Re: Geek My Crib
Assuming network cable....
You can run cable through the attic and drill a 1/2" hole down through the stacked 2x4 that the tops of the studs are nailed to. From here, you can get a metal pipe of slightly larger diameter than the hole, pound the pipe into the drilled hole, then drop a cat5* cable through the hole, between the studs. Then, you visit the same location in the room and find the same space between the studs, and cut out plaster to put in a wall-mount for jacks. (The pipe shouldn't be much larger. Ideally, it would be just large enough to let you tap the pipe into place with a little effort. Pounding the pipe means the pipe is too large and you risk splitting the 2x4 (or 4x4) as well as risk damaging the top of the pipe. Too small, and it will fall through. (*tink*!)
Done properly, you can cut the plaster close to a stud on the right or the left so you can screw the wall-mount that holds the jacks to a stud. Lack of this means you can try plaster screws, but they are not as reliable.
Biggest problems with this:
Try to get plenum cable to run through your attic-space
If there is insulation between the studs, it can be an inconvenience or make it nearly impossible to use this method, depending on the insulation, how it is installed, while it is there. This depends on the insulation used, and how it was put into place.
If you have power cables running through your attic, you will want to avoid them.
If you have florescent lights hanging from your ceilings, you will want to avoid them when in your attic.
Making sure that the two studs you are drilling between from the attic are the same two studs you are cutting a hole in the plaster, are the same 2 studs.
Cases where the roof is angled down near attic studs, can make it difficult to get a conventional drill (and hammer) in place.
Biggest advantages:
You are far away from power, and all of the risk (to data loss / use) and dangers (to humans) that are included.
If you ever want to run telephone to new rooms, you can use the same holes/wall mounts.
While you are in the attic, you can run cable for Cable TV too, using a similar method.
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Re: Geek My Crib
Generally, you can drill through the center of support structural member like 2x4s and 4x4s as long as the hole centered and the diameter is 25% or less than the size of the structural member. Caveat: Much of this stuff is dependent on local/state building codes. Make sure that you are at least passingly familiar with their contents. Also, make sure you know how to locate existing AC lines and pipes. Finding them with a drill can be both exciting and messy, but it's rarely fun.
Another option is for post-construction installation is surface-mount channel, boxes, and jacks. It's quick, easy, and requires a minimum of tools. While it doesn't look as good as in-wall installation, it can give you some real savings in both time and money, not to mention skinned knuckles and blood, sweat and tears.
The best advice I can give you is to go down to the nearest Lowes/Home Depot/DIY center and buy some books on wiring. Most of contents of these books will be on AC, but some will have sections on "low voltage" wiring. They usually won't mention "Cat5" or any Category for that matter, but may talk about "telephone" or "computer" wiring. Or at least the books I've bought over the years were like that; newer ones may actually mention Cat3/4/5/6.
The better books will be liberally illustrated with step-by-step instructions, and cover in-wall installation in both new construction and remodeling, as well as surface mount techniques. Black and Decker and Reader's Digest used to publish a couple of nice books covering this stuff, although they were dated in the low voltage areas.
Once you've familiarized yourself with the techniques, do a but of research with Mr. Google on installing Cat5. Much of what you'll find will be building codes and restrictions, or install guides for campuses, but you should get some info on how to deal with things like running the lines parallel to AC.Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
I know now, pre-wire is a must. I have 3 spools of cable and no way to wire them at my house. There are these 4x4 beams in the way of dropping down behind the dry wall. Anyone know what negitives there might be in fishing the cable along side the 110v power. There are pre drilled holes from attic for those I could use.Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
Remember, it's your house, you can do whatever you want to it
As a kid I always imagined the things that I would do if I had a house of my own.
Well, I finally got one done:
I bet the neighbors are going to love me tomorrow :)
Figured you guys would approve though.Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
all this talk about solar panels check out this site. Talks about the new 3d design to increases efficiency of the panels. You should check it out.
http://www.greenoptions.com/blog/200...ses_efficiency
One thing I have always wanted to do in my house is setup some marina speakers in the bathroom and a LCD panel with waterproof box around it and a waterproof remote. so I can listen to music and watch music videos or a.m. news.
Best of luck with your house. you should get some before and after shots. It's always cool to look at what your house looked like before the fire after the fire hit. and when it's all fixed up again. I worked for Xactware what all insurance companies use to estimate the damage of a house. I used to look at those kind of photos all day before and afters.Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
Yes, the primary lines are in, but couldn't I have empty conduit to complete what you say? There's still time for that if say, the future calls for pulling wire. What sucks is the electricians were in and out while I was at work. Not for the reasons you cite Cotman, but I wanted ALL wiring in conduit but as you say, it's moot now, as the initial wiring goes. And I had not planned to encase my speaker wire....
WOW! Firefox just crashed and then restored this session - how cool is that!
...as it will be in one room and out in the carport.
And don't get me going on so-called global warming ...or more precisely, don't get my bro Brandon going... http://www.brandonjaynes.com/blog/20...nient-science/Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
Panels now? No. Water? That is up to you.
At this time, solar panels are just not very efficient. However, there is a lot of R&D being invested in making them more efficient, and rugged. What I am saying is that while your building is reduced to studs and frame, it would be wise to include *capacity* to easily upgrade to solar later, if/when it becomes viable, rugged and more efficient. It may not even be in the next 10 years. It could easily take longer. However, in the past 20 years, they have done quite a bit with this technology to move from brittle wafers that easily crack and break, to bendable sheets that can have holes shot in them and still keep converting light to DC power.
