Best wire method to run inside an outside wall?

[Joe Cool]

Hello and good day.

Any suggestions on the best way to get a single 20a circuit up from the basement
to the second floor?
The problem is that I don't want to mess up the fiberglass insulation in the wall.
It's bad enough that I have to cut the plastic membrane under the drywall.

I have some fiberglass rods that I could use to pull a romex.
Or would 1/2in conduit be less intrusive to the insulation?
Any suggestions?

 

[GoldDigger]

It's bad enough that I have to cut the plastic membrane under the drywall.

Just make sure that you tape it sealed again with an approved tape product and seal around any boxes you install in the wall. If you let moist air get into the insulation space that will be far more of a problem than disturbing the insulation.
As far as making a cavity in the fiberglass, as long as you don't go crazy and pull chunks of it out, you will probably be OK. Conduit would make it easier later if you think that more wires might be needed later.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Joe I don't know how you would get to the second floor unless the second floor is an attic. If not then I measure and use rods.

 

[kwired]

To avoid insulation issues, maybe avoid exterior walls? Depending on wall construction you may find you have an obstruction between first and second floor and this may make it difficult to fish.

 

[mjf]

Hello and good day.

Any suggestions on the best way to get a single 20a circuit up from the basement
to the second floor?
Check the house thoroughly..some houses have a (plumbing) chase from basement to attic (mine does). Then you can drop down into th second floor walls.
The problem is that I don't want to mess up the fiberglass insulation in the wall.
It's bad enough that I have to cut the plastic membrane under the drywall.

I have some fiberglass rods that I could use to pull a romex.
Or would 1/2in conduit be less intrusive to the insulation?
Any suggestions?

As far as the insulation goes, if you can get the wire in front of the paper face it won't disturb it much.

 

[acrwc10]

If you choose conduit and it goes from inside conditioned space to exterior, you may have a condensation issue in the pipe that will drip back in the house through the conduit (I'm basing this on the fact you have a plastic vapor barrier) only a problem in very cold climates.

 

[kwired]

If you choose conduit and it goes from inside conditioned space to exterior, you may have a condensation issue in the pipe that will drip back in the house through the conduit (I'm basing this on the fact you have a plastic vapor barrier) only a problem in very cold climates.

Sealing the raceway so warm humid air can't migrate into the cold raceway helps tremendously with this problem and is required by 300.7(A).

 

[hurk27]

Find a common wall (one that is inline on both floors) and use a flex bit with enough extensions to reach the attic over the second floor, use the hole in the end of the flex bit to pull the NM back down to the basement, and then just run back down to the receptacle location, if the receptacle location is on a outside wall, then you could possible remove the base board around the room to get to the location and by making a mouse hole where the base board will still cove it, and notch the drywall and studs to run the NM around to where the receptacle will be located make another mouse hole to run up to the receptacle opening, nail plate the notches over the NM and replace the base board, if your good they will never know how you got it there.