How to Chase a Wall and Fit a Flush Single or Twin Socket Box In a Plastered Brick Walls (Chasing)
Step by step guide on how to chase a wall and fit a flush metal box for a socket or light switch.
Student training aid for chasing a wall and the fitting of a flush box and cables (wires) into a brick plastered wall for a socket outlet. Full demonstration including hand tools and PPE.
== 🕐 Time Stamps - Cut to the action 🕕 ==
00:00 - Chasing walls
00:12 - introduction to chasing walls
01:35 - marking out the wall for capping and box before chasing can start
03:06 - some of the PPE required when chasing a wall
03:33 - tools required when chasing walls
03:42 - break through the finish of the plastered wall
05:27 - chasing in a single or twin socket box my technique
08:55 - chasing the wall for the cable run and capping
12:12 - fixing the box into the chased wall
15:10 - fixing the cable a capping in the chased wall
Videos are training aids for City and Guilds (C and G) and EAL courses Level 1, 2, 3 plus AM2, AM2S and AM2E.
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As an apprentice you're limited in a sense by the knowledge / enthusiasm of the guy training you. I was lucky enough to have an amazing mentor, and I try to be one myself. You're a credit to our industry, mate. Thumbs up from me and merry Christmas!
Wow thanks for taking the time to comment and your kind words... all the best and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year Gaz 👍
Excellent videos just one note for learners is to use sprit level and tape measure to check squareness and level of box chase and box when fixing as there is nothing worse looking at a square door frame and wonky switch next to it 🤓
Just finished recessing a power cable and aerial cable into the wall after following your video. Thanks very much, it gave me the confidence to have a go and I've done it.
Good to see the old fashioned way with plenty of guts behind it
Fantastic video. I am an electrical craftperson by trade but went into nuclear facility maintenance so never done any domestic stuff except at the apprentice training centre. Watching this video has really given me the confidence to carry out my own electrical work in a house I have just bought! Brilliant teacher - many thanks!
You are an excellent teacher! I never did half the things in college you have shown in your videos. Please keep up the good work and keep the videos coming. Many thanks!
+Dean Williams That's very kind words and it means a lot to me. All the best GSH Electrical
Dean Williams 2nd that , The way I was taught in college involved no methods of pragmatic implementation
Dean Williams
I agree college seem to cut out these important techniques, i have learned so much from this channel already
Excellent, thanks. First-time channeller here and it went perfectly. Like many things, easy when you know how!
Absolutely brilliant!! Very thorough and easy to understand professional demonstration. After watching this tutorial I now feel confident to proceed with my efforts in the bedroom. Thank you so much!!
Watching your vid has given me the confidence to give this a go for myself, thanks for the great content!
Thanks a lot! That has given me the confidence to have a go at it myself. I uncovered the wall from pine panelling after many years. The cables are fine but just hanging, and the sockets are not sunk in suitably for my replastering.
Fantastic lesson - great teaching as always. Thank you
I'm a first year apprentice and have become addicted to your channel, keep up the great work
Hi, made up it’s helpful. Keep working hard it has its rewards. All the best Gaz 👍
Thanks, gave me a lot of confidence to attempt this myself. Great video, very clear explanation!
Thanks for the positive comment Gaz 👍
Many thanks ! I’m going to use these techniques to hide the wires when I mount my TV on the wall.
What an a great teacher. Thank you 🙏
Excellent video as usual. If only all walls were that "soft".
If only 🤣
very good video, have done a bit over the years but always good to see a good clear instructional video.
Hi. Thanks for watching and the positive feedback GSH Electrical
Take the cable out of the way before nailing, then slide it back if your working area allows that, this would reduce the risk of nailing the cable. Once you finish the job take an extra step and cover the socket box and cable entrance with a piece of cardboard or a plastic. Don't trust the plasterers, otherwise you may end up dried plaster pieces inside the box.
Or cables cut short by the plasterer ha
Great video, really informative with some good to know techniques.
Hi and thanks 👍Gaz
This was a very beneficial tutorial indeed sir
Great example. Will follow your instructions.
Great video. Well explained. Thank you
Professionally done!
Brilliant video GSH keep it up 👍
Didn't know electricians did this old fashioned method still now there are chasing machines and dust extractors about that are pretty good. Personally I would stitch drill around the box outline and then gently tap the chisel into it. And you are lucky its light weight block, in the real would blocks tend to be 7.3Nm concrete blocks and harder or old houses where bricks are used indoors. Also I never use capping, I go the extra mile and use tube, oval or round, makes the job rewireable.
