G+_Andrew Matteson Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I saw an episode of know how that discussed how to splice cat5 cables and such, but has there been one that discusses the steps required to actually push cable from one end of a house to another (through the wall)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Terry Henderson Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Andrew Matteson Go To An Electrical Supply House & Ask For A "Fish Tape" I Believe That's What It's Called !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_J Miller Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Without conduit in a wall, going horizontally from one stud section to another is almost impossible. Your best bet is to go above through the attic or below if you have accessible area below. If you have a slab floor and a 2 story, good luck as you will have to get creative or remove drywall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Andrew Matteson? funny you should ask, I actually made cable runs last night. I learned how to run cabling in walls when I worked for a satellite provider. Its actually pretty easy once you do it once. Like terry said you can use fish tape but personally I like "glow rods". They're fiberglass rod sections that screw together and you can make a hook for the end or if there is a harbor freight near you theirs comes with a hook that screws on. If you're going through an attic and you want to run it inside a wall you'll have to drill through what's called a fire block and then seal it with approved sealant. You can get either junction boxes or a plate that has tabs to hold it on dry wall and then you can screw a wall plate on to it. I personally wouldn't recommend going horizontally since most electric outlets run power cables up studs. Really bad day if you drill through that. Unless is a house in the build process but I would still say go up because if the wire is bad, its easier to replace. What I did was drill a hole in the ceiling of my closet with my gear in it and tape one end of the wire to a glow rod and fed that up into the attic. Then I got in my attic and pulled the rod and cable though. For the wall I wanted the cable to run down into I drilled a hole in the fire block and then I had a stud going horizontal I had to drill through and ran some glow rods down the wall and taped the wire to the end. I already cut a hole out in the drywall where I wanted it to come out at and just pulled it though. Then just pulled the cable through the junction box and hooked everything up. Just need to seal up the hole I drilled in the fire block. Depending on how your wall is you may need a flexible drill bit. They're made to drill through studs and fire blocks so you don't have to tear your wall up. Its about 3 feet long and you'll need a "handle" that let's you "hold" the bit while you drill. I'll post links for what I used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 http://m.homedepot.com/p/Jameson-24-ft-Glow-Fish-Rod-Kit-7-36-23T/202456701/ Not the set I used but gives you an idea. Home depot has them for $20 and the one from harbour freight is $10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 http://m.homedepot.com/p/Carlon-1-Gang-14-cu-in-Old-Work-Box-B114RB/100404027/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 http://m.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Flexible-Drill-Bit-Kit-3-Piece-53721/203913339/ This set comes with the handle but they have 3 bit sizes and you can get them with or without the handle. If you got to home depot or Lowes its not with the drill bits/tools.its in electrical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Oh and to keep things easier, don't do like I did and use premade wiring , make your own. Or if you use premade, get connectors and crimpers. Much easier without the connector on the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Andrew Matteson Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Great info, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rewilson Cabbab Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 A how-to episode on home wiring (like networking) would be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_J Miller Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 liability............Imagine if someone runs a drill through someone else or a pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Disclaimer. Plus there are YouTube videos showing how to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Yup, what Adam said is pretty good. Attic or basement is best, but you could always get outdoor cat-5 as a last resort. The glow sticks are also awesome! I didn't know they had then at Harbor Freight for so cheap - I'll have to pick some up sometime. I used them at a previous job and they're far easier than a fish tape for most things. If you're not in too much of a hurry, shop Monoprice and save some $$. Low-voltage wall brackets, keystone plates and jacks, wire... And when you get the wire, get more than you think you'll need. Padre recommended plenum rated cable and he's right (unless you'll be running it outside). As you snake your cable, it might be tempting to run it alongside power... Don't. I think 18" is the recommended distance if it has to run parallel. It's OK to cross and that won't typically cause any noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Adam EL-Idrissi Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 I bought 100' of premade monoprice cable. I forgot what padre said about plenum cables so I think I regret how I ran it. It's running about 6-9 inches parallel to The power outlet and switch. Other than questioning that, no issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 PVC is fine but Plenum is recommended. Most places it's required by code if the cable is running through a cavity used also as an air duct - thus "Plenum". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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