Safest penetration into a Home?

[OkSatPro]

I am curious,

I am always interested in how others determine where on a wall for a stick built home and or a Mobile Home they will make their penetration.

I know what I look for, but what or how do you proceed?

Care to share?

 

[DarrellP]

I prefer to penetrate women myself. But... if I were to run cable through a wall, I start on the inside, locate an appropriate place near my gear, find a stud, cut a hole for the junction box, then punch a hole to the outside, making sure I am avoiding any electrical wires in the process.

 

[HCI]

Mobile homes I always come from the floor.

In traditional houses I usually come the same distance from the floor that outlets are and put a wall plate up.

 

[OkSatPro]

The Tate,

I agree with you as to the floor on the mobile Homes...

though I have to say we have gone through a wall a time or two and put up a wall plate.

On stick builts, we do about the same, plug high and puch threw from inside to out..

FIrst we make sure there is nothing in the area outside we will coming out to, then go inside and punch through.

Ok, curious, what is your tool of choice, sorry I didnt think to ask that before, but I have seen as far as bit size 3/8, 1/2

What is your fave?
Oh yeah, do you make a practice of using wall busings?

I know some do others dont... beleive it or not I have seen more in my area that dont...

 

[KE4EST]

I use 3/8 and wall bushings, a little silicone never hurts either.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Depends...

On Mobile homes, its usually through the floor or on the baseboard.

On regular homes, its through the floor if they have a basement or through the baseboard.

The thing I did not consider is that I just built a home with Radiant floor heating imbeded in concrete. No way in hell I can drill through the floor!

 

[Liquidforce88]

Well most of this I agree with. I never go the same height as the wall outlets, I go higher or lower by a full plate. Most of the time the wire is run from outlet to outlet in a straight path. I just get through the drywall then push the bit to the outside wall I can tell if I have grabed a wire when I do that.

 

[mattb]

Depends...
The thing I did not consider is that I just built a home with Radiant floor heating imbeded in concrete. No way in hell I can drill through the floor!

Unless you want no more heat! I saw one of those being installed on HGTV the other nite.. Impressive system!


--Matt

 

[SimpleSimon]

Well most of this I agree with. I never go the same height as the wall outlets, I go higher or lower by a full plate. Most of the time the wire is run from outlet to outlet in a straight path. I just get through the drywall then push the bit to the outside wall I can tell if I have grabed a wire when I do that.

The new NEC discourages that - or exactly the reason you say.

However, that's what the new-style stud/electrical finders are for.

As for hole size, it'd be REALLY hard to stuff dual RG-6 through a 3/8 hole.
Dual needs a 5/8 - which coincidently, is the size needed for a dual bushing. Amazing how that works.

 

[OkSatPro]

Simple Simon,

I agree with your thoughts concerning wiring...

That is if I followed you right...

The wiring I am accustomed to seeing doesnt run even from plate to plate or box to box as was described...

In fact, it will usually be around 2 to 3 plates higher than the box it comes down into such as this example

Actual Wiring Example 1
Wiring Example 2

In this second example you can see the wire is only a plate or 2 higher ....


So, be it good or bad what I do on stick built homes is nearer plate height .... but I puch through the first layer carefully so that I might examine where I am going through with a quick visual inspection then position my bit agaist the next layer which is where I pucn through to the outside...

Do you think I am being overly cautious?

What do you pros say?

 

[lostlife]

i do as tate said. floors in mobile homes, wall plate on homes and drill from the inside out after insuring there is no stud in the way, trust me i learned the hard way many times.

 

[volkodav]

before i drill i check 2 times in side and out. always drill in side out always at wall plate hight. after drilling through gas pipe on my 1st year on job and have cops, fire, and gas company show up it's not fun.

 

[lostlife]

we've had a guy catch a mobile home on fire when he hit an electrical wire. i punch through the drywall, poke the bit through backwards and then move the fiberglass out of the way and make sure there is no other obstructions then put the bit back on my drill and drill through the outside wall.

 

[Mike500]

Well most of this I agree with. I never go the same height as the wall outlets, I go higher or lower by a full plate. Most of the time the wire is run from outlet to outlet in a straight path. I just get through the drywall then push the bit to the outside wall I can tell if I have grabed a wire when I do that.

