Filter
Top Products
Installation
Fundamentals
Running the Speaker Wire in New
Construction
If you have doubts about whether you are
capable of installing Niles AT Series speak-
ers in your walls, consult a Niles dealer or
professional installer. They have special
tools, techniques, and experience to make
the impossible possible. The installer can
provide you with an estimate before any
work is done.
Scheduling and Pr
eparation
Plan to schedule the speaker wiring after
the electrical wiring is finished. That way
you can avoid wire routes which could
potentially induce hum over the speaker
wire. The basic rules are:
• Never run speaker wire through the
same hole as an electrical cable.
• Never run speaker wire into the same
J-box as electrical cable.
• Avoid running the speaker wire beside
the electrical cable. Keep it at least three
or four feet distant from any electrical
power cable.
Side-by-side wiring is unavoidable in partic-
ular spots in every house, just move the
speaker wire route away as soon as possi-
ble. If construction forces a side by side run
for more than ten feet, install metal conduit
or shielded speaker wire. Low-voltage wires
such as doorbells, intercoms, telephone,
security, or television cannot cause interfer-
ence or hum on your speaker wires, so you
can safely run all of them at the same time,
through the same holes, side-by-side.
Before you drill any holes, mount the
speaker brackets in the desired speaker
locations and mount p-rings or open
backed J-boxes where the in-wall volume
controls and stereo equipment will be.
Safety First!
Wear gloves, safety goggles and head pro-
tection when drilling. Avoid nails, they ruin
bits and they can create injury. Pay partic-
ular care when using “hole-hogs” and
other powerful electric drills; the torque of
the drill when suddenly stopped by a nail
can break the wrist of a strong man.
Drilling
Use a bit that is large enough for the wires
you plan to run. An auger bit is the pre-
ferred bit for rough-in wiring. It will actual-
ly pull itself through the wood, so that the
drill motor, not you, does most of the work.
You will be drilling a lot of holes, so this is
important.
Always drill the holes in the center of the
stud. If you have to notch the stud or drill
the hole closer than one inch from the
edge of the stud, protect the wire with a
nail plate (See Figure 8).
When drilling holes in ceiling joists, drill in
the center of the joists and try to locate the
hole near the end of the joist. DO NOT
drill through a “gluelam” or any load bear-
ing beam without the direction of your
contractor.
Try to line the holes up perfectly, because it
makes pulling the wire much easier. A good
technique is to snap a chalk line across the
face of the studs or against the bottom of the
ceiling joists. Then work backward so that
you can always see the holes you have
already drilled. Paying careful attention to
this will save you a lot of time later on!
Installation Fundamentals
10
Figure 8
DS00222A/AT8500-8700 3/1/99 10:47 AM Page 12