3) Residential Electrical "Rough In" continued.

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The Rough In
    Layout the Plan
    Acquire Material
    Nail up boxes
    Drill the Framing
    >Pull Wire
    Make up Connections
    Inspection 


   The Rough In    Step 5    Pull Wire   
This step involves wiring together electrical items in separate groups or circuits and connecting them to the panel. Pulling phone, TV and low voltage wiring like garage door openers, doorbells and thermostats.

Before you begin pulling wire you may want to make a wire reel;
   A wire reel will help unroll your wire as you work. Use 3 wire reels to pull 3 home runs at the same time. A wire reel can be built from materials found on the job. See diagram below; 




How to make a "Wire Reel" ("Wire Spinner" or "Wire Tree") Nail together 3 2x2 's or 2x4 's about 30 inches long and staple on 2 runs of 14/2 or 12/2 as shown. At the top is a nail thru a washer then thru both runs of 14/2 which are stapled as shown to hold the nail in place. Bend the nail so you can hang it from a staple on a ceiling joist.




A close up view of bent nail set through a washer and 2 runs of 12/2 wire. The head of the nail will spin on
the washer as the wire spins off the reel. Next, d
rive a staple into the side of a ceiling joist or the garage door header and hang the wire reel by hooking the bent nail through the staple. Now the wire will spin off easily.
Call it what you want; a wire reel, a wire spinner, a wire tree or a homemade wire reel,
this tool can really make wire pulling a breeze. 









































  Introduction to Pulling Wire;  

Let's review what we have learned so far;


>First we had to Layout The Plans. We marked the wall studs and floors to identify the locations of electrical items.
>Then we Acquired material. (went shopping) Or, we arrived before the Layout with a truck load of material ready to get us started and we will acquire more material when our supplies run low.
>Next we Nailed Up Boxes. We nailed up boxes, exhaust fan housings, stair light housings and recessed can lights in the locations identified in the Layout.
>Then we Drilled the Framing. We drilled holes for our wires in the wall studs, joists, top plates and bottom plates.


Now we are ready to install the wiring. To an experienced electrician, pulling wire is as simple as driving a car. To a beginner, both driving a car and pulling wire can be incredibly confusing. Wires spreading out in all different directions appear to be a complex, tangled up maze. Yet they are a well organized collection of individual circuits. Each circuit a miniature highway created for microscopic electrons to travel on. Bumper to bumper they move from the transformer at the street through meter, through the circuit breaker in the panel, through a switch, through a light bulb and back again to the transformer.

Someone once described pulling wire as "Connecting Dot to Dot" from point A to point B or from box to box to box to the panel. Any boxes not connected to the panel or to another box that is connected to the panel, will not have any power and will not work. This group of boxes connected together including one wire heading to the panel is called a circuit. The wire heading to the panel is called a "Home Run" Beginners should work on one circuit at a time pulling the Home Run first and then interconnecting all the boxes on that circuit. A wire is pulled from the first box, with the Home Run, to the 2nd box and stapled to the stud by the 2nd box. The wire is cut and then stapled at the first box. Next, the wire is pulled from the 2nd box to the 3rd box and so on. (The code requires the wire (NMB 14/2, 12/2 ...) to be stapled less than 12 inches away from boxes and every 4 feet 6 inches with no more than 2 wires under each staple and stay an inch and a quarter away from the nailing edge of the stud.) The wire is left outside the box, unstripped. Stripping off the sheathing and stuffing the wires into the box is done in the "Make Up Connections Step" after all the wire pulling is complete.


 Residential Electricity 101 Wire Pulling guidelines. 

  Eye hazard. Hold the end of the wire to prevent it from whipping back into your eye.
  Avoid Rope burn. Rope burn (a fast moving wire rubbing against a stationary wire) will take the insulation off of a wire. Avoid pulling wires in such a way that one fast moving wire rubs against another especially through holes in the framing.

