All,
Holidays and scheduling has caused delays, but they are more than welcomed in that its better to do it right the first time than fix, fix, fix. 🙂
Anyway, I am on a two-week stand down because of the HVAC guys has left for a two-week vacation and hasn’t installed the fart fan and ducting for it. He worked most of the daylight hours resolving the driven dryer vent system. He’ll be back after the first of the year.
In the time I am waiting, I will be running low-voltage cable (CAT5e data/voice, Video and audio), but I am thinking of taking the opportunity to run some 12/2wG of 14/2wG in the soffets in all of the rooms and run them back to the sub-panel for future use.
The idea is that this would minimize tearing into drywall in an attempt to fish electrical wire for future circuits. These future electrical wires would NOT be terminated to the panel, but rather come to an end in the soffet just above the sub-panel with some excess length in mind.
Anyone else do this?
Replies
I've considered it, but after getting laughed at by the sparkies and carps, I figgered simply providing access would be sufficient.
Ceiling tiles are nice.
empty conduit would be the way I'd go
I did the same thing when I wired my house. Got non-committal looks from the electrician and inspector. Over the 5-6 years of living, did not use the extra wire. I was thinking of putting in whole house fan or attic fan but these days solar attic fans may be better. I think the cat-5 wire maybe useful for fiber-optic connection (required) but anything else is becoming waste of money, especially with the wireless technology getting better and the cable company more or less matching the phone company's offers. I installed extra 2" pvc pipe between basement and attic just in case. Hope this helps.
man i've run empty pvc under slabs... empty conduit in ceilings... pulled 12-4 and even 12-5 (mc cable) just so i'd have extra if i ever needed it... i have never once gone back and used any of it.... i still will use a larger conduit than required at times just in case...
if it makes you feel better do it.... but if you have the time... i'd spend it seal'n up every hole and crack... spray foan in cans.... cheap caulk or liquid nails type products... you'll never really know how much good you have done... but in your minds eye you'll know it's alot tighter than it would have been... at this stage... it's also wise to go into every room and picture where stuff will be... and if it will help to have blocking... now is the time to add it...
good luck
p
I buried a bunch of wire in my new house. It was too easy and cheap not to. Have spare conduits to my detached garage plus a spare to the utility pole. It's cheap when it's open.
Buried wire for a bath fan in my old house but sold it prior to the install. The guy that takes care of the place knows to call me if they want a fan installed.
I've got conduits running from the basement to the attic in a few houses I manage. Just finished having the sparkies fill one of them up with Cat 5e to replace the #### wire that was in the house. House was built in 94.
Running the wires is probably a waste. Planning for the future is not.
Where you might have access problems ... say, in the outside walls of a house with a low roof .... instal a length of "smurf tube" from a point in the wall about 18" off the floor, to an accessible point in the attic. This will make it easy to fish wires if you need them later.
Likewise, a similar chase, made with EMT, can provide for easy addition of circuits to the panel, from either the attic or crawl space. You can do the same thing under drives, walks, and patios - just be sure to mark the locations!
Another idea is to run smurf tube. Will cause fewer problems with the inspectors, and can be used for LV cable (or maybe fiber optic) if it's needed in the future for some reason.
Ok, several of you have mentioned this 'smurf' tube, but can someone provide a link of a picture of it?
View Image'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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I have never seen anything like that before.
walk through the electrical aisle at the BBs, you'll find it there.
BB = Big Box? I usually do walk through there.
yes, Big Box, but depending on your locale, you might have one of those mamby-pamby stores that's more oriented to interior decor so you may have to try a different store. For instance one of the nearby HDs carries hardly any rough plumbing supplies, nearly all the fixtures are there, though. Same for the electrical aisle.
ETA I know I've seen it at Lowes.
Edited 12/15/2008 7:56 am ET by john7g
Corrugated flexible conduit, "smurf" because of its most common color. Comes in rolls or 10-foot sections. Fittings snap on.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel
This is a bit off subject, but I would get a digital camera and take tons of pictures. Every stud bay, joist bay, wire, pipe, vent... get a picture of everything before the insulation goes in. You would be surprised how handy this can be if the drywallers cover an outlet, the electricians forget to pull a wire, or whatever. It is cheap information to have.
Already planned on doing that. I agree about its going to come in handy later. Also plan on several access panels for cut-offs.
All, are there any access panels designed for being cut into drywall much like low-voltage unboxed openings?
Rather than spend the time installing redundant and un-terminated wire you could go ahead and install the fart fans yourself and move on with the project.
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"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."