Are there electrical wires through steel studs..need to hang some heavy cabinets
 

Need to mount some display case units on both sides of an interior wall..1/2 dry wall+steel stud +1/2 drywall on the other side. Total width 5 inches. These cases can share straight through bolts as they will be identical position on opposite walls. My concern is are there electrical wires through steel studs. House is 11 year old block stucco..looks to me like a typical build ..Ron Hess was the builder.

Yes, there can be wires run through steel studs. But at least in our house the wires seem to be lower than where you'd be hanging stuff from. Drill with caution. lol

Yes, here's a recent example.

I don't think there is any way to tell where the electrical wires are located. But, mostly, they run vertically along the steel stud from the attic to an outlet or switch, and then run horizontally to connect to other outlets in the room.

Yes, there can be wires. Easy way to find them is a metal detector. But you can approximate based on the location.

The wires run through the prefabbed holes in the metal stud and are centered in the middle of the stud. What you can do is drill in one side only, then use a screwdriver and see if you hit a wire. There are also cheap USB powered inspection cameras that can be used.

I would not drill completely through metal studs even though your cabinets are symmetrical on each side. (No need to risk drilling into wire).

Instead there are some great toggle bolts that will fit through a small hole. They open up in a way that spans the inside of the metal stud and will carry any type cabinet weight. I hung 3 Giant TV's on the wall this way.

Stop drilling as soon as you have penetrated the stud.

I'd agree with this. I did commercial electric for a few years and we used a lot of toggles through the steel studs to mount things.

Lets see....
 

the studs are metal and so is the wire...please explain to me how it will distinguish between the two. Thanks.

Wires are copper, studs are steel, there are detectors for each type of metal. Also, there energized wire detectors, I have one that will indicate an energized wire 6 inches away, so this type of instrument would indicate the presence of energized wiring but NOT the exact location. I agree with previous comments about using toggle type hangers and careful drilling of the studs.

USB powered inspection cameras....good idea

I have been drilling holes in walls for 50 years and I have never damaged an electrical wire. Maybe I have just been lucky.

Keep in mind that the metal studs are only used in the non-loadbearing walls in the typical constructionand are not permitted to carry more than 200 lbs per stud per ASTM specification C645 which is part of the building codes. If your loads are more than this you may cause a problem.

Self tapping screws
 

You didn’t say what the total weight of your display is going to be but I hung wall cabinets in my laundry room with self tapping hex head screws . Screw should be max 1-1/4 longer than the thickness of whatever you are mounting.

If your mounting a cabinet put a hole in the wall behind the back of the cabinet where it’s being installed you will never see it when there up.

Crush the wall upon tightening?
 

Understand what you're trying to do and your concern for what's inside the wall.
As I see it, that method will squash/crush the wall as you tighten. Those metal studs in the wall are very thin steel.

Have to agree with those that suggest going the toggle bolt method.
"Toggler" are the best I've ever used. Best of course is to bolt/screw into the center of a wood stud, but if that's not possible, those Togglers work great into wallboard alone.

See the Toggler video below.
SNAPTOGGLE Toggle Bolts - YouTube

Same Here
 

Ditto on success Hanging large flat screen TVs from expanding drywall bolts. They won’t be as strong as going into a solid wood stud so make sure the grandkids are told not to hang on the TV. :-)

metal studs need reinforcement
 

If your display cases, together with their expected contents, will have a total weight exceeding 50 lbs you would be wise to open up the sheetrock and reinforce the mounting area with 2 X 6's run horizontally between the metal studs. You attach the 2 X 6's at their ends with screws through the metal studs. If you work carefully, you will not have to repair the sheetrock you will have cut out as the opening will be covered by your display case or wall cabinet.

Metal studs will support vertical loads. They will not support a heavy load whose center of gravity is away from the vertical plane of the wall i.e. a wall cabinet filled with china and glassware.

Self tapping screws
 

Not sure about ten years ago but metal studs used now in homes now are not thick enough metal for self tapping screws to be effective. I suggest using toggles with a ledger strip under the full length of the cabinets to support the weight of cabinet and contents. I think you will find there are some wood studs in that wall that provide a better anchor. Another secure way is to install two straps to the wall the length of the cabinets and then secure the cabinets to said strips.

In one story buildings on slabs, electric wiring is typically run through the ceiling with vertical wiring dropped down to switches and outlets. The utility outlets closest to the floor feed down the wall attached to the outside of the stud approx 16-18 above floor, the run horizontally though the prepunched holes in the metal studs. Locate the studs with stud finder and stay above that 18" horizontal run and I would say your in good shape.

wire detector
 

Can you share what brand type detector you have that senses energized wire 6 inches away? Where did you get it? Will it detect
a wire through sheet rock or concrete ? Wish the house plan detail showed where the wires run through the walls.

Thanks. You can always learn something. I for one, never knew that existed.

People tend not to understand. The wall board screws that people seem to use for everything are thin. Any screw has limited holding power into end grain. Unlikely anyone will do it but the solution is to drill a hole across the grain close to the end where the screw will be in it and glue in a dowel. The screws will hold better and it prevents the wood from splitting along the grain-it's weakest point.

I hung cabinets in the garage where I knew there would be heavy loads. I cut rectangular holes at areas where I would be mounting them. Then took 2x3 about 2 to three foot long, pushed them up and down until where I was going to hang cabinets then used 1 3/4 inch sheet metal screws to go through metal studs into the wood studs nestled inside the metal ones. Replaced the Sheetrock rectangle and hung them with no problem. This also allowed me to see any wires running inside studs .

Have you a complete set of blue prints for your house??

Look up Walabot. Great tool for this job

I would probably want to be EXTRA safe by standing on a rubber/plastic mat and wearing rubber gloves when I drilled that 1st hole - just in case.

Thanks mate...
 

always nice being upgraded.:)

If the cabinets are heavy at all, I would suggest using a French Cleat to hang them. The cleat attaches to the wall and distributes the weight of the cabinet across multiple studs depending on size. Far superior to even the best Togglers. Since the screws are regular sheet metal screws they are highly unlikely to penetrate any loose wiring hanging in the middle of the stud, whether wood or metal.

Would using a French cleat be best for hanging some heavy wood-framed mirrors (apx 36x30) or large heavy-framed pictures? In my current home, there are pieces of wood nailed horizontally into the wall and then the hooks are placed into the wood. I have solid plaster walls here, so I don't have many issues, but I would think the walls in TV are probably drywall and you need to be more careful.

For cabinets and heavy mirrors or pictures I would not use anything but a French Cleat. Togglers are only rated to about 100 pounds or so. I've hung many heavier items with the French Cleat and never had a problem.

That's the best suggestion, solution, I have read yet

Many stud finders will also detect live electrical wires within walls.

A lot of the electrical wires in the wall are only live when you turn something on.