  Wires come in different sizes The most used is size 14 and size 12. Make sure you are using the correct size wire for your circuit. Find the size by reading the label on the sheathing or use the wire gauge on your wire stripper.

  Wires come in different types 14/2 and 14/3 are both size 14 wire but one has 2 conductors and the other has 3. Make sure you are using the correct type of wire. Find the type by reading the label on the sheathing or stripping off the sheathing and counting the number of conductors inside.
  There are limits to how many wires can be inside one box. The cubic inch volume is marked on the inside of a nail on box. The NEC explains how to calculate how many wires you can stuff into your box based on its volume and the size of your wires.

  Wires have to be secured and supported according to specific rules.They have to be stapled at specific intervals with limits on how many wires can be under one staple and within a close distance from the box or light. They must be stapled in the center area of the wall studs away from the nailing surface of either side of the wall and away from the nailing surface of the ceiling.

 There are things wires should stay away from;
        The sharp edges of metal found on; air ducts, plumbing straps and metal truss framing couplers and framing brackets.
        Heat; Do not lay your cable on or near hot stuff like metal chimneys, hot water pipes or the top of a recessed can lights .
        The area where crawl space vents are cut in which is above the concrete foundation in the outer floor joist.
        Below bottom plates and on top of top plates where drill bits will venture.

 There are spaces in the framing of a house where wires are not allowed. An empty wall space during the Rough In Stage can be completely filled from stud to stud with a built in wall iron allowing no room for you wire to pass through. Be careful not to pull wire through areas designated for built in iron boards, skylights, attic fans, attic access holes, garage attic pull down stairs, pocket doors, return air vents or recessed medicine cabinets.


  Some wires have to be identified or labeled by you Before an electrician can make up the wiring connections at a switch box they have to know which wire goes up to the light because that is the only wire they want the switch to shut off. This wire (NMB cable with a black wire a white wire and a bare ground) is called a switch leg and one way to find it is to get up on your ladder and use your hands to follow the wire from the light down to the switch box being sure not to confuse it with the other wires stapled along side of it. An easier way to find a switch leg is to label it when it is pulled from the light to the switch box. Switch legs are not the only wires that need to be identified.
 The 4 most common wire identifications are:
          1) The Switch Leg

          2) The Home Run

          3) Travelers

          4) GFI's Line and/or Load
  There are different methods to labeling wires and not all electricians agree on which method is the best.The 3 most common ways to label wires during residential wire pulling are:

          1) Marking
          2) Folding 
          3) Crimp scoring.

Marking 

The best method for beginners and complex wiring. A permanent ink marker is used to write information directly on the sheathing near the end of the wire. Write "HR" to label a wire as a "Home Runs" (the wire that runs to the panel), "Cans" for a switch leg to the can lights, "Fan" for a switch leg to a fan, "Line" "Load" for GFI's, "Trav" for travelers.

Folding 

The best method for simple wiring. The end of the wire is folded in different ways for different meanings. 1 fold like a J means switch leg or at a GFI the switched off load side, a curl like curly fries means Home Run, 2 wire travelers are twisted like licorice, 3 wire travelers are wrapped around the switch leg.

Crimp Scoring 

This is the worst method that should be banned. A lineman pliers or a wire cutter is used to slightly cut into the cable sheathing and wire insulation, leaving a score mark on on both.Different score marks have different meaning. Usually 1 score means a switch leg or load, 2 scores a Home Run and an X score means travelers.
☹ The problem  with crimp scoring is when it cuts into the copper conductor creating a dangerous nick. Everything is fine if the nicked wire is thrown away but there is a risk that the nicked conductor will be used in the box. Nicks reduce the size and ampacity of a wire and promote arching or sparking. Nicks become weaker when folded back and forth. If a nicked wire is used as a pigtail, it will become weaker when folded into the box and often times break the connection. If you have a choice, do not crimp score wires.



 The wire pulling step consists of 5 different tasks 

Creating the circuit plan, pulling circuits, pulling low voltage wiring, pulling Home Runs and pulling TV coax cable and phone wire.

