A tutorial on running wires through the wall

[phantompwr]

I looked through the memories, forgive me if someone has posted something like this before.
A quick disclaimer. I'm not responsible if you hurt yourself, get a shock, violate building codes, or burn your house down because you read this and decided you could cut holes in your walls with reckless abandon.
So... running wire through the walls:

I figured first I would go over the tools you should have when attempting to cut holes in the wall and run wires through them.
The very basic tools you should have are a tape measure, level, screwdriver, and drywall saw. I can't stress enough that you should get one like in the picture. I got one of those saw handles that can accept a sawzall blade and I was not very happy with it. The drywall saw should be about $15-20 and the key is the sharp point on the end, which allows you to stab it right through the sheet rock without too much force.
Besides these tools, you might want to get a stud finder, but since they aren't always reliable and I didn't want to scare everyone away with a laundry list of tools they would need, I don't consider it essential. A couple of shortcuts that you can use, and you might want to consider even if you do use a stud finder: If the hole you are cutting is near an outlet, you can measure from the outlet to get a good idea of where the next stud is going to be.
Standard stud spacing is 16" on center, which means there is about 15" of free space between the studs. Outlets are usually mounted to the side of a stud, so the stud should be on one or the other side of the outlet. If you want to know exactly which side the stud is on you can stick something hard but thin into the gap between the outlets electrical box and the edge of the drywall. If you hit the nails that hold it to the stud you know which side it is on. If this makes you nervous, you can (and probably should) shut off the breaker for that outlet. You can also knock on the wall to listen for changes in timbre that might indicate whether there is an open space behind or a stud.
All this information is also good for mounting a TV as well, of course when mounting a TV you want to know exactly where that studs are so you can mount the bracket to them, but in this case we want to know where the studs aren't.
Lets move on to cutting the holes and getting the wire in there. I'll start with vertical runs on the same floor, because they are the easiest. You might want to do this to run wire up to a surround speaker mounted on or in the wall, or from your components up to the TV. Either way, the studs go up and down, so between them is (mostly) free space.
Before you start cutting into the wall, you should do everything you can to guesstimate what might be in there. You don't want to cut into an electrical line or a pipe. This is one reason I would never recommend using a power saw to cut the holes. A good sheetrock saw will cut your wallboard very easily, but more importantly, you will be able to feel if you have hit something inside the wall.
If you have access below and/or above the wall you plan to cut into, see if any faucets, outlets or switches are in line with it. Try to avoid cutting into a wall that has the potential to be filled with electrical or plumbing. That said, don't freak out if there might be something in there, you should be able to feel if you have hit something. Electrical wires usually run up the side of the stud, and if they cross the space, they will be loose enough that cutting them with a hand saw by accident would be extremely difficult. If you do hit a pipe you will definitely know it, and as long as it isn't PVC you'd really have to be trying to cut into it.
Anyway, aesthetically it would be best if you are cutting a hole down low by your components to keep it at the same height as nearby outlets. Just use your tape measure to find the height of the center of the outlet, and go from there. Once you have your center point, you need to draw out a square the right size for an LV-1




This is also known as a Low-voltage single-gang old work box. Low voltage means it doesn't need a closed back like outlet boxes do, single gang means it is for one plate, you can get LV-2 and 3 and 4. Old work means it is for installing in a finished wall, rather than one that hasn't had the sheetrock put on yet. Notice the little blue wings, as you screw it in, they flip up and pinch against the back of the drywall to hold the box in place. Then you can screw in all sorts of different plates to it. In order for the box to stay put in the wall, you have to cut the hole just big enough for it to fit but not too big or it will fall in. You should buy the box and use it as a model when you cut the hole. If you look at the picture of the hole I made you will notice that I actually made a mistake and cut it for a different kind of box, because I didn't buy the boxes first. Fortunately it was close enough so it will stay in place.

