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Drilling sockets with a diamond core bit: instructions for perfect installation

Drill a socket hole with the can drill . A Guide to Machines and Tools.

Difficulty: Medium | Costs: approx. 20 - 80 euros | Workload: approx. 45 minutes



Sockets are an important part of every home as they give us access to electricity.

However, sometimes you need to replace sockets or rebuild them in a wall, here is a Diamond socket cutter be of great help. In this article we are going to show you step by step how to drill a socket with a diamond socket bit.

Table of contents

1. What do you need one for Diamond socket cutter ?

Types of socket drill bits - 68mm and 82mm core bits, diamond core bits and tile bits

A diamond core bit is used to drill socket holes in hard materials such as concrete, stone, sand-lime brick.

A box drill has diamond segments that can withstand high forces and drill the building material to the desired diameter cleanly and efficiently.

A core bit with carbide segments can also be used for soft and medium-soft materials such as masonry.

2. What does it take to drill a socket with a diamond core bit?

Before you can start drilling, you need to have some tools and materials ready. This is a list of the most important things you will need to drill a socket hole:

  • Diamond socket cutter 68 mm or 82mm
  • Drill - core drill or powerful drill - please be careful not to work with impact. The can drill usually has an M16 mount. With adapters like SDS or 6-point, they can also be used for other drills.
  • socket and flush-mounted socket
  • Switch or dimmer (depending on your needs)
  • insulating tape or insulating paste
  • current tester
  • drill
  • screwdriver

2.1 For which materials is drilling with a diamond core drill necessary?

concrete Yes
reinforced concrete Yes
Ytong diamond or Carbide countersink
sand-lime brick Yes
brick Yes
masonry Yes

3. Step-by-step instructions for drilling sockets with a diamond core drill

WARNING: Electrical work should only be carried out by trained persons. Working with electricity can be fatal. Here we show you how to drill the hole for the socket or junction box with a diamond socket drill.

  1. Make sure the power is off. Have this step confirmed by an expert

  2. Have the socket and the flush-mounted box ready.

  3. Mark the place where the socket is to be mounted. There are legal requirements for distances to be observed when installing electrical cables and sockets .

  4. Clean surface and expose building material.

  5. Insert the diamond socket bit into the drill and start drilling the hole for the socket. Drill into it slowly. When drilling sockets, you have to use the center drill to drill approx. 1 cm into the building material including the socket drill. As soon as you have reached a comfortable depth in which the countersink has a good hold, you can loosen the center drill.

  6. Check the borehole.

  7. Now you can place the flush-mounted box in the drill hole and fasten it to the wall, floor or ceiling with screws.

  8. Have a professional install the electrical wiring to connect the power line to the outlet.

  9. Integrate the socket into the flush-mounted box and connect these two.

  10. Have a professional check that the new socket is working properly.

These steps are ideal for mounting and drilling sockets in a concrete wall, masonry of all kinds, reinforced concrete wall etc. In principle, almost any material can be drilled with a diamond socket bit.

Image of a concrete wall in which sockets have been installed

4. Tips for drilling sockets with a diamond core bit

  • Use a powerful drill. Be sure to drill without impact. Otherwise, this could damage the socket cutter. There are individual box drills that are designed for impact drilling. This information can be found on the product packaging.

  • In the best case, drill slowly and carefully so as not to damage the building material.
  • Insulate all power lines

5. How do I drill a socket in tiles?

When putting sockets in the bathroom, the tiles have to be drilled very precisely. Extremely precise work with the right tool is the prerequisite for a functional electrical system.

Tools and machines needed:

Banner image Guide Tips and tricks for drilling sockets in tiles

5.1 Step-by-step instructions for drilling sockets in a tile

  1. Step: Very precise transfer of the dimensions. As a rule, the drill hole for the cavity wall box is already drilled in the wall. The challenge is to place the tile drill hole in exact alignment with the cavity wall box

  2. Step 1: Tape a piece of masking tape directly over the mark. This minimizes tile tears enormously.

  3. Step: A 68 mm diamond tile drill bit is used to drill sockets in a tile. Mount the tool with the M14 mount on the angle grinder and start drilling with a low number of revolutions.

  4. Use as little pressure as possible. The weight of the angle grinder and diamond core bit should be sufficient to ensure adequate drilling progress.

  5. Once the tile is pierced, you can carefully plane out the inner circle with a screwdriver.

6. Frequently asked questions about drilling sockets with diamond core bits

Is it possible to drill sockets without a diamond core drill bit?

Yes, but this is not recommended. As a rule, you will not get comparatively clean boreholes. A real alternative are hollow drill bits with a diameter of 68mm or 82mm, which also fulfill this function. However, these can only drill soft to medium-hard materials.

Can you also drill other materials with a diamond socket cutter?

Yes, a diamond core bit can be used to drill holes in many hard materials such as granite, marble, tile and more.

Is it difficult to drill sockets with a diamond core bit?

It may take a little practice. But if you follow the instructions carefully, it shouldn't be a problem. It is always advisable to remain calm and proceed with caution.

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