telephone wiring question

[kt]

Hi, I moved into a house that has an old phone in the kitchen. The phone is wired directly (not plugged) into the wall. I'm getting ready to paint & I want to do 2 things first: I want to move the wiring up about 8 inches and then convert it into a plug-in wall phone. But the only way I can think to move the wiring up is to cut an 8 inch seam in the wall and then patch it up after lifting the wiring to its new position. Is there another way? If not, what should I use to patch the wall? Thanks, Kay

[Curmudgeon]

The way you described is the simplest. Just cut a line in the wall board with a knife, pull up the wire, and then seal with a coat of spackling compound. Take all of 5 minutes to do. Radio shack has the phone wall mount (or regular female phone jack) you need to complete the job.

[Greg]

The wall is hollow, if you poke a hole where you want the new jack you can probably "fish" the wire up there with some stiff wire like a coat hanger and then patch the old hole. Tie/tape a string to the original wire before you start so you don't lose it.

[Mitch Skool]

How much slack is there in the wires? If there's enough slack, you could just cut the new hole where you want it, then fish a stiff wire (coathanger?) down to the old hole and pull the phone wires up to the new hole. Be sure to tie a string tightly to the wires so you can pull them back to the old hole if they get unhooked from your pull wire. Use tape to fasten the phone wires to the pull wire.

M

[George E. Cawthon]

No, don't cut a seam. Just drill the hole where you want it and run a wire down to old hole, pull it out far enough to make loop, cut off the original wire so that it will reach the new hole plus about 5 inches for safety, tie telephone wire to the wire (loop) and pull it up.

The easiest way to fix the wall is to buy to telephone plates, one to cover up the old hole and one for the new hole with the wire. It will confuse the hell out of any new owners. Actually, just spackle the old hole and any screw holes before you paint.

[kt]

Thanks Everyone. I appreciate your speedy responses. Kay

[barry martin]

Hi Kay!

K > I moved into a house that has an old phone in the kitchen. The phone K > is wired directly (not plugged) into the wall. I'm getting ready to K > paint & I want to do 2 things first: I want to move the wiring up K > about 8 inches and then convert it into a plug-in wall phone. But the K > only way I can think to move the wiring up is to cut an 8 inch seam in K > the wall and then patch it up after lifting the wiring to its new K > position. Is there another way? If not, what should I use to patch the K > wall?

Converting to a plug-in telephone jack is the easy part -- Radio Shack sells them as do the hardware stores and departments.

You will need the type of adapter made for hanging a phone -- you wtill want the phone hung on the wall, right? The receptacle you need will have an RJ-11 (plug in) jack in the middle and two thumbtack-like things at the top and bottom -- the phone hangs on these.

As for moving the phone up 8", you should be able to simply punch another inch hole in the wall and feed the old wire up -- if it is an interior wall the wall should be hollow; if an exterior you probably will have insulation in the way. (Metal coat hangers or heavier-guage wire bent appropriately will be helpful in grabbing the wire.

Inside the telephone cable should be four wires (there are several other combinations). As your's is hard-wired the wires are probably red, green, yellow and black. Generally the red/green pair is what you want. Follow the instructions that came with your new wall jack

-- some use screws and some use prongs. Wire just the red and green; wrap the other wires back along the cable. Test phone.

Voltage warnings and all that. Good news: telephones use low voltage (except for the ring signal) and low current. I've never been shocked by phone wiring -- well, except metally shocked when I was wiring in my phone at the apartment, had one wire connected and the phone started ringing. One wire?? Takes two for a circuit!! Answered the phone, no connection (think it was still ringing -- was around 30 years ago). Got a test lead to complete the wiring temporarily and then was able to talk.

Anyway, if you're concerned with being shocked simply take another phone off the hook (remember to put it back on for the test!).

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Counterfeiters: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets