wiring question

1079 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by pcdreams, Dec 11, 2003

pcdreams

Discussion Starter · Dec 9, 2003

well I'm trying to wire in a light switch to my pantry. Right now its on a pull chain. Here is my situation.

the celing in the pantry is about 3 foot lower then the rest of the house(roof is 45 on all sides. Thus leaving me a space of about 3-4 inches to work my arm in.

We rewired the house about 4 years ago but never got around to putting this switch in. It should be possible however since I was able to get the wire into the light itself(how I don't recall) and its in the center of the room. Where the switch is is about a foot from where the higher and lower cealing meet. I'm not sure If I can get a drill in to drill a hole for the wire(unless maybe its an open wall at the top).

So I'm looking for suggestions. I'm really trying to avoid having to tear a hole in the wall and cealing(since the room is near ready to paint. I know, I should have though of this before hand but hey) to get this in and I'd prefer not to run it across the cealing and down the wall.

its an older home (1906) so that makes it a bit of a challenge.

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comfortablynumb

· #2 · Dec 9, 2003

dont look at me, i'd just run a line of BX cable up the wall across the ceiling to the light. and paint the cable. thats just me, I'm not fussy. but in the BX cable its like steel conduit, you cant dammage the cable....
if you want it in the wall... your gonna have to poke a few holes. or doorways.

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pcdreams

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 9, 2003

comfortablynumb said:
dont look at me, i'd just run a line of BX cable up the wall across the ceiling to the light. and paint the cable. thats just me, I'm not fussy. but in the BX cable its like steel conduit, you cant dammage the cable....
if you want it in the wall... your gonna have to poke a few holes. or doorways.

neither am I, but the wife is

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Chickenguy44

· #4 · Dec 9, 2003

Looks to me like you have at least 2 other options. #1 is more conventional, hiding the romex cable (14-2 w/Ground) behind the trim. The switch can be located anywhere convenient and the wire run down through the wall, then come out and run behind the baseboard to the corner, up behind the corner trim, across behind some crown moulding, into the ceiling behind the crown, then up to the light in the ceiling. Lots of wire, which really is relatively cheap, but takes some time and is dependant on actually HAVING moulding!

#2 is less conventional and costs a few more dollars, but is a WHOLE lot easier! You go to your local RadioShack or to X10.com. Purchase or order a screw-in lamp module, a radio receiver unit that plugs into an outlet, and a wireless switch. Voila! The light goes on and off and you make no more than one hole. Actually you have several options on the switch mechanism. You can get a conventional looking switch (or two as needed), which mounts in a conventional 2X4 box, but is wireless. You can also get a (or a couple of) very small pendant-type wireless switch(es), similar to the alarm/door switch for your car, and/or a motion sensor for the pantry area, with a programmable time delay. Any of these will work with the X10 stuff, and you may find other uses for this technology in your house. (Sort of gets you hooked after a while!) This will let you control the light WITHOUT having to run any additional wiring. If you need more specifics, you can email me at [email protected]. Hope this helps!

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Explorer

· #5 · Dec 9, 2003

You might consider a motion detector. Wire the detector into the light by placing it immediately adjacent, or near, the ceiling fixture. The good ones fit in a regular single gang box (use an existing construction box). Get a good one, about $15-$20 that has adjustable light activation and time switches. When you enter the room the light will come on and turn off when the timer (adjustable to about an hour or so) turns off. If it turns off while you are in the room, just wave your arm and it turns on for another cycle. I have one for an outside porch light and one in the storage room, formerly :haha: a garage.

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fordy

· #6 · Dec 10, 2003

PC , you need a device the electricians call a "Fish Tape". It is a very stiff , small steel wire type of a thing that you tape your romex Too and push it thru the space that is inaccessiable to your motile body parts. You could probably cleanout your sewer pipe as well but i wouldn't. They come in length's of 25', already coiled in a plastic container that you rewind the wire back into after your thru. ......fordy

:worship:

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agmantoo

· #7 · Dec 10, 2003

pcdreams, I read your post but I am having some problem mentally picturing your arrangement. Since the light is on a pull chain, you have power to the light. You need to determine where that power is being fed from and go to the source and connect the switch in that supply line to open and close the power to the light and leave the ceiling alone.

