ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Ever Plan for "Passing Through?"

As I progress on my remodel, it occurs to me that I've overlooked something: What about the wires that will pass from within the house to outside the house?

I thought of this as I was laying out the forms for a concrete pad. That pad will hold my air conditioning equipment and, maybe, a generator.

I'll want these things tied into the house alarm system. The alarm system might also get some outside cameras. When I build a deck, I'll probably want to run some speaker wires.

So, it occurred to me .... maybe now is the time to pre-install some chases for these wires to pass.

Have you ever done anything like this? How would you do it? Nipple with a pull can on either side? Other ideas?

I know it may not be the first thing electricians think about but maybe you should ask your wife where you can put a box.

It is always a compromise between aesthetics and the reality of where you can get the wires to go.

I would go with a bell box on the outside wall, then you have a lot of flexibility. I am also a 3/4" smurf tube fan for things like this, not the "LV" orange stuff.

I put a lot of smurf in my last remodel and after it was all done, I still need another one. My wife put a TV where "there will never be one". I am left with a cable strung 8' across the floor from the nearest LV box.

I put 3/4" PVC in the ground when the bulkhead construction was going on. I go with Greg, on using 3/4"; 'smurf' is not a popular item here, I used NMFC (Flex PVC); nice & no ridges.

Exterior 'extras' were bell boxes, & a few PVC 4x4s.

My house has 2x4 framing. I think Raco makes 4-square boxes of a 'double depth,' that would have a 'front' face even with both sides of the wall. Just put mud rings on both sides, face plates as usual.

You know, that might be just perfect for this task.