How to hide cables...? wall mounted TV...not your regular kit

[armed]

hello guys, newbie here...
like the title say...how do i hide my cables...
i know theres the lazy way...to get a Flat PVC that mounts on the wall...
and i know that theres a wall plate that you could buy..but you have to fish hook the cables and all..
my question is, is there like a wall plate that have some type of tube that connects the plate behind the TV and plate behind the entertainment center?

if I use the regular wall plate Id have to basically have all the wire/cables that i need (at the moment) routed at the time of installation..
what if i want to add an extra cable/wire down the road..? that means i have to unscrew the plates and do the whole thing again?

im actually thinking about a tube that connects the two wall plates and then use couple of 90 deg elbows and have a pipe connects the 2 wall plates.....that way i could just run wires whenever i want and pull wires whenever i want....is there a kit that i could get similar to this?

i know, all i need is 1 power cable for the tv and 1 HDMI cable to the TV...because you could connect all your extra stuff into a receiver..but some people have different ways to set their audio/video

im drunk. please help! im about to get some PVC pipes from a local store and make some sh!t..
maybe theres a kit out there already

 

[Rickster71]

hello guys, newbie here...
like the title say...how do i hide my cables...
i know theres the lazy way...to get a Flat PVC that mounts on the wall...
and i know that theres a wall plate that you could buy..but you have to fish hook the cables and all..
my question is, is there like a wall plate that have some type of tube that connects the plate behind the TV and plate behind the entertainment center?

if I use the regular wall plate Id have to basically have all the wire/cables that i need (at the moment) routed at the time of installation..
what if i want to add an extra cable/wire down the road..? that means i have to unscrew the plates and do the whole thing again?

im actually thinking about a tube that connects the two wall plates and then use couple of 90 deg elbows and have a pipe connects the 2 wall plates.....that way i could just run wires whenever i want and pull wires whenever i want....is there a kit that i could get similar to this?

i know, all i need is 1 power cable for the tv and 1 HDMI cable to the TV...because you could connect all your extra stuff into a receiver..but some people have different ways to set their audio/video

im drunk. please help! im about to get some PVC pipes from a local store and make some sh!t..
maybe theres a kit out there already

There are a few ways to do this:

You could just cut in two 'old work' boxes (or a box & low voltage ring) and run smurf tube. I'd recommend the power be routed separately on one side of stud and low voltage on the other. If you really want to run PVC don't use 90's, just go straight up & down into each box.

Or, simply run the wires to 2-old work boxes, keeping AC separate, and leave a pull string in the wall for future wire runs.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

As someone with some professional installation experience, I can assure you that no one uses PVC inside walls. No one. It’s much easier to simply fish cabling in an open wall cavity.

For starters, it’s against building codes to drop electrical cords inside walls. I suggest getting something like this. The female end would go behind the TV, and the male end at the bottom of the wall. A standard extension cord plugged into it would provide power to the TV. A piece of standard Romex would connect the two. You can find information in my retro-wiring article on how to install the old work boxes.

Second, it’s also against code to drop low voltage (audio or video cables in this instance) and high voltage (power) in the same wall cavity. IOW, there should be a stud separating the two, as Rickster mentioned. If you look around I’m sure you can find some recessed wall plates for audio and video connections like the one above for power.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[armed]

i appreciate the info guys....

 

[highfigh]

As someone with some professional installation experience, I can assure you that no one uses PVC inside walls. No one. It’s much easier to simply fish cabling in an open wall cavity.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Eau contrere! Handyman types sometimes do this and usually, it's precisely where it will look worst and be the least useful. Just ran into this last year and it was done on an outside wall. Nothing like white PVC elbows at the top and bottom for the cables on a Navy blue wall.

I agree, with reservations, that professionals don't do this but even then, there's no reason to assume that NO professional will do this- there are lots of hacks out there. The handyman must not have been a very creative thinker- they have U-Verse and a TV in this location and the original mount was able to pivot at the wall and on the back of the TV, but not in the middle, so it was always too far to either side or too far from the wall. The TV had a receptacle behind it and there was another next to the wall shelf for the U-Verse box.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

I can see it in situation where there would be no future access once the sheetrock when up, but for the OP’s (common) situation where it’s a straight drop down from the TV– umm, no.

BTW, ever try to pull a bundle of cables through two hard 90s? Yikes...

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[highfigh]

I can see it in situation where there would be no future access once the sheetrock when up, but for the OP’s (common) situation where it’s a straight drop down from the TV– umm, no.

BTW, ever try to pull a bundle of cables through two hard 90s? Yikes...

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Well, it was 1-1/2" PVC so it wouldn't be too hard, but at least they didn't have a lot of wires going from one place to another.

 

[afterlife2]

Get this: http://www.amazon.com/Wiremold-CMK50-Cord-Mate-Kit/dp/B0015EDVVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442020780&sr=8-1&keywords=cable+hider

 

[Rickster71]

I can see it in situation where there would be no future access once the sheetrock when up, but for the OP’s (common) situation where it’s a straight drop down from the TV– umm, no.

BTW, ever try to pull a bundle of cables through two hard 90s? Yikes...

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

I realized later I misread the OPs intention. I assumed he wanted to run Romex, not his appliance cord in-wall.
I did mostly commercial / industrial electric and at times had inspectors that wanted CAT5 run in PVC to a box with a mud ring, in-wall, with a TA and bushing.
Shifting gears. it's nice to run a big conduit in-wall to go from basement or attic and a pull string for future expansion.

 

[Xploration]

*Best way is behind the wall, secured with wire clips, runners, guides, etc. But that requires extensive work. Sometimes just seeing the cable will seem easier than doing all that work.