Here is an example of a hole that I cut. Despite the way it looks from the distortion of my camera lens, it is lined up with that outlet. The hole is usually just big enough to find your hand into, which is useful when you need to grab the wire. If you are running wire to a wall mount speaker, the hole at the speaker will need to be small, so you will have to run it from the top down.
Speaking of which, unless you are running your wire a short distance from top to bottom and/or there isn't any insulation in the wall, you are going to need something to get your wire from hole A to hole B. Here is what I use:

They are called glow rods and basically this is exactly what they are made for. If you aren't running wires through walls all the time though, you might not want to shell out $100 or so for a set of these. There is also "fish tape" which is a length of stiff metal wire. You can come up with your own wire snakes though, anything that is stiff but somewhat flexible will do the job. Anyway, get that running from one hole to the next, then tape the wire onto one end and pull it through!
Once you have your wire in place, its time to install the plate.

Here's a picture of a typical wallplate and some common inserts that can be snapped into the holes. From left to right are RCA insert, for audio/video, F-type for coax cable, and black and red binding posts for speaker connection. I realized I forgot the most common ones though, for phone and ethernet! Using most of those requires some specialized tools so I won't go into them much. Your easiest route that will still give you a pretty clean look and allow you to run HDMI/proprietary/power cables, is a bulk plate.

Here I am, installing one into the LV-1 in the hole that I cut earlier. I want to note here that running the power cord for your TV through the wall is a violation of your building code. The power cord is not rated for in wall installation, and if it should catch on fire, your insurance might not cover it and such and such. At work we have the electrician put an outlet in the wall at TV height, and if you can do that it is the right way.
If you have looked at my HT gallery, you may see that I have not done this. That is because I was lazy and (at the time) did not have the tools or materials for running high voltage wire. I do this at my own risk and if anything goes wrong I will probably feel the way a one legged man might if he found himself entered in an ass-kicking contest. I'm not too worried though, just suffice it to say I can't officially recommend that you do this.
Anyway, I am going to stop here for now. If anyone has any questions or anything to add to this please feel free, and I can update it with new information. I was going to talk about running wires horizontally across a wall, and up into the ceiling or through the floor, but I am burned out, so I might add those separately later. Here is a picture of the hole, with bulk plate and decora cover:

[gearyt]

nice basics... you won a sticky !!

[brettallica]

You're a cable/wire Nazi, just like I am!

I believe they have 12-step programs for people like us.

[phantompwr]

Originally Posted by brettallica

You're a cable/wire Nazi, just like I am!

I believe they have 12-step programs for people like us.

Well I saw some people posting comments on some bad wire management in people's HT galleries, and thought rather than just criticize, I could actually contribute something positive, plus I am starved for attention

[Moefiz]

Very nice....I like how you lay everything out...

especially your disclaimer....we know who not to call if we burn the house down

[DrinkMore]

Very nice write up. I am going to head out to Lowes here shortly and see if they have all the bits and pieces I need to do this. I have a credit so it would be good.

Question - I am under the assumption (we know how that goes) that like you said, you can not run the power cable in the wall. However, what happens if your wall is open on the opposite side? Drywall only on one side, open and readily accessible on the other side (under a stair well)?

[phantompwr]

I haven't actually read the codes, and they may vary by locale, but my guess is that wouldn't be a big deal. I think it is more running the power cord through the enclosed space with the insulation, other wires, etc. that is the issue. My interior walls don't have any insulation which made me feel that much more okay about running mine through the walls anyway.
Its probably not a big deal, I'm sure a lot of people do it, I just wanted to be clear that it is a risk, although a very small one.

[DrinkMore]

Originally Posted by phantompwr

I haven't actually read the codes, and they may vary by locale, but my guess is that wouldn't be a big deal. I think it is more running the power cord through the enclosed space with the insulation, other wires, etc. that is the issue. My interior walls don't have any insulation which made me feel that much more okay about running mine through the walls anyway.
Its probably not a big deal, I'm sure a lot of people do it, I just wanted to be clear that it is a risk, although a very small one.

