Fish Wire: How to Go Through Any Wall | The Family Handyman
One of the basic skills of DIY electrical is knowing how to make connections inside switch, low-cal and outlet boxes. Just existence able to "fish" wire, as the pros telephone call it, through your walls lets yous add new switches, lights and outlets exactly where you desire them, or add communication cablevision like True cat 6 yourself.
You don't take to settle for stepping over extension cords or draping wires beyond your walls. With these wire-fishing tips and tools, you can put wires where you demand them.
Route Cable Behind Baseboard
If you're similar me and would rather install miles of trim than patch drywall, this is the mode to go.
Remove the baseboard and cut a long, narrow hole in its place. So drill holes in the studs for your wire to pass through. This works best with wide base trim but can be washed with narrow base trim as well. Be sure to keep the holes in the studs at to the lowest degree 1-1/iv-in. away from the stud edges to avoid the need for protective metal plates.
Make a Bevel Cutting
If you have to cut an access hole, make the cutting at an bending. Then when it's time to patch it, spread joint compound around the hole and press the cutout back in. The mud will hold the plug in place. In that location's no need for screws or backing, and the plug won't fall through the pigsty.
Brand a Chase With Trim
Run conduit or BX cable (armored cable) along the height corner of a wall and embrace it with crown molding. You can cut pocket-sized holes in the wall or ceiling where the wiring needs to exit the room.
Don't Fish Ability Cords
Cords that power appliances, TVs and ability strips cannot be placed inside a wall. The National Electrical Code says these cords cannot replace permanent wiring. To avert seeing these ability cords, yous can fish cable to add a new outlet nearby.
Give Communication Cablevision Plenty Infinite
Communication cablevision like coax or Cat half dozen should be kept away from cables that carry high voltage to outlets and lights. Pros recommend keeping them 12 to 16 inches away. If y'all must cross these cables, do so at a ninety degree angle.
Notice the Easiest Route
The easiest route is not always the most direct. Accept advantage of unfinished spaces similar basements and attics to run wire from i end of the business firm to the other. Y'all might use an actress 50 anxiety of wire, but information technology will save you lots of time.
Use a Lot of Cable
Pushing far more cable than you need into the walls or ceilings is helpful for a few reasons. First, it makes the task of hooking the cable yous're fishing much easier. It also eliminates lots of tugging, which can damage fragile Cat 6 cables.
Hibernate Wires With Raceway
Running wire on the wall surface with raceway is a great fashion to become power right where you lot want it without fish ing wires through walls. You lot tin can hibernate the raceway behind furniture and paint it to friction match the wall. Build the raceway from an existing electrical box with snap-together components and hide the wire within the aqueduct.
Run Conduit in Closets or Cabinets
Conduit or armored cable is another peachy option for surface wiring, and it's about half the cost of raceway. You wouldn't want to run it over your walls like you would raceway, merely it won't be visible in a dark closet or along the backs of cabinets.
Splice Like a Pro
Sometimes you have to pull hard to get a cablevision through a wall, and so make sure the cable is securely tied to your pulling tool, whether it'due south a fish tape or a coat hanger.
This is my favorite method: Put the wire through the eyelet or effectually the hook, then wrap it around your fishing tool. Tape them together with electrical tape, making sure to taper the wrapped section so information technology will slide through holes.
Don't Run Cable in Ductwork
Running cable inside ductwork, equally convenient every bit it may be, is not allowed by code. You tin run cablevision in plenum spaces like stud and joist bays for return air, merely y'all'll need a plenum-rated cable. These cables have special jackets that are nontoxic and rated for burn down.
Yous tin find plenum-rated Cat half-dozen and security cable at electrical supply stores. It will price well-nigh twice as much every bit standard versions.
Wire Along the Plumbing Stack
Adding power in an upper level tin can mean running wires from the basement to the cranium. In a two-story abode, you'd have three ceilings to go through. But in older homes, sometimes this is as piece of cake every bit lowering a plumb bob along the plumbing vent stack and pulling up the cable. Newer homes might non take enough space around the stack, just it'due south worth checking first.
Drill Two Holes to Turn a Corner
Running wire around corners isn't equally hard as it seems; the key is to cutting holes on each side of the corner. With a spade fleck in an angle drill, or an angle attachment, drill a hole in each of the corner studs. This volition requite you lot a path to pull wire through.
Discover Obstructions
Earlier cut any holes in walls, map out the route you want your wire to take. Browse the wall with a stud finder to locate any blocking that might obstruct that route. If there's blocking in one stud bay, the next one over might brand a improve path. You don't desire to observe out the hard way.
Double-Duty Access Holes
Instead of cutting new holes in your walls or ceilings, y'all tin use holes that are already at that place. Remove light fixtures, switches or outlets to use existing holes, or plan ahead to employ the admission hole for a new fixture.
Hide Boob tube Wires With a Wiring Kit
The easiest mode to hide TV wires is with an in-wall Television set wiring kit ($60). Only cut holes for the two boxes, driblet the wire down the wall and then plug in the extension string. The kit is prewired with a male-ended plug and comes with an extension cord. This is especially helpful if a stud blocks a direct line-fishing route and you want to avoid a big wall-repair project.
Tuck Low-Voltage Wires
Depression-voltage cable doesn't have the aforementioned installation requirements as household power cables. Speaker wire, cables that provide ability to doorbells and thermostats, and advice lines similar Cat half dozen don't need to be run inside your walls. You lot tin just constrict them under your baseboard , simply not under carpet or rugs.
Wire-fishing gear
Glow Rods
Glow rods are a staple for wire fishing. Just similar steel record, they can be pushed up walls and forth ceilings. They can normally be purchased in several lengths and exist screwed together for longer spans. Most come with a swivel eyelet tip and a hook tip. The luminescent rods glow in the dark, illuminating dark joist and stud bays. You can observe them for $40 at home centers.
Flex Scrap
If you need to run wire across a few joists or studs, reach for a flex bit. They come in long lengths, and extensions are bachelor and then you can drill holes through several joists. They take an eyelet at the tip, so once yous've made your holes you can pull the wire dorsum through with the same bit.
One thing to note: Don't drill through insulation with these bits. Await to pay about $50 for a 54-inch flex chip at a home heart.
Homemade Hooks
Some of my favorite fishing tools are ones yous can make yourself. Pocket-size hooks fabricated from cable or coat hangers let you grab cable just out of reach. Best of all, they're economical.
90-Degree Drill Zipper
This is the perfect tool for drilling holes between stud trophy. Nigh $xviii at almost domicile centers, it's a lot cheaper than a dedicated angle drill and serves the aforementioned purpose. It tin can exist a footling tricky to use with larger bits, so concur on tight.
Wire-Pulling Magnets
With a few options at unlike prices, magnets are cool tools for pulling wire along an insulated stud bay. This Magnepull ($125) consists of a steel leader and a roller magnet. You can even use it to recollect lost bits and other tools from inside walls. Wire-pulling magnets, which range from $40 to $125, can be found at electrical supply stores.
Depression Voltage Mud Ring
Use mud rings to forestall marring drywall as I pull cable. They also have markers in the corner to outline the perfect hole size and shape for single-gang boxes. When you're done fishing, leave it in the wall and cover information technology with a blank faceplate to avert patching (especially useful for difficult-to-patch textured walls). These mud rings are available for less than $two each at home centers.
Steel Fish Tape
This long roll of stiff steel is neat for pushing wire through insulated walls, upwardly wall cavities and down long lengths of joists. A roll starts at $15 at home centers.
Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/how-to-fish-wire-through-wall/
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