What to do about old electrical wiring in the wall?

[threemonkeys]

My place is a 1960s-70s build, I'm repainting and while I was scraping back sections of flaking skim coat I uncovered what looks like an electrical wire contained in the plaster, it's a full brick building.

I was a bit worried I might have knicked it, especially around the crack where it was obscured by debris while I was working on cleaning it out in preparation to fill but I can't see any physical damage. The plaster over the wire itself looks slightly darker but I was expecting that given the plaster is thinner there. Other than that it looks like it's in fair condition without signs of being brittle or damaged and nothing was tripped, my electrical inspection is up to date.

I'm going to see if I can get a hold of my electrician today. What I'm worried about though is what does this mean for the rest of the work I'm doing on the property if I have more of this elsewhere? I wanted to install an extra cabinet in the kitchen, hang some curtains and put up a mirror, not sure about that now. I'm not sure I trust a stud finder, or at the very least my ability to use one properly. What are my options?

Also what should I be using to patch those areas of skim coat that have come away? It looks like it's been patched before and I'd like to avoid having to do it again. I have a tub of agnews water putty multipurpose filler I've been using as filler, I'm not reskimming the whole wall just a few patches, would that do the job or do I need to get a particular product?

[JacobZ]

Hi @threemonkeys,

Thank you for your question about handling concealed wires within your walls.

It is possible to trace electrical circuits using detectors such as this Bosch Green UniversalDetect, however due to the risks involved, I'd suggest having your electrician carry out the wiring detection for you. 

I'd suggest letting them know where you intend to install the cabinet, curtains and mirror and having them lightly mark out any wiring within the wall so the markings can be erased after their use.

The Agnew's Water Putty should be perfectly fine for this sort of repair, but if you found you needed to patch a much larger area, or skim coat the entire wall, you would use Hardwall Plaster.

Let me know what you think and if you require any further assistance, don't hesitate to reach out.

Jacob

[threemonkeys]

My electrician said it was fine to just a plaster back over it, he's going to come out and replace the fan so that I don't get peeling like that again in the bathroom and he said he can map the walls for me so I know where I can and can't drill, he's told me to avoid drilling any holes in the meantime.