Running a power cable through finished drywall wall.

[Don1357]

My house wiring is interesting to say the least. It started as a small house, the previous owner was a contractor and did amazing work upgrading it, and then I came in and converted a 1-car garage into a room. Well I never finished the overhead lights electric, so the room lights are also the outside lights. It is finally time to get that corrected.

I was able to drill a hole from downstairs in the utility room where the power panel is, so I can shoot the cable up a wall straight into the attic crawl space (vented, loose insulation type of space). On the panel side I can run shielded romex from the hole to the panel, but for the wall section, looking at the internet people are just fishing the cable and grabbing it on the other end unshielded and unstapled to anything because it is inside of the wall.

Is this kosher?

 

[The Cobbler]

might be location specific, but in my area it's totally kosher to fish romex inside a wall with no staples

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Yeah NM-b can be fished in enclosed spaces and doesnt need staples. Just make sure you secure it properly at the j box

 

[Don1357]

Roger. Code doesn't quite apply to me (Alaska, outside of town zoning jurisdiction, don't need a permit even to build a whole house) but I find it stupid not to follow it out of basic common sense.

Yeah, the intent is to conduit to where it goes into the ceiling and then put a box on the other end.

Follow up question; the attic has about a foot and a half of loose insulation. Do I need to bring the box above the loose insulation or can it be covered by it?

 

[Jim greengo]

Roger. Code doesn't quite apply to me (Alaska, outside of town zoning jurisdiction, don't need a permit even to build a whole house) but I find it stupid not to follow it out of basic common sense.

Yeah, the intent is to conduit to where it goes into the ceiling and then put a box on the other end.

Follow up question; the attic has about a foot and a half of loose insulation. Do I need to bring the box above the loose insulation or can it be covered by it?

They can be attached to rafters,just make sure they have covers on them and wires are protected in attic.

 

[larry4406]

I would place the boxes above the insulation fill so the are visible.

Use a sharpie and label the blank cover as to what the junction box is for. The next guy will thank you.

 

[75gmck25]

One suggestion if you want to reduce the number of cables you need to pull up to the attic.

Put a 20 amp double breaker in the panel and run 12/3 nm-b up to the attic for a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC). In the attic you can then split that cable out into two 120 volt circuits and wire each of those two circuits with 12/2.

 

[PopcornSutton]

I have done the same thing. I enclosed a carport for a workshop which turned into a den. I located an interior wall, bored a hole from the basement (where the panel is) into the wall cavity. Then had to do the same in the attic (forget how I did it now but I managed). I pulled a 10/3 and two 12/2 cables up through the wall into the attic then along the rafters to over the old carport.

 

[Don1357]

One suggestion if you want to reduce the number of cables you need to pull up to the attic.

Put a 20 amp double breaker in the panel and run 12/3 nm-b up to the attic for a multi-wire branch circuit (MWBC). In the attic you can then split that cable out into two 120 volt circuits and wire each of those two circuits with 12/2.

This is for lights on a room, closet, and hobby room (that eventually may turn into a bathroom). The outlets are already on a separate circuit so they don't need to share that load. Basically a 14/2 wire going up to to the attic and into a 2-gang box. From there it splits 3-ways; closet, overhead room lights, and hobby room lights.

But now that you mention it I may want to run an extra wire... I don't have any use for it right now but if I bring it up and terminate it in a box it would be there if I ever need it... Invention being the father of need and all that