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pcdreams

Discussion Starter · #8 · Dec 10, 2003

agmantoo said:
pcdreams, I read your post but I am having some problem mentally picturing your arrangement. Since the light is on a pull chain, you have power to the light. You need to determine where that power is being fed from and go to the source and connect the switch in that supply line to open and close the power to the light and leave the ceiling alone.

I understand what your saying. The problem is I can't get the switch in a place where it would be accessable(don't want to climb in the attic to turn the light on). In other words I can't get a wire down a wall because the wall is below where I can reach due to the roof angle. It would be much simpler to explain in a picture.

Hadn't though of a fish tape. I'll see If I can rent/borrow/buy one.

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comfortablynumb

· #9 · Dec 10, 2003

the motion detector... YEAH i have one in my bathroom!!!! theres perfect no wire solution for ya.
forgot all about that in the can.... works fine. you canget screw in adapters with the sensor on it for about 10 bucks..

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Steve in Ohio

· #10 · Dec 10, 2003

You can make up a "switch loop" in the box in the ceiling,in other words pull a 14/2 or 12/2 depending on the amp rating of the breaker that supplies power to the circuit.From the box in the ceiling to where you want the switch on the wall,hopefully in a cavity in the said wall using a fish tape.Sometimes I have had to make a small hole in the wall close to the ceiling to get at the fish tape.
Then the connections at the box are incoming L1 black is tied to black wire of the switch loop,then the white wire of the switch loop is marked with black tape because it is now hot also.The white wire with the black tape marking then goes on the gold terminal of the light.In the wall switch the white must be marked with the black tape also,then connect the two wires in the wall box to the toggle switch.

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· #11 · Dec 10, 2003

What I would do if I was you: I would install wiremold raceway, some people call it office type conduit, anyway it comes in either plastic or metal and is square. Plastic is easier to work with and maybe less expensive. Install a surface mount wiremold switch box on the wall in the location you want the switch, then run a peice of wiremold from the box up to the ceiling. The wiremold raceway comes in two pieces, the base which is U shaped and holds the wire and the cover which goes on after you have installed the wire. Drill a small hole where the raceway butts up to the ceiling and fish a 14/2 romex or 12/2 romex (whatever you prefer) through the hole and to the light. The other end of the romex enters into your wall mounted raceway box and leave enough to hook up to your switch. Then place the cover on your raceway and then you can hook up the switch and light fixture. This will save you some time and headaches and the raceway is very professional looking.

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Oregonsparkie

· #12 · Dec 10, 2003

A motion sensor will be the quickest fix. I would bite the bullet and just cut a small hole near the ceiling to get the romex thought and then fix it. Im may be more time consuming but it will look so much better and is a much better solution unless you will never care how it looks in the future. Wiremold is mounted on the surface and looks bad to me, but sometimes there is no choice.
Without knowing how the wire is ran(under the floor etc) it is hard to give advice. If it is ran under the floor and you can access it let us know. It could be an easy fix then.

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pcdreams

Discussion Starter · #13 · Dec 11, 2003

Oregonsparkie said:
A motion sensor will be the quickest fix. I would bite the bullet and just cut a small hole near the ceiling to get the romex thought and then fix it. Im may be more time consuming but it will look so much better and is a much better solution unless you will never care how it looks in the future. Wiremold is mounted on the surface and looks bad to me, but sometimes there is no choice.
Without knowing how the wire is ran(under the floor etc) it is hard to give advice. If it is ran under the floor and you can access it let us know. It could be an easy fix then.

I think I'm going to take your advice on the hole in the ceiling. Seems to be the best Idea in my mind. The wire is in the attic(wish it was under the floor

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