Ceiling fan with wall switch, ugh...
#1
Ceiling fan with wall switch, ugh...
Very good grasp of house wiring basics and I will be installing a ceiling fan controlled by a wall switch.
Pretty easy access to the attic area and the fan part will be a piece of cake, but the only thing that worries me is that when I start fishing the romex down between the studs for the switch, I'll hit a cross brace and be stuck.
Anyone know what the pros do when this happens? Or how do they know in advance if there are any obstructions between the attic header and switch location? And if they do get a hole through the brace, how the heck do they get the romex through it?
Thanks a lot.
Pretty easy access to the attic area and the fan part will be a piece of cake, but the only thing that worries me is that when I start fishing the romex down between the studs for the switch, I'll hit a cross brace and be stuck.
Anyone know what the pros do when this happens? Or how do they know in advance if there are any obstructions between the attic header and switch location? And if they do get a hole through the brace, how the heck do they get the romex through it?
Thanks a lot.
#2
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It is often impossible to know if there is an obstruction part way down a wall until you find it. There are several ways around obstructions. One way is to use a very long drill bit and/or a drill bit extension. They make them in various lengths, and they can be added together. Another way is to cut a hole in the wall which is eventually patched. Finally, it's possible that the switch will end up above the obstruction, so you might not even know it's there.
The bottom line is that I would not let the possibility of an obstruction worry me. If I found an obstruction I would deal with it.
The bottom line is that I would not let the possibility of an obstruction worry me. If I found an obstruction I would deal with it.
#3
Thanks, Bob. I was hoping there was some fairy dust you could drop down the hole and make a clear path to the box, but, oh well.
While on this subject, are there really any good stud finders out on the market these days? I've got a couple and both give false signals all the time. The older style were magnetic, I think, and looked for nails or screws. The newer kind have some kind of capacitance circuitry that responds to density somehow and lights and LED. I think I like the older better. And there's always the knuckle rap sound test...
While on this subject, are there really any good stud finders out on the market these days? I've got a couple and both give false signals all the time. The older style were magnetic, I think, and looked for nails or screws. The newer kind have some kind of capacitance circuitry that responds to density somehow and lights and LED. I think I like the older better. And there's always the knuckle rap sound test...
#4
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Can't help you much with the stud finder issue.
One suggestion, if you can't manage to get a switch installed and you don't want to open the wall would be to use a wireless control. You can always put a switch somewhere you can get to if you still need a switch as a backup, and then just use a wireless controller for the fan and the light.
One suggestion, if you can't manage to get a switch installed and you don't want to open the wall would be to use a wireless control. You can always put a switch somewhere you can get to if you still need a switch as a backup, and then just use a wireless controller for the fan and the light.