Good video mate. I was taught the old school way, by some great sparks. Chasing by hand is a decent skill to have.
Tom Leeson thanks 👍
Excellent video once again, very informative...
Thanks for the positive comment Gaz 👍
Thanks a million for sharing.
This was a top-notch video tutorial! Thank you so much! I hope you also consider being an instructor. Great skills and knowledge!
Thanks for watching 👍🏻
Great vid, keep up the good work, wish all colleges taught like you do
Many thanks Gaz 👍
Brilliant video mate. I have just moved into a house which is brick and someone fitted light switches everywhere with trunking rather than chasing so i want to chase all the wires into the wall
Check the knockout position before you start the vertical chase. If the drop ever needs replacing it will be tricky pulling it through that chicane.
oval tube is used for rewiring purposes, you might have a chance with capping not that its designed for that.
Great video. Well done and well explained
Thanks 👍
Great video. Wall chaser and vacuum and a quad cut kit in a fraction of the time - great to go back to basics if tools fail though - or in my case batteries die. Never thought a 9.0Ah would 🤣👍🏻
god bless you sir i needed this video so much, thank you. liked and subscribed!
Thank you, now I learned it the easy way..
From Perth, Western Australia - Most houses here are still full brick, as in double brick external walls, single brick internal. So I well understand having to chase if you want a power point etc on inside wall. I've done it that way once, then cheated with an angle grinder with masonry disc, and drilled holes around wallbox outline. Then I discovered it was well worth hiring a chaser with vacuum attachment. To east coast Australia, you will never know, framed walls and plasterboard, meh!
How much did the chaser cost, Im in perth as well
Just starting out, fantastic to watch
Thanks 👍
Another Excellent video. I am currently studying C&G level 2 and 3 and then AM2, your videos are enjoyable to watch, and more importantly, very informative. I have learned a lot from your videos. I am learning through an adult learning company as I am 43 and still working while I train to be a Sparky.I would have loved to be one of your students. Keep up the good work
Thanks Brandon I totally appreciate your message and good luck with your training. Gaz 👍
I'm in exactly the same position. Love these videos. Now to consume his entire back catalogue!
Great video, watched this many times before trying it myself. Seems like I came across multiple issues. One was I ran into some old diagonal metal conduit which I grinded through. Second was I found a semi void in the wall so I have nothing to screw the box into apart from some brick on the right side of the box... Just my luck, but guess this is how we learn. Cheers!
Great video! Only one point I might make though - I do take issue with encouraging anyone to balance a lump hammer and bolster/cold chisels on top of a (what looks like) four inch top rung of steps. Great way to end up with a broken toe. Ouch!😫
Nice video , real world scenarios you have rock hard render and concrete block.So grinder and chaser definitely have to come out .
Hi. Totally understand that however my learners (16+) have to chase the wall I did so it was originally intended for them... totally surprised how many people have watched it. Thanks for commenting and watching GSH Electrical 👍.
thank you so much, really helpful
Is it me or did he say keeping to the white lines??😂😂 Am sure there green. An electrician that is colour blind, could end in tears😬.
Great video Gary, watching this to show my apprentice, why did you not line the capping up with the knockout rather than the centre of the box? Then you wouldn’t need to divert the cable at an angle once you get down to the box?
I'm 41yo now. Thus is how we used to chase back in the day. Now it's all power tools to make the job fast but I still prefer the traditional way. Apprenticeships are too easy these days. I've still got the odd scar here and there on my hands from chasing and what not.
Nice comment 👍🏻
Thank you.
Great tutorial for novice lady to do, so neat.
Thanks Anna 👍
Great video 👍🏻
Thanks 👍🏻
A multi tool gives a good clean finish seen our sparky do it a few times
Thanks for the lesson
👍🏻
Great vid. Although in real life you'd use a spirit level/laser box, multi tool, srs hammer drill
I had to do this recently, I just cracked out the SDS and went ham. Seemed to turn out ok.
