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Many homeowners are gung-ho about their DIY projects. If this sounds like you, you might decide to handle more and more work on your own. When it comes to electrical work, caution is always important. If you are running wires through your walls, read this first to make the job safer and easier.

1. Use the Right Tools

Electricians use the proper tools to make the job of running wires through a wall easier. This includes:

  • A stud finder to determine where you will run into obstacles
  • A flex bit for your drill to make the exit hole
  • A glow rod to help pull the wiring through the holes
  • A bumper ball to maintain proper spacing

These tools allow you to have a clear passage and pull the wire through with less difficulty.

2. Before You Drill

Once you have your tools, your first step is to have a plan for where you want the wire to come out of the wall or ceiling. With this spot in mind, you can use your stud finder, so you know where you’re going to run into blockages. Your best bet is to avoid studs and cross beams unless that’s the only way to reach your target. Instead, try a new route or a new location where you’ll encounter fewer beams.

3. Measure and Add a Few Feet

If you will be pulling the wire towards you, always have extra wire so you have something to hook onto. This can pose to be one of the more difficult tasks because even if you manage to hook onto it, it’s easier to lose it once you start pulling. A good rule of thumb is to add at least five to six feet more so you can really maintain that tension while you pull the wire through. While it might seem like overkill, you’ll avoid the frustration of losing your hooked end and having to figure out how to get it re-hooked.

4. Drilling the Hole

Once you finalize your location, cut a small hole in the spot you want to pull your wire out. If you are actually installing a fixture or outlet, you should cut the hole based on the specifications for whatever you’re installing. This way you don’t have to enlarge the hole later. Once the hole is cut, you can use the flexible bit to drill your passage through the obstructions you found with your stud finder until you can reach your exit site.

5. Use Your Glow Rod

With your passage drilled, you can fish your wire through the wall. The easiest way to do this is to tie a string to the drill bit so you can pull it to the entry point and then thread the wire to the exit hole. If you use your glow rod attached to the wire, it helps you get through obstructions easily while also offering light so you can see what you’re doing.

6. Difficult Jobs

You’re likely to run into more unexpected obstructions if you are doing something a little more complicated. For example, if you’re just running the wire through one wall from point A to point B without too many studs, the job will be pretty easy. However, if you are doing something like pulling it from the attic or a crawlspace you are going to encounter far more issues. This type of job is not really for the first-time DIYer. It takes some expertise to maneuver the difficult “terrain”. It also leaves you more open to mistakes or accidents.

7. Use Your Bumper Ball

When installing wires they can’t be more than 1.25” from the outside of the drywall, which is why you can’t drill holes right next to the drywall. The problem is flex bits can be hard to control. If you use a Bumper Ball flexible drill bit guide at the end of your flex bit, you are going to ace your spacing, so you can maintain the required 1.25” between the bit and outside wall.

Final Connection

The last step is tricky because it increases the risk of accidental shocks. This is where you connect the wire to your fixture or outlet which is connected to the circuits in your home. Because of the risk, it makes sense to contact a licensed electrician who will handle the job quickly and safely.

If you need to run wires through your walls, contact your Calgary professionals from ClearView Services to make sure it is handled safely.

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Barry was fantastic. Explained the steps that would be required to detect the leak and then proceeded with the work. He was professional and managed to fix our issue same day. He left our home clean and tidy before leaving. Overall very happy.

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Heinz was professional and honest. He gave me options and the price. The price was the price and there were no extra charges. He worked on a boiler system that was having issues. He flushed and cleaned system and everything is back up and running. When he was finished he asked if I had any question. I look forward to him coming back to service this system again.

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Had them update and install our infloor heating two zones, and add tank less hot water on demand and install a water softener. Our technician was very professional kept his work area tidy, cleaned up after himself. He also wiped down all the equipment used including piping and tubing. He was friendly, kept us informed on his progress. You could tell he enjoys what he does… great job Thank you so much.

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Barry did a great job in replacing a leaking Hot Water tank. Just a bit shocked at how much the cost of a new tank has increased over the years. We would certainly use ClearView for future jobs.

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I felt the company is oriented on quality of customer service , they send me the track link when dispatch the plumber, and the plumber is super on time too . I really appreciate Richard , he is supper patient to help me find out what is the best solution, focus on customer’s interest . Thank you again , I will definitely use your service again when I having plumbing problems, which I hope it will never happen.

Jing Huang

The appointment to come to check my boiler was prompt and early I’m the day so I didn’t have to wait the whole day. I received a call 15mins before the arrival. An email and a text was sent earlier. Gerry introduced himself and told me his purpose. He checked my boiler for a while then explained clear to me what the problem was, it was relief to know that it is nit necessarily a serious one. He made further checks and made some recommendations for change of some worn out parts, the re-glycol – 10yrs overdue and some leak that…

Roland B.

I had furnace venting replaced. This company is efficient and very professional. You know who is coming to do the work and given notice of when they’ll arrive. Heinz was very knowledgeable, professional, was not bothered by all my questions. He gave full explanations, reasons why, and great advice on maintenance care. He showed that he cared about what he was doing and was very efficient in getting the work done quickly. I highly recommend this company and Heinz.

Elsa Krienke

Clearview was excellent to deal with. Very professional in their approach and the picture sent of the plumber before hand is an excellent idea. Richard was great to deal with. He gave me different options to resolve the problem.

Rick Pultz

Our hot water tank blew and fortunately we noticed right away. We called Clearview Services late in the evening and we were answered right away. We were kept in the loop throughout the entire experience and Gabe Colpitts was the service technician who visited the next morning. He was very professional and spent the time to explain and educate the different options that were available. We were up and running with hot water the very next day.

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Can’t say enough about the great service I received from Heinz regarding some concerning alerts we got on our Ecobee Smart Thermostat yesterday. I felt cared for and trusted that he was focused on the necessary followup to assure our safety. Heinz is very good at his job.

Kim Koch

We could not do the water valve replacement because the city could not shut the water off. I was warned ahead of time that this might happen so was not worried. Yamil was courteous and professional and I look forward to his return when the city can fulfill there end of the job. Justin and Sean were great with the furnace install. It went smoothly and Justin explained the new thermostat fully. The walk through on the furnace was useful and timely. Justin and Sean were friendly and professional and great to work with. John who came out for the initial inspection…

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Arrived on time and did a quick and efficient replacement of my kitchen sink faucet. Also took the time to further explain the operation of the water softener installed on the last visit.
Richard was friendly and knowledgeable. Great service!

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