I want to install a thermostat and need to install it in my wall, and drop the cable down through the gap (which may have insulation) and down through a hole in the basement ceiling. Any tips here? I was planning to cut out a section of the wall maybe 6" x x18" tall at the bottom of the wall so I can get a drill in and can grab the cable from inside.
Thanks,
Dean
Drill a hole from the basement into the wall cavity Drill a hole where the thermostat is going to be mounted Tie a small nut to a piece of string and drop it in the hole. Feed the string in until the nut hits the bottom Straighten a coathanger, attach a 6 inch piece of ball chain to the end Stick the end of the hanger into the ceiling hole and spin it until the chain snags the string Pull the string through the hole
Or if you feel lucky, use a tape made for fishing data cable and see if you can snag the string from the ceiling up
Rick - thanks for the reply. The problem is that I tried everything to make sure I measured the basement distances correctly to install a TV cable, and ended up drillin up through the living room floor instead of between the wall surfaces. Admittedly it was close.
You see, the path downstairs to the basement is way away from this area and makes it difficult to measure and predict where the wall is.
if you have baseboard molding, you can remove a section of it on the wall where you want to run the wire, drill a diagonal hole down and inward through the base of the wall that will be covered by the baseboard molding. Use that as your point of reference (you might want to stick a piece of coathanger through your freshly drilled hole to make it easier to spot from below). You'll then need to drill straight upward from that vicinity and you should then hit the wall cavity. If it's an exterior wall, chances are that it has insulation in it which will make your job much harder. A wire fishing tape might be helpful here if you can borrow one - push it up into the wall from below (a helper above makes this much easier) and try to get the end of it to come up through the hole in the wall where you want the thermostat to go. Attach the wire to it and pull it back down. Sounds easy, but it usually isn't. It'll come down to whether you want to fight with this or patch drywall, and there's no right answer for it in my opinion.
Any plunb
Ok thanks all - those are some great tips, I'll take another look in the basement tonight.
Cheers!
Dean
Well, now you have this vertical hole to measure from, right in the general vicinity....
Yes indeed - its a great idea. I can probably drill with a 1/8" bit and poke a coat hanger down there, even without a baseboard (which I don't have).
You mention insulation as a possibility -- is it an exterior wall? It's generally best to put a thermostat on an interior wall, where it will reflect prevailing temperatures in the room.
In my opinion and we all know about them. Give it a few tries and when your totally frustrated, take out windows of drywall. Then again I'm an expert at patching drywall so this would be easy for me.
Rich
You can get long flexable drill bits where you can insert it at the hole in the wall and drill down to the basement. You may be able to attach a small string to the drill bit when you pull it back.
Its on an inside wall, I'm just not sure whether its insulated for sound or not. The basement ceiling is insulated anyway.
Dean
Good idea. They have various lengths, and even if the oP doesn't need 6fett, it may be worth buying 6 foot for the nextr time. IIRC the extra length doesn't cost much.
All I have seen have holes in the bit end and the other end for pulling things through afterwords.
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Except he's not going to be able to use one unless he makes a hole in the wall big enough for an outlet box instead of just a thermostat wire....
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But if he can't get it any other way he could use a small one near the bottom of the wall and drill through the wall and plate. That way he only has a small hole to fill, not a section of drywall to patch in....
I don't think that's needed. The hole need only be big enough for the drill bit. (1/2" or so) One can point the hole down (when headed into the wall) and that helps a bit too
One can snake the bit into the hole first and attach the electric drill after that.
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Ummm...well, we do it one of two ways... Either a flex Greenlee bit, or a tape pull....the only disadvantage to the Greenlee bit is that if he hasnt practiced with the flex handle tool, he can come out at the floor at his feet, but they only require a small hole. Use them for adding a thermostat in existing homes where the rock is already on the wall..
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Yeah, OK, I can see that. I just tried it with a 4 footer by drilling a steeper hole in the drywall...
Dean
Carefully take off the baseboard on that wall. Cut a small hole in the plaster behind the baseboard (which will be covered up when you reinstall the baseboard). UNDER the baseboard (where it meets the floor), drill a small hole with a 1/4" (or so) bit. Stick something in that hole which you will see in the basement (coathanger, piece of wire, whatever). Go in the basement and drill another hole about 2 inches toward the wall. Shove your wire up in that hole. Go upstairs and pull the wire out your wall hole behind the baseboard. Drill your hole in the upper wall where thermostat goes. Make it 3/4" or 1". Take string, tie a heavy steel nut or other weight, and drop it down the wall. Catch it on the bottom, tie it to the wire and pull it out the top hole.
Install thermostat.
Spackle hole behind baseboard, or fill with "great stuff" foam. Replace baseboard.
Job done (the easy way).
If you are installing this thermostat on an exterior wall, which I assume if there is insulation, fill the wire hole behind the thermostat with spray foam, or your thermostat will get cold air from inside the wall and will not heat correctly. Personally, I dont think thermostats should be placed on exterior walls, but it's up to you. I'd select an interior wall, and find one with a short piece of baseboard if you can.
Mark
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