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Installation Fundamentals
Introduction
If you have doubts about whether you are
capable of installing a ceiling mount speak-
er, consult a Niles dealer or professional
installer. They have special tools, tech-
niques, and experience to make the impos-
sible possible. The installer can provide you
with an estimate before any work is done.
Running the Speaker Wire in
New Construction
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 away 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 possible.
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 inter-
ference 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 open
backed J-boxes where the volume controls
and stereo equipment will be. If you are
using the optional hole saving brackets
(CM8 Series New Construction Bracket
kit-FG00656) attach the wings and install
them
(See figure 15 and 16).
Safety First!
Wear gloves, safety goggles and head pro-
tection when drilling
. Avoid nails, they
ruin bits and they can create injury.
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 10).
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
10
Installation Fundamentals
Figure 10