Uncommon Tricks to Fish Wire Through Walls and Ceilings Quickly | How To

In this video I show you how I fish wires through walls to get them to or from the attic, basement, or different floors, to a new box. It may seem like it would be a difficult job but it oftentimes really isn't.

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Blessings,
Adam

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[HowToHomeDIY]

There are numerous ways to fish wires in walls, what are some of your favorite ways?

[digital_sorceress]

Never underestimate how useful having a strong magnet can be - I've used the chain dangle and then used a magnet to kind of blind pull the chain toward the opening I needed - has served me quite well.

[garylangley]

I had to wire several outlets in a very old house years ago. Of course, it was dark up in the attic where I was working. Instead of using pieces of wire, I used bright colored sprinkler flags. They have a stiff piece of wire with the flag attached. I just wrapped the flag around the wire and pushed it through the 1/8 inch hole I had drilled in the ceiling and it was so easy to find when I was up in the attic. They are available in packs of 10 or 100 at irrigation stores, or building supplies stores.

[pterafirma]

Instead of immediately tracing the box and starting your cut on the line you traced around it, cut into the middle of where the rectangle will be, and toward the stud, to determine _precisely_ where the edge is. Then trace your rectangle and cut it out, knowing the box will abut the stud perfectly.

[edhaynes]

During my 3+ decades of electrical installations I used the chain for many of my new receptacle/switch installations. I also use flex bits which helped getting around fire blocking. I approached my jobs by first assessing exactly what I was facing. The area I worked had many very expense homes with custom paint jobs and unconventional construction. You did not want to poke holes into the walls and ceiling before making sure that the job could be completed without damaged to the existing paint jobs.

I enjoyed these challenges. Thanks for reminding me of them.

[GuysPestSolutions]

Thanks for taking the time to do this video. I have a channel of my own and I understand how long it takes to produce a video like this. You took the time to mockup a wall and then carefully explain how you like to do this. Sure, it may not work in every situation, but what does? The important thing is that you gave me some ideas that I had not thought of before and now I can apply that knowledge and tailor it to my own needs. Don't worry about the naysayers. We all get them. Well done my friend. Keep up the good work.

[electricroo]

I was a hospital maintenance electrician for 42 years. Some walls can seem impossible due to the construction of the wall, type of insulation etc. In tough cases I would tie a heavy washer or large heavy nut to some nylon wire pull string and work it up and down till it drops to the box cutout. Sometimes this can take awhile due to tight insulation or obstructions in the wall.

[lenpolidori]

I never cut a hole in the wall until I run the wire down first. You don’t know if you have access to that exact spot in the attic until you go up there and look. While you’re up there looking, you may as well drill the hole and run the wire or chain down. Then cut the hole in the wall and pull it through.

[concert_rat]

I love your videos. Your voice never gets on my nerves, and your work area is always well-lit and your camera positioned so that your hands are never blocking it while you’re doing the work. You don’t rush the process, so it’s easy to follow along. Your videos are easily the best ones I’ve seen, so thank you for all of the time and care you put into them.

[MrMerritts]

I have a fair amount of experience wall fishing, but still found this video immensely helpful. Much appreciated!

[SteveWhiteDallas]

My first electrical job as a green helper was in 1983. At Rick Baker Electric, damaging sheetrock to add boxes, lights, etc. was absolutely not allowed. I learned from a very skilled and very fast Journeyman. Eventually, fishing wires with no damage became my specialty. I like the chain idea. If you look at Home depot, you can find 1/4" diameter rare earth magnets with a hole in the center. It will grab that chain if you simply get close to it. A good way to get an idea what is in the wall is to take a 10" piece of 14 gauge solid, stripped bare, bend a wide 90 on one end ands a sharp 90 the opposite direction on the other end. It makes a hole small enough to fill (if you need to) sometimes by just pressing around it. This especially handy when you are adding recessed lighting in the ceiling. You can lay them out from the room, as opposed to an additional trip into the attic.

[davekennedy]

Useful video....but there is another common challenge that should be addressed....most walls, at least in older homes, have a firebreak cross piece 2X4 between the studs at about mid wall height. This may need to be drilled through as well. I've used drill bit with several drill bit extensions to achieve a long drill bit and then through the firebreak.

[darylh]

I recently moved into a new house built in 2022. I needed to run CAT 6 data cable all over the house. I had the typical tools like flexible fish rods, pull string and mesh wire puller. But the best tool i found for pulling wire on insulated walls was Magnepull XP1000-LC. Drill a one inch hole in the top plate. Tie the magnet to a pull string and drop it down the hole. Take magnetic roller and search near the ceiling on the sheet rock. When you find the magnetic bullet the roller will lock on to it through the sheetrock. Pull the roller with the string attached out the outlet hole. Works great for wall when you have insulation and a lot of cable to run.

[ddhddhddh]

I like your videos. There's a lot of arm chair electricians making comments, with that said, I always run my wire through the hole for the box before installing the box.
Also, remove the red rope or at least the handle on your garage door track release so someone can't Fish a wire over your garage door and release your door from the track.

[davelinenger]

I usually measure all my locations using existing doorways, heat registers, existing light fixtures, in order to find my location in the attic or basement. You can then locate the header you need to drill into, drop a chain down and snag from either in the box or the new box cutout. Also, I sometimes shine a light up through the existing box so you can see the opening from above, making it easier to drop the chain into the opening.

[jamesgraham]

Never toss that cutout into the wall. You may find that you can't put your switch in that exact location and you may need it to patch the hole up.

[whitecaps]

Never saw the chain stuff before. Thanks for opening a new method to me. Bring us more

[thefuturegamer]

One strategy I use for fishing wires from a attic wether it’s 120V, 240V, or data lines is I use existing light switches as a point of reference and measure from them over to the cavity I want to drop a wire in, I then go up in the attic and find the top plate with the wire(s) and measure from that spot, overall so I don’t have to drill a small hole in the ceiling

[vollyman]

2:35 - don't use a drill bit. Use a 16 inch or 24 inch insulation support wire. It leaves a smaller hole and you can find it easily in the attic. Before using cut the end of the support at 45 degrees to give a drill type tip. If it gets dull, just recut the end slightly and continue drilling. You can get a Simpson Strong-Tie IS 23-1/2 in. Insulation Support (100-Pack) for less than 20 dollars. That equates to 100 drill bits.

[jasonoliver]

After watching this video it seems so obvious to use this chain to help fish. I've been an electrician for 10yrs now and nobody has ever mentioned this technique. Nice work!