Tips for Fishing Electrical Cable

This page contains some tips for fishing electrical cable through walls and ceilings. Use these links find an electrical source for a new outlet, locate and cut holes for new cable, fish cable through walls and run cable from an upper floor.

Prepare the Fish Tape

Tape the hooked end of the fish tape to make it move more easily through wall cavities and avoid snagging on insulation and other obstructions.

Moving Past Obstuctions

When pushing the fish tape through wall and ceiling cavities it may hit some obstructions along the way. If this happens turn the rolled coil one way or the other and try to push past the obstacle. Because the fish tape is a rigid, flat wire it is bowed in the direction of the coil. Turning the coil will turn the end of the tape in the same direction.

Taping Cable to Fish Tape

Attach about 6 inches of cable to the fish tape so it lays as flat as possible and is tapered to a point at the leading edge. Expose a couple inches of the individual wires in the cable and squeeze them close together before taping them down tightly to the fish tape.

Cable Pulling Tips

Try to pull the cable as straight as possible through holes in wood framing and other tight spots. Have a helper feed cable into the opening to avoid dragging and kinks.

It can be a tricky process to make all the necessary turns necessary to run new cable. Cut more holes or widen the holes already cut in walls and ceilings if necessary to reach the cable and pull it by hand.

Use these links find an electrical source for a new outlet, locate and cut holes for new cable, fish cable through walls and run cable from an upper floor.