Having the capacity to include an upgrade to solar in the future just like you add capacity to upgrade to UPS in the future, makes sense.
We don't know what will happen in the future with power, but one or more things will change as power prices grow higher.
Here is a tangent to consider:
We are finding out now, water is a finite and limited resource.
Drinking water for people, water for cattle and farms, water for industry and water to protect endangered species are all in competition. Water to run hydroelectric plants can also be in competition with one or more of these items.
So, where can we get more water? Desalination of seawater is an obvious choice, but that requires more power and lots of it. For cars that might run on Hydrogen, we see a requirement for even more power to split the Hydrogen and Oxygen from water, and another drain on the water resource, which creates a drain on power.
However, our primary power source is still fossil fuels (to fuel electrical generators.)
Then, if you assume Global Warming really is happening, we have a potential for huge increases in costs for power and water, and a risk for less rain in some places which add to our reservoirs, and/or more rain in places that we presently don't have reservoirs.
We probably won't see exponential increases in costs of water and power, as the market system is dynamic and reactive. When certain costs rise, alternate energy source, alternate energy conservation, power reclamation, water reclamation (greywater), or design of houses to best take advantage of natural light & heat and even complete reorganization of power delivery standards (like from AC to DC appliances for solar-electric power) are possible.
(Our computers take in AC to transform to DC to run many of the peripherals. This conversion wastes power. If we have DC appliances, then DC-generating power sources could be used.)
So, I'm just saying it would be wise to *plan* for such upgrades now that your house is stripped, since you only have frame and studs now, and your costs for conduit now could be under a $1000 if you do it yourself, vs. $10,000 or more after drywall is up and has been painted.
The cheapest plan would be to just run conduit from your power center to your attic so any future power could be run through such pipes if there ever was a need to upgrade. If the electricians have already run power, then it wouldn't be very cost effective to change that now.Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
Can you make a command center in your basement?...
I like the idea of running more Cat5e sounds tempting...I always enjoyed cable more so than Wireless.
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My mind seems to be shutting off at the thought of 30-40 grand in spending money...Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
The electricians looked at me like was retarded when I mentioned conduit so I gave in and the ran it like they have for the past 50 years. However, I was adamant about the data in 3" PVC.
I was approaching this like my own fun house but Cot struck a deep and viable concern about solar considerations. Surely it will play a major role within the next 10 years and I'm amazed they technology has not broadened in our generation. Frankly, I believe transportation could have been free of fossil fuels some time ago.
I had a guy come to the property and give a demo to my wife and me, but he was hung up on the hot water heater and maybe a small generator. He said the problem was energy storage which is near non existent in solar power. Anyway, he sucked as a proponent for solar because he had ZERO scope and imagination for the future, so we opted not to install panels, but it isn't too late.
So Cot, you're saying I should install the panels now? Then what? Any wiring plan for future? The panels (and hot water heaters) is about 10 grand - that's do-able, if there's real value in this, even at a later time. I read quite a bit about solar after CotMan piqued my interest but everything was speculation - which is typically the case when discussing the future....yuck yuck..Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
The Cat5e you're running will likely minimize this noise as well, if they are running less than 2 feet apart, assuming it's shielded. My house was wired with shielded 5e when built and the builder did have electrical running in the same conduit/space in a few places and I've got great gigabit throughput.
Cot's point about Fluorescent lights is 100% on, if you run data cable too close to a ballast transformer you will get some noise/data loss.Leave a comment:
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Re: Geek My Crib
There are different choices for gauge of wire and each can support different loads. Running power in its own conduit can help provide some insulation where EMI is considered. There are also different outlets which are capable of supporting different amp loads. here is little or not value to adding 10, 15 or 20 amp outlets to a circuit with small gauge wire meant for only 5 amps.
Sorry. Minimum of 2 feet away. Meaning, if you run data through conduit in the walls and you run power through separate conduit in the walls, make sure these parallel conduits are at least 2 feet apart.Are you just screwing with me saying to run the power near the data? I thought that caused noise. And you lost me on solar...I researched and came to the understanding that the hot water heater was the only viable solar device.
Florescent lights can also cause EMI with 100Mbps and higher. Power often runs parallel to the floor about 1-2 feet from the floor. Lights often run in the ceiling. If you are not running data in the floor, and want to avoid power in the walls and power to lights, running data at least 2 feet above power puts you at a level high enough to be away from power and outlets, and not too close to lights in the ceiling. Many people would prefer to locate data outlets at the same level as power, but this means one of two things:
1) Run through attic/ceiling near lights and drop down between studs.
2) Run immediately next to power (really bad idea on multiple levels.)
Solar power (Photoelectric) upgrade support is mentioned so that you can upgrade to Solar power when it actually becomes viable. Same thing with UPS. Provide the work now to make addition of a UPS later easier. For example, conduit to the UPS unit would help. If Internal Combustion Engine is your UPS, you'll need exhaust vents and clean air sources. When Solar power becomes useful in the future, conduit will help you to link it to your power center and allow for distribution.
Use of conduit for power will allow for pulling more cables if an alternate voltage becomes a new standard with an expected increase in power costs.
(Consider this: Much of our power comes from burning fossil fuels. Prices of fossil fuels are going up. Eventually, there will come a time where present expensive alternatives are cheaper than present-day norms. This may even include a new standard for power, such as DC.)
Making room for this expansion now will likely be at least one order of magnitude in savings when compared to a retrofit in the future.Leave a comment:
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