Not true.

Actually, you are much safer at one to two inches to the right or left of the center height of an outlet box. Take off the plate over the outlet. Almost always, on one side is the wood stud onto which the box is nailed. Put the hole for the cable two inches to the other side.

Being a master electrician, I know from experience that this is the safest place. The worst is the area within the horizontal strip above the box and right next to the stud. Wires come in and out at the TOP of the box. Electricians usually do not come in from the bottom, unless they are running wires from below the floor. It's easier on the knees to run wires into the top. Wires need to be stapled centered on the stud. The NEC 1-1/4 rule from the surface applies.

Then, again, some jerk might run some wire anywhere. There is also almost no possibility of hitting a gas, refrigeration or water line, one inch to the open side of an outlet box.

One of my favorite tools is a lowly 1/16" diameter piano wire "insulation hanger." I use it as a probe, feeler, and position locator, when pushed through drywall. Any hole is easy to repair.

To locate an in wall fish from below, I chuck the wire in a battery powered drill and drill between the baseboard and the base 2x4 plate into the drywall and through the subfloor. This is with hardwood floors or tile. With carpet, drill between rge edge of the carpet and the baseboard. When located below, drilling about 1-1/2 toward the wall side will always get you into the wall cavity. Taping the end of the coax to the insulation hanger will allow you to push it through like a needle and thread to the access hole for the wall plate.

A 1-1/2" hole saw is ideal for making the access hole. If using a one connector plate, the screws will have wood to attach to. With drywall, use plastic shields.

Just from my experience.

 

[Jared Twomey]

we've had a guy catch a mobile home on fire when he hit an electrical wire. i punch through the drywall, poke the bit through backwards and then move the fiberglass out of the way and make sure there is no other obstructions then put the bit back on my drill and drill through the outside wall.

i completely agree, i use a drill bit extension to move the insulation out of the way, and also so you can feel if there is any wiring in the way
also,

 

[JamesThurber]

I have a question since this thread is being watched/read/responded to by pro installers. How do you guys deal with two story homes when the wires need to go up to the top level for a room to get a receiver? I had Dish installed a little over a year ago and when they ran the lines to my two bedrooms upstairs he just punched a hole in the floor next to the floorboard? Is this normal or was he being lazy about it and just wanted to finish the job quickly? Thanks in advance.

James

 

[mlb]

Here is a question for the pro's on here...

My basement has a sheet rock ceiling (previous owner put it in), therefore I have no easy access to the 2nd floor for my wiring. I do have air ducts that go from the basement to the 2nd floor, but the runs are very long (probably 40-50 feet, a turn in the duct when it gets to the rooms). How do you run the wiring in that kind of environment? Through the ducts, or along the outside of the house and drill through the external wall?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Dish Dude]

Well most of this I agree with. I never go the same height as the wall outlets, I go higher or lower by a full plate. Most of the time the wire is run from outlet to outlet in a straight path. I just get through the drywall then push the bit to the outside wall I can tell if I have grabed a wire when I do that.

Not true, as an ex journeyman electrician, the 12-2 14-2, or 14-3 ran inbetween outlets generally is ran 6 inches lower or higher( I always preferred lower) between the studs, you have to secure electrical with wire staples at 4" before entering the switch box. My suggestion is to always place them at the same height for safety purposes and aesthetics

 

[lostlife]

Here is a question for the pro's on here...

My basement has a sheet rock ceiling (previous owner put it in), therefore I have no easy access to the 2nd floor for my wiring. I do have air ducts that go from the basement to the 2nd floor, but the runs are very long (probably 40-50 feet, a turn in the duct when it gets to the rooms). How do you run the wiring in that kind of environment? Through the ducts, or along the outside of the house and drill through the external wall?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Basic installer: external walls.
Custom: through ducts, regular pvc jacketed rg-6 should work fine.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I really like the idea of putting the coax box on the other side of the stud from an outlet, but sometimes the cross-wiring can make the fish harder.

I always try to mount the box at the same height as outlets - for appearances sake if no other reason.

Last one I did (Monday) went down into a crawlspace. They didn't backfill up to the foundation walls. First time I ran into that, and wish they were all like that - shuffling along the trench was a lot easier than bellycrawling.