Hi all.


I had a door framed in but there is electrical in place I need to reroute. They put in header at top as picture shows. Any ideas on how to reroute?

Yes, the super easy way is to simply call an electrician.

Have you ever done any electrical work? Do you have any tools? A meter or tester?

No matter what it's not going to be easy. I would have done this before the header was installed. Didn't anyone, like the carpenter, think of this?

Incorrect response. Original post deleted

When I turn off circuit breakera I no longer get power in these specific lines. How could these still be live?

When I turn off circuit breakera I no longer get power in these specific lines. How could these still be live?

I am somewhat knowledgeable/handy about electrical wiring. I probed around today and I think the bottom line is that I need to route 2 wires from one side to the other.

I was thinking about leaving a 1" gap between the top header and the prehung door (I will shorten the door slightly) and can route the wiring through there.

Of course will be careful about where I nail

Does this sound doable?

I was thinking about leaving a 1" gap between the top header and the prehung door (I will shorten the door slightly) and can route the wiring through there.

Not a good idea.

Drill up through the top plate, go through ceiling joist, come down through top plate on other side. Not a problem for the cable between the two outlets.

You will have to determine where the other cable goes to know how to best route it.

What is above this floor?

Above this floor is attic. What is the proble. With runninf ir above doorframe?

According to NEC, a wire must be at least 1 1/2" set back from a nailing surface so drywall or trim nails cannot hit the nail. Otherwise, the surface must be covered with an approved metal nail stop. That is a big header. Carpenter should have used a smaller header and cripples. It looks like the wire will be too short to span the top and back down. You cant splice in a wall and hide it. Best idea , as Harold noted, is to go into the attic, use a junction box and run a new wire down.

Yeah unfortunately the header was done before I got to the site.
I think I can wire new wire from junction box on left to the right. No splicing required close to door frame. I assume I can splice near bluebox?
As long as I put in metal plate would that be OK?

Don
Please delete your post. You were apparently responding to another post.

khabs,
Please reduce your picture. A picture that large makes the post to hard to read.


I assume I can splice near bluebox?

No. All connections must be in a box and must be accessible.

Please, make sure you ask the Power Company where they will allow you to move the pane to. And more than likely you will need to get a permit from your city to move the panelboard.

Also, if your power company is like ours, you will have to have a city inspector approve the work before the Power company will restore service

Also, make absolutely certain that you have the Power company turn the power off prior to you touching anything. If the service is not disabled properly you might still have a live service feed coming into the home.

I think you are in the wrong thread... :)

Hank,

That's odd. I deleted that post almost immediately and left a note explain that it was an incorrect post

Thanks guys. So I cannot even make cable longer outside box? Basically connecting 2 cables to make 1 long one through connectors?

Thanks guys. So I cannot even make cable longer outside box? Basically connecting 2 cables to make 1 long one through connectors?
Earlier you said you were somewhat familiar with electrical "stuff". By asking this question you indicate that you aren't familiar "enough" to do this work.
All connections must be in a box. Either one at each side of doorway and one above in the attic space, or cables long enough to go up one side and down the other. Either way you will need junction boxes at all points of connection. They also must remain accessible... FOREVER... not behind drywall and not blocked by any structure. They will need covers. If you have enough wire you can raise the boxes up to a reasonable height and perhaps put a sconce or even a picture over them.

Ive done about 20 ceiling fans in my life for friends and family and replaced sockets. Provably not much for u guys but better than nithing.. Ill make sure I splice inside a box.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

A quick question. How did yiou determine this to be a load bearing wall? In most cases the stairs run perpendicular to load bearing walls. What is below this floor?

The beams run perpendicular ti this wall. Is the header he put overkill?
Few things I did.
1. Looks like the power source is comong from the right side of the picture to the left. The wires are basicall socket connections.
Cable a powers the sockets in the room where I took the picture and cable be powers the sockets I'm the room that is on the other side of the door. The box on left has to cables. One going to the socket on the other side of the wall and one going through ceiling to another wall in the far room.

One problem I have going throigh ceiling is that there is another floor above this that I'm trying to finish Out. So its simple not attic space. There is another level and floor above. So basically if I drill and route wire up it goes inside the floor above. I.e. I don't get access to it without ripping up that floor or ripping up the current ceiling in the pic which I'm trying to avoid

Use a router to plow a groove across the header. Make it 3/4" deep. Then run the wire through the groove and put a metal strip across the groove. Use the old switch box or outlet as a junction box and wire from there.

Is that better rhan routing it on top of door frame?

I am 99.99% sure that is not a load bearing wall and the header is unnecessary. Who framed this? You cant bury a splice inside a wall so you need to go back to the closest box and run a new longer cable over the door frame.

Im not planning on splicing it inside the wall. Was going to run a longer cable from bluebox. How can u tell its not load bearing?

Look at the roofline. If the wall goes across the ceiling joists, it is most likely load bearing. If it is parallel with the ceiling joists, it is not loadbearing. Most stairways are set parallel to the ceiling joists and box framed. The only thing you are supporting is the ceiling joist and some drywall. If you put a stairway across a load bearing wall, you lose ceiling and roof support because you will cut 6-8 or more ceiling joists and have to use a much more complicated support system.

What the picture doesn't show is that there is another stairway that goes 90 degree with the picture. So multipke stairways each going perpendicular to each other. The ceiling joists are perpendicular to the wall in the pic

The width of the header is determined by the length and type of load it has to carry.
It's very, very unlikely that a header of that mass was needed in your situation. Have the builder look into that. Perhaps he can replace it with one more appropriate which will allow the use of cripples. That will make your re-wiring much easier.

Looks like you need to repair drywall anyway. I would relocate Boxes away from door frame. With power off, identify both sides of both wires(colored tape, writing on wire, anything to keep track). Cut wires in middle of door frame, then route 2 cable from box to box(use large boxes for room. Reconnect.
Don't notch. I thought code was 1 1/4"? From edge of stud, if less, you can use nail plates. Can you drill down to underneath and back up?