Wires in the wall ... to code?

[Methost]

I was about to run my wires in the wall and wondered if the electrical inspector would have anything to say about my choice of wire? Is there any codes I need to follow. I am using quality 14 gauge wire but it's not specifically meant to be in the wall. Am I breaking any code? Should I wait till after my inspection to install any speaker wires?

 

[t3031999]

In my area:
The cable needs to be CL3/UL rated and should be at least 1.25" from the front of the studs (or have a nail plate over it). Terminations need to be in permently accessible boxes.

You would have to check your local codes to know if they are the same.

 

[BMXTRIX]

That's my understanding as well. CL2/CL3 rated wiring for in-wall use and drill holes dead center of studs.

No going through load bearing joists, no running parallel to high voltage without proper separation. Cross high voltage at 90 degree angles, no running through the same holes as high voltage.

Some states are different about the wiring coming out and where it can go. I leave speaker wire ends just sitting up in my attic. No access. Likewise, conduit in my walls - no access. And a few other wires are buried.

Then, all the wires come out in the basement. 100+ wires... no box, as they go into an equipment rack.

 

[Snap]

A few more things to add

The speaker wire the above posters have mentioned is right for every state. (99% Sure about that)

For the most part inspectors could give to hoots about low voltage stuff. But the stuff that they do care about aside from some of the other stuff.

1. Fire Calk any holes that you drill in the base plate or top plates. There can not be any holes in those left open.

2. To be safe do not drill more than a 1 inch diameter hole in the 2x4

3. Do not drill more than 4 (1) inch holes in a section. (in between the 2 studs. The studs should be 16 inches appart)

4. Personal pref...use Low Voltage J boxes. (They have NO backs, and just big rings at the top and bottoms) MUCH better for running AV wires. Plus it sets your stuff appart from the electricians.

5. Use "Pass Through" wall plates instead of the fancy terminated plates if you can. Like at the back of your AV cabinate. Just make sure that you do not cut the wires too short, as they will need to go into your rack from the wall. (I have left 6 feet hanging out the wall before, and the sheet rockers had to deal with it, but who cares. Make them earn there money.

6. Do a continuity check after you are done with the pre-wire. To ensure that you did not staple through any of your wires.

7. Do another check after the sheet rock is done, to make sure that they did not screw up your stuff. If so CHARGE them to fix the sheet rock, after you rip it out. (I Do)

8. Do your wires after every one else is done, but before insulation. (HAVAC, Electrical, Plumbing)

9. Wire for everything that you can think of now. Even though you might not want speakers in the ceiling in the master bed room now, run the wires. Leave a bunch coiled up and ziped in the attic incase you change your mind. In the walls in certian places. Just zig zag it back in forth between the 2 studs. (You can find it later with a tone generator. Just tack it loose. Or use a poor mans generator 9volt batt if you have all your speakers hooked up to find out what wire goes to what speaker. Sheet rockers and painters will almost always paint over every mark you make on the wires durring pre-wire so I do not even bother any more. Lable durring the finish work.) Run a couple of runs to the outside. Almost everyone that second time they do a summer grill out back wish that they had some toons. So wire for it.

10. ENJOY and have fun!

Blessed,
Snap

 

[Methost]

Thanks for all the tips. Unfortunately, I am my own drywall-er. So back charging myself wont help.

 

[Snap]

ok so you can't charge anybody if the sheet rock screws mess up your wires. But still do both continutiy checks. It will save you head aches in the long run.

Blessed,

 

[Methost]

Oh I found the low volt J boxes you mentioned. While they are very nice, they were $1.90 each while standard electrical boxes are only .21 cents. I'm not tight with my money, but I just cant see paying $1.50 more. I HATE the way audio items are marked up. Even a freakin 6 - port plastic plate was nearly $2. For about .02 cents worth of plastic.

 

[Snap]

Yeah the 6 port plates cost a bunch. That is why I said get a pull through wall plate.

Here is the link to see the J boxes. It is well worth the money.
http://www.smarthome.com/25431.html

Here is the link to the pull through wall plates. It is a few down on this link but it is there.

http://www.hometech.com/techwire/wallplat.html

EDIT: Ok if you hate to spend the extra money, than take a saw and cut off the backs of the J boxes and make your own Low Voltage box. But I can tell you this from experiance you do NOT want to use the standard J box. It is to much of a pain. Or take a Uni-Bit and drill out the tops and back.

