner will find live pipes better if the floor has proper grounding. A concrete floor conducts better than a wood floor.
Tip 6: move slowly
A wall scanner detects material less well or not at all if you move it too fast or away from the wall. That's why it's important to keep it to the wall and slowly slide it sideways. That way, you won't miss a single warning signal.