Any experience fishing ENT?

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brantmacga

brantmacga

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I’m about to start rewiring my house in the areas where walls weren’t opened up. I’m going to be flooring and closing in a large attic area with HVAC for storage. Under that floored section I intend to use ENT.

Has anyone successfully fished interior walls with purlins using ENT? The OD of 1/2” is .84”, and the largest flex bit I found and ordered is 1”. I also ordered the swivel wire grip that goes up to 1”.

Looking for any pointers on this if you have them.

I ordered Arlington One-Boxes to replace my existing metallic nail up boxes to accept the ENT connectors.

Probably another week or so before I start as I’m still waiting on materials to come in.


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Are you fishing into a wall, such as adding or rewiring receps and switches, or you mean fishing from the attic into the basement?

It might seem a little wonky, but going from attic to basement you can click together numerous spade bit extensions to go all the way from top plate through bottom plate. I've done it before. 9 feet length 😉 spade bits come bigger than 1" too

Usually I measure in basement and drill into wall, then measure in attic and drill into wall. 99% of the time I'm within an inch of plumb between holes, then fish sticks dropped from attic to basement. For this trick, drill 3 holes in top. One for fish stick, one for light to shine, one for eyes to see.
 
Slab on grade.... I’m in South Georgia.


My concern is how easily will the ENT pull through bored holes and not catch? Just curious if anyone else has done this install.


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Smurf tube pulls through wood just fine.

But there are other issues related to where you are fishing it to. I've fished it in before, but it doesn't aim well. It just wants to turn into a circle.

You didn't answer...are you adding receps and switches? Or rewiring? What kind of boxes, basically. Cut-in or existing?

Why are you using a flex bit?

There's a lot of missing context
 
I've never been happy with those flex bits. And the bigger the hole the better so it won't catch. I assume you are drilling down from the top plate in the attic to fish the ENT and figure you will encounter purlins or blocking? Probably only down a couple of feet. I agree with @James L , I would use extensions and an auger bit maybe 1-1/4".

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
I've never been happy with those flex bits. And the bigger the hole the better so it won't catch. I assume you are drilling down from the top plate in the attic to fish the ENT and figure you will encounter purlins or blocking? Probably only down a couple of feet. I agree with @James L , I would use extensions and an auger bit maybe 1-1/4".

-Hal
Click to expand...

Yeh purlins. I drilled a couple of holes to look and and they’re 48” down from the top plate.


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brantmacga said:
Yeh purlins.
Click to expand...
Purlins are on a roof.
In a wall they're called girts.

I drilled a couple of holes to look and and they’re 48” down from the top plate.
Click to expand...
I would not use a flex bit. When you start to apply pressure, it will flex. Then you end up with an angled hole. That will probably make your Smurf tube fishing twice as difficult.

Use some kind of rigid extensions so you have minimal flex.

1-1/8" spade bit is plenty large.
Or an auger bit that @hbiss mentioned would be much beefier if you need quite a few holes.

Your drill might like the spade bits better
 
When I would fish ENT in block for pylon signs, I would use a nylon fishtape, push the fishtape through the ENT, leave about 10 or more feet out the end, push the fishtape down the block and out the hole, tape the end of the ENT to the fishtape, and pull it through the block with the fishtape guiding it.
 
hillbilly1 said:
When I would fish ENT in block for pylon signs, I would use a nylon fishtape, push the fishtape through the ENT, leave about 10 or more feet out the end, push the fishtape down the block and out the hole, tape the end of the ENT to the fishtape, and pull it through the block with the fishtape guiding it.
Click to expand...
I've done the same in walls with fishing rods.
Gotta have a guide
👍👍👍
 
hbiss said:
I've never been happy with those flex bits. And the bigger the hole the better so it won't catch. I assume you are drilling down from the top plate in the attic to fish the ENT and figure you will encounter purlins or blocking? Probably only down a couple of feet. I agree with @James L , I would use extensions and an auger bit maybe 1-1/4".

-Hal
Click to expand...
I used to use them. No promises when I did. Sometimes I tell customers I'm Electrician not magician. Some laugh.
 
I would think connecting to the box could be challenging at times. Takes a little force for snap in fittings and you just can't do it from several feet away with something not so rigid. Maybe can work if only entering one end of box and you can have raceway extending out the cutout in the wall but to feed say in top and out the bottom of same box would be more difficult. If you use a glued on PVC TA you don't need the force to snap the fitting together but would need large enough holes for the fitting to fit through and not just the raceway when drilling framing members. Still could be tricky at times to get it lined up with hole and pushed in enough/straight enough to get a locknut started on it.
 
kwired said:
I would think connecting to the box could be challenging at times. Takes a little force for snap in fittings and you just can't do it from several feet away with something not so rigid. Maybe can work if only entering one end of box and you can have raceway extending out the cutout in the wall but to feed say in top and out the bottom of same box would be more difficult. If you use a glued on PVC TA you don't need the force to snap the fitting together but would need large enough holes for the fitting to fit through and not just the raceway when drilling framing members. Still could be tricky at times to get it lined up with hole and pushed in enough/straight enough to get a locknut started on it.
Click to expand...
That's why I was asking what is he fishing to . But they make a lock ring type connector for Smurf tube
 

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brantmacga said:
I’m about to start rewiring my house in the areas where walls weren’t opened up. I’m going to be flooring and closing in a large attic area with HVAC for storage. Under that floored section I intend to use ENT.

Has anyone successfully fished interior walls with purlins using ENT? The OD of 1/2” is .84”, and the largest flex bit I found and ordered is 1”. I also ordered the swivel wire grip that goes up to 1”.

Looking for any pointers on this if you have them.

I ordered Arlington One-Boxes to replace my existing metallic nail up boxes to accept the ENT connectors.

Probably another week or so before I start as I’m still waiting on materials to come in.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
What I have done in the past if you want go in the direction of the flex bit. Once you work the flex bit up to the point where you want to drill through. poke a hole through the wall large enough to push a snake hook through an catch the flex rod to pull the bit to the desired spot you want to drill through. (this may not be an option if you don't want to compromise any of the finish), but it can limit the damage.
Arilington one boxes are a good choice. They can be a real tight fit if you plan on installing intergrated duplex/USB receptacles.
Good Luck!
 
James L said:
Purlins are on a roof.
In a wall they're called girts.
Click to expand...

I thought so too until I looked. They call the 45 deg braces for outside corners purlins also. Good luck with getting your bit started on those without walking.

I call the horizontal pieces blocking, firestops or "cats". I agree, they are officially called girts.

-Hal
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
Arilington one boxes are a good choice. They can be a real tight fit if you plan on installing intergrated duplex/USB receptacles.
Good Luck!
Click to expand...

That’s not the news I wanted to hear.

I guess I’ll have to see how well the devices fit before installing. I don’t want boxes supported by the drywall which is why I ordered the Arlington.


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