Robert N. Poston
Problem
When fishing cable through an insulated wall, installers often have difficulty with the cable becoming snagged in the insulation. Traditional fishing tools such as fish tape, and even creative tools such as a string with an attached weight, frequently fall victim to this snagging.
Solution
Using a beaded chain as your fishing tool will reduce the frequency with which the cable snags against the insulation. The chain does not knot and will roll off obstacles more easily than is the case with other methods. The chain is also easier to catch at the junction box or access hole that is the cable`s destination.
Procedure
1) Feed the beaded chain through the access hole above the suspended ceiling.
2) Allow the chain to fall through the wall to the junction box or access hole.
3) Once the chain has reached its destination at the bottom of the wall, attach the pull string to the chain above the suspended ceiling.
4) Pull the chain from the opening at the bottom of the wall, routing the cables that are attached to the pull string to their destination.
Beaded chain is available through hardware suppliers and catalogs. For this type of application, chain of size 10 or 13 is recommended.
Because gravity plays a major role in this procedure, this beaded-chain cable-pulling method can only be used when routing cables from the top of a wall to the bottom.
Robert N. Poston is a cabling installer from King of Prussia, PA. He has spent 43 years as an installer, foreman, and supervisor working with electrical and communications cabling. He is a member of Local Union 98 ibew.
A beaded chain makes its way through an insulated wall more easily than does a fish tape or other tool. The inset shows a beaded chain, which is available through hardware suppliers and catalogs.