I was wondering if you needed to attach electrical wires to steel studs. For instance within 12 inches of an outlet box like you do with wood studs. I am installing some pot lights in a lowered ceiling framed with steel studs and obviously there must be some slack so i can feed the light up thru the hole and secure it with the clips. It just seems kind of loose this way. Also up here in Canada you have to use the plastic grommets when running wire thru studs (darned expensive items) but what about long runs over five feet running alongside steel studs, do they need to be attached somewhere as well? And if so how? I can’t see to find any answers so i hope someone out there can help.
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My way of attaching wire to steel studs is duct tape, wrap it around the stud and wire a couple of times done deal. Primitive yes but it works.
try caddy¯ fasteners..... here is the link
http://www.erico.com/products.asp?folderid=108
the colorado jim is something Ihave only seen but never had to use
In commercial work, we usually use MC cable. But Romex [Code named NMB, they like to obscure things] should be the same except you have to use the grommets. I think there is an exemption for fixture whips which is about 5 or 6 feet.
But to support your wire to a metal stud, use what we call "One Hole Straps". They look like a question mark [?]. Also it seems to count if you weave it in and out of the pre-punched holes in the metal stud. A common chintzy method is to use a 6" length of [doubled up] tie wire under a Tek screw. Then the cable is placed against the screw head and the wire twisted together to hold it in place.
~Peter
The Seattle-Tacoma earthquake was all Bush's fault, as is everything else.