Do a demo with engineering brick next with a hammer and bolster ;) or better, a cob wall. Very well explained, and nice to see the 'hand' tools out :)
We just hire a company to do chasing if needed these days offices use stud walls . Here we use PVC pipe in walls that goes straight into the box. This always gives you access to the cable
I finished college last year level 3 C&G and my 18th edition and had no luck what so ever finding work - Luckily I have a job elsewhere but I love watching videos for electrics... So far this morning I've watched this (Although I knew how to chase) And watched an hour of fitting consumer unit 😂 Anyway back to glossing a door i guess.
keep at it young man, perseverance is key in these crazy times,good luck
R u qualified
@@adamsharp201 Nah, Different path now - Maintenance Manager in 4 star hotel.... So not too bad haha
Looks easy till you have to do it in situation wrangling the sockets out then hit black brick then your hart sinkis the fun begins that stuff is as hard as a coffin nail.. then the home owner says I didn't think that would be that much work needless to say its a joy to fit dryline boxes in gyp rock so for brick wrangling I now use battery grinder & Henry hoover good video gaz as per 👍 😀
Thanks for the great comment l. 👍Gaz
Thanks for the video =)
Thanks for watching 👍🏻
Got my sub thank you. Very thoroughly put together but easy to understand. Will be attempting this myself fingers crossed! Thank you and keep up the good work!
Very nice cutting
Thanks for the great video! Couple of questions. Is there any reason not to offset the vertical chase so it's directly above the grommet hole in the back box? Then you don't have to put that sort of bend in the cabling. Is it a safety zoning issue? Second, how far under your finishing plaster does the top of teh capping have to sit. Assuming the whole lot is getting a skim coat (asking for a friend :P).
Reminds me of all that ‘hammer rash’ as an apprentice!
Great videos at 53 ive had years of DIY and these videos are a good pointer for anyone who may not be a qualified Spark, but is competent to do electrical upgrades not installs because part P won't allow :-)
Hi. We use my videos as training aids for the learners that attend the college I work at. Thanks for the kind words and watching Gaz 👍
@@GSHElectrical saw your other video on permitted cable runs. Really good and concise information as for this video one thing it don't cover is old houses where when you chase out a run half the plaster falls off the wall lol however it then allows to dot and dab plaster board so not having to chase out for wires haha.
I use a grinder with a maisonary disc just to cut the initial profile to my finished depth to include a few cuts for my metal box and the main chase.Its a simple job after just to pop of the plaster with a hammer and chissel.Dustier but a lot quicker with cleaner cuts in the plaster work.
Hi. This chase is an assessment for my college learners hence the video as they have to chase the wall as I have demonstrated. All the best and thanks for commenting. Gaz
Good video I have to do thus soon fir our kitchen extractor (carbon filter not duct) layout wont allow for ducting one question with the correct junction box can I steal a live feed from a a feed under floor boards to a socket ? I dont want to go to fuse box as I want to use a socket lime to be sure I can isolate it from the socket trip switch obviously I'd be putting in a separate switch in kitchen for the hood with a 3 amp specified fuse thanks
Your video is really helpful. I am going to have a small wooden box/cupboard behind my wall mounted tv, I am going to chase horizontally to a unit in the corner where various electrical equipment such as blue ray player will be housed. My question is, presumably I do this in the same way, however, I think that I may have a wire to a plug point to cross over or underneath about half way. Can you suggest how I can do this. Finally can you recommend a tool for locating electric wires /pipes and studs, I have spent a fortune in the past and none of them seem to work. Many thanks Ian
Top man.
Do you have others like this? I am on ground floor studio flat and wondering about internal (inside) corners how to get around them
My question was answered - caping is there to prevent plasterer from damaging the cable, so if you re-instate yourself then you don’t need it.
Super, Excellent teaching. Here I want to know, how to identify wire / water pipes running inside the wall. Do we have any instrument / mobile app to identify running wires /pipes / metal rods inside wall before chasing wall.
Good video and informative. Must it be chased and in the wall to be to code?
Great video, haven't done this at college so really beneficial. One question - In the real world, if I'm asked to reinstate would I have to plaster the wall? If so I'd better learn how to do it!