 

[Methost]

EDIT: Ok if you hate to spend the extra money, than take a saw and cut off the backs of the J boxes and make your own Love Voltage box. But I can tell you this from experiance you do NOT want to use the standard J box. It is to much of a pain. Or take a Uni-Bit and drill out the tops and back.

Yep, I was going to mod them somehow. Thanks for the tips.

 

[xptical]

I'd suggest you look into using conduit vice cabling. Lay in good conduit to smallish pullboxes near the speakers with a larger pullbox near where you expect your AV gear to be located.

Using conduit accomplishes two things:

First, it's easier to explain to inspectors. They have seen conduit a thousand times. They won't need to waste your time or theirs looking up codes for "in-wall audio cable".

Second, it allows upgradibility later on. Let's say your cable corrodes. Or gets cut/damaged. What if you go from a 5.1 system to a 7.1? Conduit with pull-cable allows for painless upgrades later on.

 

[Snap]

I'd suggest you look into using conduit vice cabling. Lay in good conduit to smallish pullboxes near the speakers with a larger pullbox near where you expect your AV gear to be located.

Using conduit accomplishes two things:

First, it's easier to explain to inspectors. They have seen conduit a thousand times. They won't need to waste your time or theirs looking up codes for "in-wall audio cable".

Second, it allows upgradibility later on. Let's say your cable corrodes. Or gets cut/damaged. What if you go from a 5.1 system to a 7.1? Conduit with pull-cable allows for painless upgrades later on.

You will not have to explain anything to the inspectors. The contractor will just say the magic words durring the inspection..."low voltage" and it is like waving a magic wand over it all. As long as you did not drill through any load bearing stuff. Forget to fire calk the holes. You are fine.

Also if the poster is not wanting to spend a 1.50 more on LV j boxes he is for sure not going to want to run conduit. That tripples your install time, and is not as clean.

But that is just my take on it.

If you think that you are going to ever go to 7.1 pre-wire for it now. Just leave the wires in the wall behind the sheet rock. Pull them out later f you deside to upgrade.

 

[RLA]

Thanks for all the tips. Unfortunately, I am my own drywall-er. So back charging myself wont help.

Hello
If you think you will be using long sheetrock screws nail plates should be used
On every stud that you’re wiring goes through. These are available at HD or Lowes for about 0.15ea and they are cheap insurance.

RG-6QS can be used for subwoofer, video and audio interconnects and HDMI should be pulled to location before sheetrock goes up.
If your going to do front projection the 15 amp outlet should be placed in close proximity of the projector and your HT outlets should be on independent circuits one for lighting, one for video and one for audio.

Leveton industrial outlets ($3ea) should be used because they grab and hold heavy power cords like the ones found on amps and power conditioners better than standard outlets.

Baffles should be installed on all A/C diffusers or returns in the room

Lighting should be planned carefully keep this in mind when looking at your options If it rattles forget it and move on. Those fancy glass wall sconces and most cheaper metal can lighting have no place in a high performance HT

If you are doing your own sheetrock save yourself some grief and get a dustless sander

Get the best insulation you can afford for all walls and ceilings

Lastly color choice is pretty important gloss paint should be avoided and any color darker than Kodak gray will yield excellent results

Have fun

 

[mtrycrafts]

 any color darker than Kodak gray will yield excellent results

Have fun ;)[/QUOTE]


Do you have a link to this color?  :)

 

[RLA]

Do you have a link to this color

How about this instead

 

[mtrycrafts]

How about this instead

Yes, great, thanks But I was afraid of that, a room painted grey

 

[RLA]

But I was afraid of that, a room painted grey

See the previous post It doesn't need to be grey only darker than the Kodak Grey
and the paint is not gloss

 

[extreme]

On a related note... Im looking at redoing a room in my basement for my home theater and I would like to keep most of the noise and vibrations from going up through the celling. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what materials I can use to accomplish this. I would asume that some sort of sound proofing insulation would be in order but is there anything else that would be necessary. Also would the insulation in the walls do a good job of keeping the low frequency vibrations in the room.

Ken