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Old 11-26-2011, 11:02 PM
 
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You also have to know / be able to guess with high degree of certainty how the ceiling was framed. Most electricians with experience will know that the ceiling is USUALLY framed along the shorter span. If the switch is not on the same wall as the end of the rafter bay closest to where the wire has to travel horizontally that means at least one more drywall opening, and often more if there is plumbing or ductwork in intervening bays. Good remodel electricians more and more are relying on the kinds of imaging devices to snake into the wall before they make it look like the "gopher hunting" sequence of Caddy Shack...

This is not an easy project for some one that is not already experienced with a fishtape...
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Old 11-27-2011, 03:15 PM
 
27,230 posts, read 27,295,133 times
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As an electrician, Id strongly recommend hiring a handyman or electrician.
There will be almost no getting out of having to cut through sheetrock to run the feed wire and the switchleg. You can pretty much tap into an outlet, providing you dont plan on using a huge amount of wattage, remember that outlet you tap into, preferable the one closest to where your switch is going to be, also feeds everything else in that room so you don want to over load the circuit.
The hardest part might be running the wire through the attic. There are 2 ways you can pull the wire from point A to point B but one of the ways will require cutting bigger hole through the sheetrock.
Also the type of lightbox you plan on using makes a difference. Id strongly recommend NOT using one of those plastic 'butterfly wing' boxes in ceilings, use a box you can actually nail/screw into the rafter.
Wish I could tell you more but it so detailed and everything you do will matter, in this install. Remember, electrical and plumbing there IS NO shortcut, just to save a dollar or two in materials.
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Old 11-27-2011, 03:20 PM
 
Location: Lexington, SC
4,281 posts, read 12,617,513 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimRom View Post
Simple answer: If you are posting on a forum to ask how difficult the job is, it's worth hiring someone to do the job. Electrical wiring is not really something for the average home-owner to tackle as diy project.

Less simple answer: The term difficult is relative. For someone that's done it a few times, your project is a fairly simple, straight-forward job. For someone that's never done it, it's going to be a bloody nightmare.

Well said

I was an electrician in the US Navy. I understand the stuff and have wired/rewired many things/rooms/basements/out door lighting, etc. in my homes. I will even work on "live/hot" stuff.

As I age, the less and less I take on so I hire more now then I used to.

With that in mind. I wanted an additional overhead light in our master bath. A bathroom is loaded with circuits/wires so it should be a no brainer. I almost was going to do it myself but I decided to hire a licensed electrician as I could get him off his company books for $50.00 and I provided the fixture.

Well he had bytch of a time and it took over 2 hours of blood, sweat, and tears to get it done (I checked on him so I know) and done properly. He was up ladders, down ladders, snaking, drilling, etc. Well let me tell you, had that been me doing it (and I know how), I would have gone crazy/bonkers and ripped the ceilings/walls out to get it done......LOL

Also, I have seen how quick an insurance company will try and backout from under you if a say a fire issue and then can find/know about electrical work recently done.

It was the some of the best $50.00 I ever spent.......LOL
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Old 11-29-2011, 12:47 PM
 
Location: Chicago
3,339 posts, read 5,954,405 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimRom View Post
Simple answer: If you are posting on a forum to ask how difficult the job is, it's worth hiring someone to do the job. Electrical wiring is not really something for the average home-owner to tackle as diy project.

Less simple answer: The term difficult is relative. For someone that's done it a few times, your project is a fairly simple, straight-forward job. For someone that's never done it, it's going to be a bloody nightmare.
I agree.

If you don't understand how the electrical wiring works, I would not take on this project. I don't really "get" all the electrical stuff myself, even though I somehow got an A in electrical engineering in college, (clearly that didn't stick). That said, my husband is a computer and electrical engineer, so he handles that part, I do the drywall.

If you've done it before, installing fixtures is not that difficult. If it's something you think you'll do again in the future, it could be worth trying on your own and calling an electrician/handyman if you feel as though you are in over your head. If you think it's just a one time thing, I'd just hire a pro and move on. My husband and I have done it several times now, so it was worth it to learn how to do it.
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Old 11-30-2011, 08:50 AM
 
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan
30,701 posts, read 79,347,054 times
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We rewired our entire house without tearing up any ceilings. We did have to make some really long runs in places in order to get between joists.

IMO electrical work is the easiest work to DIY. It is easier than plumbing, certainly easier than drywall, and even easier than painting if you want a really good job. The principals are very basic, everything is color coded, code requriements are simple and clear. The only thing that cna be difficult is calclating loading for a circuit. However for a single light fixture, that is not a concern. The wiring and mounting a box is easy. Patching, painting, etc can be hard.


If you have no light, you can always just mount on on a hook with a swag chain accross the cieling and down a wall to the outlet. It is not beautiful, but it can be done in less than an hour and it works fine.
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