Thanks for the info. None of our interior walls have insulation in them either. I will probably just run the power cable behind the wall. Don't see an issue with it. I really don't want to put in an outlet up top.

[mnfish]

Unless the power cord is CL rated and most are not it does go against code in most locales to run the tv power cord in the wall. It's high voltage. All the other cables are low voltage. If you were to ever have a house fire and it was found out that the power cord in the wall was at fault the insurance company may not cover it. We are told in the Best Buy world not to EVER recommend putting the cord in the wall. If the customer wants to do that when we leave that is up to him/her. But we NEVER EVER do it for them.

BTW...nice job in the installation. This is a pretty common way to put cables in the wall in the Best Buy/Geek Squad Installation (GSI) world.

[mnfish]

These bulk plates also known as "nose" plates also come in a reverse nose plate and they are really nice because there is less stress on the cable coming out of the wall plus they look cleaner and easier to run wires between holes if you ever need to replace/add cables without taking the plate off.

[gearyt]

now days, in most areas... running any wire, that is not rated for such use, is against fire code.... It's not the voltage, it's the pvc jacket. In our area, all wire, even CAT-5, must be armored, or in conduit, and requires permits to install.....and Hi voltage ( over 24, class 2 ) must be seperate from low voltage runs

be careful, as stated above, it is a liablity issue

[mnfish]

Originally Posted by gearyt

In our area, all wire, even CAT-5, must be armored, or in conduit, and requires permits to install.

Eeek! That must get expensive and hard to schedule quick projects waiting for the permits to arrive?

[phantompwr]

I should be clear I did realize that it is because of what the shielding is made of. I assume it is for fire resistance, and so it won't release toxic chemicals if it does burn. I wonder if you can find regular power cords that are CL rated?

We do need permits to run our wire here as well, but I think there is more leeway if you are doing it in your own house.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by phantompwr

I wonder if you can find regular power cords that are CL rated?

This is a Link that someone posted the other day, might interest you.

[Johk]

Originally Posted by DrinkMore

Thanks for the info. None of our interior walls have insulation in them either. I will probably just run the power cable behind the wall. Don't see an issue with it. I really don't want to put in an outlet up top.

One solution for this, is the Powerbridge. The great thing about it is that it lets you use your power conditioner/surge suppressor.

[phantompwr]

Originally Posted by Johk

One solution for this, is the Powerbridge. The great thing about it is that it lets you use your power conditioner/surge suppressor.

That is basically what we do at work in this situation, although we just have the electrician install a box with a power cord that can be plugged into the power conditioner, and then romex goes from the box through the wall to a "clockhanger" outlet at the TV. By the way, I would recommend you check clearances if you plan to put in an outlet behind the TV. The power cord sticks out farther than you might think, and the clock hanger outlets we use are recessed to avoid that problem.

I was thinking for people who might want to get things up and running fast, if there was a cord that was safe to run through the wall without any boxes, as if it was a regular power cord. I did a little searching myself though and didn't see anything

[mnfish]

Nice site but it should be noted that the kit does NOT include the Romax wire needed to in the wall between the outlets. They say to get this at a bldg supply place. And I'm guessing that you still need to have a licensed electrician put it in with the proper permits to keep the inspectors and insurance companies happy?

[mnfish]

And make sure they put it in the right place. We've had times where the outlet is below or above the tv. Or it's behind all the connections on the tv. Or it's on the exact place where the tv mount needs to go. Best thing is to mount the tv first then mark the place for the outlet. Seems like that's backwards but I can't tell you how many times we have to go back out and redo a mounting because the outlet is in the wrong place. People don't think about the power when they buy and mount tvs like this. And then they expect us to put it in for them? NOT!

[Pelican170]

Good stuff. Now id like to see one through floors. Ive been curious about running speaker wire to my rears by under the floor (basement) and up the wall (living room), but have been worried about studs and wall pieces blocking. never done it before myself...

[phantompwr]

I'll be doing a tutorial on that sometime soon. Mostly my lack of pictures is putting that off.