One like this might work if you don’t want to mess with hoses.

I used one for welding in my previous job. It has the additional benefit of keeping your face cool by blowing fresh air onto it and being a full face it protects your eyes too nor does it fog up.

It was inspected for asbestos prior to demolition. I don’t fuck around with that stuff.

Yeah, I can’t argue with that.

I’m a general contractor and I’m doing this for a customer.

I do, and I have a good one too. My issue however is that because of my beard none of them seal perfectly. I’ll likely just have to invest into a powered one at some point because I do this for living and there’s plenty of more dusty work ahead of me.

Cynicism is the number one thing I dislike about social media commentary. I think a lot of people believe pessimism makes them look smart, but in my view, it just poisons the air for everyone.

Home improvement contractor here.

Short answer: it’s always inherently risky. There’s no 100% certain way to avoid it. But there are things you can do to mitigate the risk. First, look for outlets and light switches - wires generally run straight up or straight down from them. The same principle applies to plumbing. Most electronic stud finders also have a feature to detect metal and live wires. They’re quite unreliable though.

Another precaution is to use masonry bits instead of wood or metal bits. Masonry bits have blunt ends, so you’re less likely to damage wires or pipes even if you hit one. You should also avoid drilling too deep, and whenever possible, aim for studs - there’s rarely anything critical inside them.

That said, hitting something important is quite unlikely. In a standard wall, there’s usually not much inside. Kitchens and bathrooms are a bit riskier. For perspective, I’ve probably drilled over a million holes into walls and ceilings, and I’ve only ever hit a wire once - and that was in the oddest place, running between a wall and a door jamb. It was such a strange location that the thought never even occurred to me until the room went dark.

If you hit a wire you’ll probably just blow a fuse. It’ll cost to fix it but it’s rarely catastrophical. Plumbing is a different story - you can cause a lot of damage in very short period of time. It’s generally recommended to locate AND TEST the main shut off valve before drilling if you’re unsure. Word of caution though: these valves may sit untouched for decades and may start leaking when you do.