1) Creating the Circuit Plan. A very difficult task.
Only an architect or a licensed electrician will create the circuiting plan by following all the rules established in the National Electrical Code, state and local codes, builders requirements and your own companies policies.

2) Pulling circuits. A hard task to learn.
It involves connecting together all the boxes and electrical items that will be on one circuit breaker. It consists of many short lengths of wire run from box to box and might also have different types of wire (14/2, 14/3)

A roll of wire is set up on a wire reel. Take a visual preview of all the boxes that will be on the circuit and then begin pulling the wire thru the holes in the wall studs from the first receptacle box to the second recep box and cut the wire. Staple the wire by the boxes and repeat this process by pulling another wire from the second box to the third receptacle. The hard part is knowing which light boxes will connect together and to which switches they will be controlled by.

3) Pulling low voltage wiring. Moderately easy.
It includes small wiring for thermostats, door chimes and such. A thermostat can be a simple as pulling an 18/5 wire from a hallway stat location to the furnace unit. A door chime uses 18/2 from the front door to the hallway chime with the chime's transformer located in a 2 gang box behind the chime.

4) Pulling Home Runs. An easy task to learn.
A home run is a wire pulled from a circuit to the circuit breaker in the panel. It is the longest length of wire on a circuit. A roll of wire is set up on a wire tree (see photo above) near the circuit like a bedroom. The name of the circuit is written on the end of the wire "Master Bed" The wire is then carried up into the attic (or by some other route) and then walked across the ceiling to the area above the panel where it is brought down. Then the home run wire is stapled to the studs and joists all the way back to the closest box on the master bedroom circuit. After a little practice pulling one Home Run at a time, try pulling 2 Home Runs at the same time. This will make you twice as productive. Eventually you should be able to pull 4 Home Runs at the same time. Pull all 4 Home Runs across the attic to the panel and then staple your way back.

5) Pulling TV coax cable and phone wire. Another easy task to learn.
A box of phone wire or coax cable is set up near the electrical meter or at a media distribution panel. The wire is then pulled up into the attic (or by some other route) and then walked across the ceiling and brought down to a box where a phone or TV will be located. Then the wire is stapled to the studs and joists all the way back to the starting point

Although the tasks of pulling home runs, TV coax and phone are the easiest to learn, they can be physically difficult. Like pulling a home run from the panel in the basement to the bedroom up on the second floor. No complex calculations just get the wire from 'way down there' to 'way up there'.

Pulling a circuit requires more knowledge. As a beginner you will most likely be assigned the simple but more physical tasks until you are ready to learn the circuits.


Before the wire pulling begins, everyone gathers together to hear the game plan to determine;

Which task each electrician will be assigned
How the circuits will be arranged.
Notice is given to avoid areas of the house that are unfinished or changing.


Beginning with a game plan helps to avoid confusion. Each electrician is assigned different tasks and different areas of the house to work on. Productivity can be wasted if 2 electricians unknowingly work on the same task. A skylight might have to be cut into the ceiling framing. Knowing this before you begin will save you allot of rerouting.

  A wire pulling example  

OK so lets begin to pull wire; the circuit plan has been established by your supervisor who has assigned you to pull a 15 amp "Bed + Bath" circuit with size 14 gauge wire. You are told this will include all the lights, receptacles and fans in the guest bedroom, the closet and the hall bath.

But not the vanity counter receptacles nor the hot tub. The holes for your wire have already been drilled out. Grab a roll of 14/2 wire and set it up on your wire reel.

