Adding Cat5/6 and RG6 - HomeModders.com

awptickes · 11-06-2008, 12:50 AM

First of all, Hi. I'm not really a home owner, but I'm fixing up my mom's new house, and in return she'll let me live here. Sounds like a good deal to me. I get the income from my job, and I work on weekends fixing little things in a 15 year old home.

So, the meat. I'm going to run some plenum cat5e and rg6 to several of the upstairs rooms. The furnace is in the basement, as is the wiring closet/cable entry point. I have no blueprints to the house, and the city doesn't have the correct prints. I'm thinking about running it in the ducting, then just simply out of the vent, and surface mount the junction box to the wall. Sound good?

I've done quite a bit of home-maintenance, wiring, and I've got a bit of drafting experience. What am I looking at here? I want to do everything right, and keep it as clean as possible.

Comments will be appreciated.

briansol · 11-06-2008, 01:55 AM

I'm not an expert by any means, but that screams bad idea. It's also probabaly against building code to run wire though ductwork.

Bob Vila · 11-06-2008, 10:14 AM

Running anything through ducting is a bad, bad, BAD idea. Not to mention the inefficiencies you're going to create by puncturing/breaching the ducting. Don't be shady and do it correctly, drill the proper holes in the walls, get a fish tape and run through walls as they should.

chestercheeto48 · 11-06-2008, 12:43 PM

Alot of my cable runs are through my existing ductwork (was there when I moved in) and being that CAT5 is low voltage it would not be "dangerous" just not the correct way to run the wiring.

James · 11-07-2008, 08:49 PM

DO NOT RUN THROUGH VENTS. Do it correctly. Drill the sill plate, cut a hole in the wall, fish it (fiberglass sticks, metal fish tape) through the wall.

Throw a caddy on the hole, and cover it with your choice of plates/jacks.

Do EVERYTHING in T568B config (each cat5 jack will have a T568A and T568B configuration). Oh, and don't bother with plenum. If the house catches on fire, do you really think its going to resist that fire very long, and honestly... is it that big of a deal at that point? lol

I do network and coax wire runs for a living. I can give you pictorial how-to's if you'd like.

James · 11-07-2008, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by briansol

I'm not an expert by any means, but that screams bad idea. It's also probabaly against building code to run wire though ductwork.

Honestly it is against code, unless you run it through return air vents only. Then it doesn't matter.

James · 11-10-2008, 06:14 PM

I was just at a clients today, he runs his business out of his house... I looked up into the ceiling in the basement and saw they'd punched a hole into the vent and ran the wires through it. I just shook my head and how ugly and inefficient that shit is.

If you're going to do it, do it correctly.

Konstruction · 11-20-2008, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james

if you're going to do it, do it correctly.

qft

11-06-2008, 12:50 AM	#1
awptickes Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	Adding Cat5/6 and RG6 First of all, Hi. I'm not really a home owner, but I'm fixing up my mom's new house, and in return she'll let me live here. Sounds like a good deal to me. I get the income from my job, and I work on weekends fixing little things in a 15 year old home. So, the meat. I'm going to run some plenum cat5e and rg6 to several of the upstairs rooms. The furnace is in the basement, as is the wiring closet/cable entry point. I have no blueprints to the house, and the city doesn't have the correct prints. I'm thinking about running it in the ducting, then just simply out of the vent, and surface mount the junction box to the wall. Sound good? I've done quite a bit of home-maintenance, wiring, and I've got a bit of drafting experience. What am I looking at here? I want to do everything right, and keep it as clean as possible. Comments will be appreciated.

11-06-2008, 01:55 AM	#2
briansol Administrator Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Central CT Age: 28 Posts: 432 Rep Power: 10	I'm not an expert by any means, but that screams bad idea. It's also probabaly against building code to run wire though ductwork. __________________ 1997 2050sqft Split Level

11-06-2008, 10:14 AM	#3
Bob Vila Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: In a house Posts: 105 Rep Power: 2	Running anything through ducting is a bad, bad, BAD idea. Not to mention the inefficiencies you're going to create by puncturing/breaching the ducting. Don't be shady and do it correctly, drill the proper holes in the walls, get a fish tape and run through walls as they should. __________________ Bow to my presence...

11-07-2008, 08:49 PM	#5
James Slacking off in the house Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: In IN Posts: 217 Rep Power: 2	DO NOT RUN THROUGH VENTS. Do it correctly. Drill the sill plate, cut a hole in the wall, fish it (fiberglass sticks, metal fish tape) through the wall. Throw a caddy on the hole, and cover it with your choice of plates/jacks. Do EVERYTHING in T568B config (each cat5 jack will have a T568A and T568B configuration). Oh, and don't bother with plenum. If the house catches on fire, do you really think its going to resist that fire very long, and honestly... is it that big of a deal at that point? lol I do network and coax wire runs for a living. I can give you pictorial how-to's if you'd like. __________________ 1927 2200 sq feet 3 story renovation project. Done Washing Machine - 10.27.07 Windows Install - 02.13.08 (New) Gas Oven - 11.22.08 Needs to be Done Put in the (new) dryer Uh... Alot more.

11-10-2008, 06:14 PM	#7
James Slacking off in the house Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: In IN Posts: 217 Rep Power: 2	I was just at a clients today, he runs his business out of his house... I looked up into the ceiling in the basement and saw they'd punched a hole into the vent and ran the wires through it. I just shook my head and how ugly and inefficient that shit is. If you're going to do it, do it correctly. __________________ 1927 2200 sq feet 3 story renovation project. Done Washing Machine - 10.27.07 Windows Install - 02.13.08 (New) Gas Oven - 11.22.08 Needs to be Done Put in the (new) dryer Uh... Alot more.

11-06-2008, 12:43 PM	#4
chestercheeto48 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 55 Rep Power: 2	Alot of my cable runs are through my existing ductwork (was there when I moved in) and being that CAT5 is low voltage it would not be "dangerous" just not the correct way to run the wiring.