+Jake Chattey The trick is to make sure the wall is nice and wet. Use a bonding coating first and when it’s dry either a finish coat or a light weight filler. Remember we are electricians not plasters. You wouldn’t ask a plaster to re-wire your house so why would you ask an electrician to plaster it. Thanks for watching GSH Electrical
Is there a video showing how to cover it up once finished. Also, did you have to break into the brick? Or was it only the plaster layer?
spirit level for the channel as it looks neater and for the backbox? ear defenders? i'm not picking but this needs to be on the video
Hi. True dust mask, gloves and ear defence... I was thinking to much about shooting the video and not apply what I expect my learners to do. All the best Gaz
@@GSHElectrical nice video though! 👍I have just started watching
I use a dremel tool to go around the edges of a chase and to cut out the the lattice of a chase, and finally finish off with a chisel and hammer. Only problem is dust.
Hears a tip from an old sparky if yo need to run a cable from unfinished basement or attic use a coat hanger long part cut it straight go to the molding with a drill go straight down with the coat hanger like a long skinny drill bit from open space drill over to center the cable then you can fish wire up to the cut in box little field tip I have used it for many hard places. I know it different here in the states but pulling cable is 75%of the job in most cases here anyway. Have fun and tell the students to study study study never say no.
If I have an electrical wire already boxed into a conduit along the surface of the wall and I want to move the wire inside the wall, do I need to remove the white cover first? Or just push everything into the wall? Also - if I have a cut wire that I want to extend - do you have a video for that?
Must use the wall chaser machine
I have a ? Could you use a small wall saw, something that is like rotating mini saw to do the first layer of plaster to get perfect lines and then hammer out the deeper part?
Appreciate this is an old video but would you always place the cable first? I.e feed it, maybe tie the cable up then do the chasing,any a situation where you would chase then run the cable? I guess you may run into issues fishing the cable so the chase may be redundant? Just wondering best practice. Great vid.
If you chase a concrete floor, instead of capping what would you use so you can pull through if needed after the floor is concreted? Conduit? Any type of metal?
You should measure the depth of the box against the chisel and draw a line with tipex so you know when you've gone deep enough
Great video. The only factor I'm not sure about is the material used for the capping. Would common sense and safety precautions not dictate that this be metal not plastic?
I took a shot every time you said a sexual innuendo Gaz. I’m now drunk goodnight!
You should try the Bosch multi drill bits you don't need to use hammer do drill red brick!
Thanks for the video. Out of interest, if the pre drilled holes in the box is not in the centre is there any reason why you couldn't offset the chase to the left or the right and allow the cable to run directly into the box?
I just link to come straight into the middle of the box. Your method works as well 👍🏻. Thanks for commenting and watching
@@GSHElectrical Thanks for the quick reply. I am not a pro, I was just wondering if it was an industry standard to go to the middle to minimise the risk of someone drilling into the cable after the plaster has been reinstated (having assumed the cable would run centrally)? Thanks again, really useful video.
noob question here, but when chasing for multiple cables can you stack cables on top of each other, or just make the chase wider to accommodate multiples?
What's the name of the chisel?? Searched for comb and skutch type but can only find SDS compatible versions Thanks
great video altho I think a pair of gloves should be on your ppe list for this job
good
Given the access is to the left or right of centre on the top of the metal box, having positioned the box, run the chase line up from there, and not above the centre of the box. That way there is no off-set kink. Equally that also allows for tubular conduit should that be preferred. Easy with a block wall. Would have been nice to see a brick wall.
I've never chased walls before, but I've used a reciprocating saw to change a single box to a double... can this be done with a reciprocating saw too - would they be strong enough to break through?
Nice wall you are chasing there! What do you do when you're on the job and the plaster disintegrates and the brickwork crumbles when you hit it with a chisel?
That's called the real world. I rember they had us measuring cable clips on twin n earth which would be normally hidden, no one does that in the real world, unless it's all on show.
I did this today, using the same tools, my lines were not as straight! The plaster came of around it a lot. I didn't hit hard (way less then you did) I wonder why my chase was much messier? Any tips would be appreciated (from anyone) as I have more to do!
Still use conduits here in Zambia.
i couldn't carry on my electrical course because my carp teacher , can u tell me where do u teach plz?
What about if the customer has coving in the ceiling? And also they have a solid brick wall underneath the plaster?
Im chasing out the cable routes for the spark for our sockets. What size channel / capping is used for 2.5mm2 t&e 37mm? Or is 25mm ok?
i haven't completed my course with accesss training in cardiff because i faild my last exam about 6 month ago which was about the conditional report and do the assessment. now, i need to do the 18th edition and complete the rest with the assessment, do u do that in your college ?