Begin your circuit by pulling the home run to the panel. In order for your "Bed Bath" circuit to work, you have to "Feed" it power from the electrical panel. The wire that feeds power from the panel to a circuit is commonly call the "Home Run" Label the circuit on the end of the home run wire with a marker write "Guest bed + hall bath" Throw the wire up thru the ceiling framing into the attic. Climb up your ladder into the attic and walk the wire across the ceiling over to the panel location. Let the end of the home run hang down near the panel with enough length to eventually go thru the holes above the panel , down the wall past the panel and touch the floor. Now staple your home run about every 10 feet all the way back to the guest bedroom. Be sure you have enough wire to reach the switch box and then cut the wire. Next, send the end of the wire thru the hole in the top plate straight down the wall stud to the switch box and staple in place. Now mark this end of the wire as the "home run" so that everyone knows where it is and that it has been pulled. By labeling the home run at both ends, you can be absent tomorrow and another electrician can finish your circuit knowing that you already pulled the all important home run.

Circuit Status; Home run pulled to circuit

Now that we have fed power to the circuit with the "Home Run" we have to "feed" the power around the walls to all the switches and receptacles (not lights or fans). Take a moment to look at all the switch and receptacle boxes on your circuit and determine the shortest path to run your wire. Make sure you run your wire to the boxes facing into your rooms not those boxes facing away from you into another room like the living room. Remember we are connecting together switches and receptacles but not the lights. We'll get to the lights later.

OK now connect the dots. Start at the switch box where we left off with the home run. Run your 14/2 wire thru the wall studs to the nearest receptacle with enough length to reach the box and go another 12 inches. Staple your wire in the center off the stud and within 8 inches of the box. Now staple the wire again at the switch box where you started. Before cutting the wire, make sure it will reach the box and have another 12 inches. When you have enough, cut the wire.


Circuit Status; Home run pulled to circuit at bed switch with feed pulled from switch box to first outlet.

Now you have a home run feeding the circuit from the panel to the switch box and a feeder wire from the switch box to the first receptacle box. Now just continue connecting box to box skipping over those boxes that belong to and are facing other rooms that are on your wall studs but not on your Guest Bed + Hall Bath circuit. Also ignore the 2 receptacles on your hall bath vanity counter and the hot tub.

Feed the next receptacle facing in your room. Run your 14/2 wire thru the wall studs from your first recep. to the next recep. Staple in the center of the stud where sheet rock screws can't reach and, again, leave enough length at the box, at least 12 inches. "Better too much wire than too short."

Circuit Status; Home run pulled to bed switch with feed pulled from the switch box to the first outlet and another feed pulled from the first outlet to the second outlet.

Because of doors and other obstacles, not all the runs will be as simple as going thru a couple of wall studs. The next box to feed is the closet switch box but it is on the other side of the closet door. The wire will have to go up into the attic, over the door and back down the wall to the closet switch box. Grab your ladder and wire and run the wire down thru the hole above the recep box. While up on your ladder, staple the wire at the top of the stud and across the attic. Get down from your ladder to staple half way down the stud and again near the box. Move your ladder near the closet switch box. Pull enough wire to reach the switch and cut the wire. Go up the ladder and run the wire down thru the hole above the switch and staple.

Circuit Status; Home run pulled to bed switch with feed pulled to first and second receptacles and to the closet switch.

Below the closet switch box is a receptacle box. Staple a wire at the bottom of the closet switch box and again at the recep box and cut the wire. Except for this last box, all the boxes that we have pulled wire to have only 2 wires at them. It is permitted to pull a 3rd wire to a box and we need a 3rd wire at the closet switch box to control the closet light. This wire going from the switch to the light is called a "switch leg" The "switch leg" will only be hot when the switch is on allowing current to flow thru it. This is different from all the other "feed" or "hot" wires we pulled so far in this example. Feed wires are hot whenever the circuit breaker is turned on. (assuming that you connected them all together)Because the "switch leg" is different it has to be identified so you will know which wire to put on the switch. If the Switch Leg wire (black wire only) is not put on the switch you will not be able to turn the light off. As a beginner, always identify your switch legs with a marker by writing the name of what the switch leg is switching. In this example, write "Closet Light" on the sheathing near the end of the wire. Do this in addition to your companies policy of labeling by folding, marking or crimp scoring.


   More about> Switch Wiring Methods

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