Best way to organize this cable mess on the basement ceiling?

[dirtynails]

This mess is on the ceiling of the basement boiler room in a 4 family.



The joists are perpendicular to the cables, so I could simply use clamps and screws to lay them out all parallel on the ceiling, but I was hoping for something more elegant. suggestions? What about something like this kind of track?

There's about 10 ft of the same cables in the hallway between the boiler room door and the panel, where I'd like to put it out of sight but still accessible in case a new circuit needs to be run, so not a drywall soffit. Is there some system with snap on panels for that area? Thanks for any tips.

 

[winnie]

DIY answer, but I used these for MC cable in my basement:

MC/AC Cable Support Bracket, 14-3 to 10-2 MC/AC, 8 Cable

www.nvent.com

 

[electrofelon]

Depending on the look desired, perhaps some 2X running boards.

 

[Fred B]

Arlington makes a cableway for this

Arlington |

aifittings.com

 

[dirtynails]

Arlington makes a cableway for this

Arlington |

aifittings.com

Thanks, that's really interesting! definitely an improvement over what I got and doable without needing to sort out that mess. Just the kind of advice I was hoping to find here.

 

[LarryFine]

Or a piece of rain gutter for cheap.

 

[dirtynails]

Arlington makes a cableway for this

Arlington |

aifittings.com

Can the brackets be used without the channel? That might be easier to manage in the area pictured, and then just use the channel in the front hallway area I'm trying to spruce up. Plus I'd save like $180.

 

[dirtynails]

Or a piece of rain gutter for cheap.

That wouldn't get the hairy eyeball from an inspector???

 

[LarryFine]

That wouldn't get the hairy eyeball from an inspector???

A simple cable support does not need to be listed electrical equipment.

You can even use wall or garage hooks.

 

[OldBroadcastTech]

Or a piece of rain gutter for cheap.

or a piece of 4" PVC split with a circular saw ( Be VEWWY VEWWY CAWEFUL !!! )

 

[dirtynails]

or a piece of 4" PVC split with a circular saw ( Be VEWWY VEWWY CAWEFUL !!! )

Now THATS in my wheelhouse! Screwing it temporarily to a 1x5 board to go against the table saw fence would work and be safe. I had no idea these improvs were ok. Hanging PVC with perfed steel tape would be easy.

 

[hbiss]

That wouldn't get the hairy eyeball from an inspector???

I would worry more about that ratty (probably) overloaded 4" round in the middle of the ceiling.

Those cables you are worried about, I wouldn't spend a lot of money. Just Ty-Rap them neatly together and support them from something like a 1/2" one hole EMT strap on the ceiling with another Ty-Rap every so often.

-Hal

 

[dirtynails]

I would worry more about that ratty (probably) overloaded 4" round in the middle of the ceiling.

-Hal

Yeah, definitely over box fill, but there's no loads other than the boiler room lights on it. I guess I could easily replace it with a 21 cu in 4x4 box and be fine. There's just so much ancient wiring in my city that they seems to grandfather this stuff in. There's so many 2x3 outlet and switch boxes that are overfilled, it seems the rule rather than exception. Look at this crazy sh*t that was in the attic! No box there, just one of those cast iron rings on the gas pipe. No worries, that's all gone now.