Old-school trick for fishing wire through finished walls

Been doing this 15 years now and I got a call last month to add a hardwired smoke detector in a finished basement. Had no access from above and the customer didn't want drywall cut everywhere. Tried the usual glow rods and magnets but kept getting stuck on the fire blocking. Out of frustration I grabbed some 1/4 inch PVC conduit from the van and shoved it through a small hole in the ceiling. Worked way better than anything else I ever tried. The PVC bends enough to get around obstacles but is stiff enough to push through insulation. Any other old guys out there use stuff from the plumbing aisle instead of the overpriced tools? That particular job was in an older row home in Philly.

3 comments

3 Comments

gracec1613d ago

I mean that PVC trick works because home improvement stuff is all about finding what's already laying around.

piperbailey13d ago

Used a zip tie taped to a coat hanger once that actually worked too.

michael66912d ago

Ha! PVC conduit, the real MVP of every frustrated electrician's van. I love how we all have that one random plumbing part that somehow works better than the $80 tool we swore we needed. Bet that PVC is still in there too, silently doing its job while the fancy glow rods sit in the corner collecting dust.