How to pull wires thru the wall

[NickelTitanium]

I want to update the wiring in my house. I would like to learn from all of you how to do this without ripping the walls apart. I also heard that there is this new universal cable that has coxial, fiberoptic, 2 cat5, and cat3 all in one line. Where could I get it from in Los Angeles? I live in Rowland Heights. Thanks.

 

[helpme]

You live in Roland heights???

just minutes from Arcade Infinity you bastard.

hehehe.

Anyway, don't most people use a coat hanger or something? Take off the wall socket panels to have a hole to reach through?

 

[N8Magic]

It's very difficult once a house is finished. How old is your house? If its newer, it may have firestops built into the wall, in which case you are screwed.

Do you have a finished basement? Is the house a 2 story or a bungalow? I need more info!

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

cable pulls work good. not sure that's the name...just a spool of tough ass wire with a loop on the end. cut a hole in the wall, go into the attic, unroll the wire, drop it down through the insulation and towards the hole. the wire is easily moveable so it's easy to get to the hole you made. have someone pull it through, attach your cat5 or whatever to the loop, and pull back from the attic. wire goes right up with it. no idea where to get one, nor the name, but should be about 40$.

 

[sharkeeper]

Fishtape

Cheers!

 

[yoda291]

most hardware stores will have them...and I haven't been in the home depot that doesn't have one. Yeah, it's called fish tape. Also, I recommend that you wrap up your wire in electrical tape to the fish tape b4 you pull through. In narrow pipes and corners, It sucks to lose the connector end.

 

[Linflas]

My brother is an electrician and when we installed DSS in my house he had a drill bit that was 3-4 feet long to drill through cross studs. That and fish tape made the project doable. One other advantage I had was my basement is unfinished which makes it easier to run wiring up to the main floor. I plan on running a lot of cable and cat 5 before I do get it finished.

 

[Bachelor]

<< this new universal cable that has coxial, fiberoptic, 2 cat5, and cat3 all in one line >>



Good luck pulling that thru the wall!

 

[Rickten]

yeah when our cable guy installed our cable he had the longest drill bit I had ever seen.

 

[DuffmanOhYeah]

<< Fishtape

Cheers! >>


Yup, this is what you are gonna want to use. Should be able to pick it up at nearly any hardware store. DOesn;t guaranty an easy job though. It can still ba a royal pita sometimes.

 

[MackGoose]

FishTape is the way to go. Home Depot has them and they work pretty good. Another way (if going from attic) is to tie a heavey nut (nut and bolt type...he he) to a string and drop it down the wall cavity. Then cut a hole in the wall and using a coat hanger, "hook" the string out. Now you just have tie your new cable to the string (use a good quality string) and pull it through. It always works better with two people. I would also map everything out ahead of time and make sure it's exactly how you want it.

The easiest way to go is to go from the basement and put it up through the wall.

good luck........