[notbright]

Is it allowable to pull romex from attic (second floor ceiling light) to the basement through the cold air return?

[bhayne]

No

[tkrussell]

bhayne is correct that Romex cannot be pulled through a cold air return, but to continue, just in case you get other ideas, no wiring method can be installed in a cold air return at all.

However, we need to clarify what your cold air return consists of. If is a metal, fibreglas, or some other material fabricated to be a air handling duct, no wiring can be pulled from attic to basement. If this is what you have, were you planning to drill a hole at the top and the bottom so the cable enters and passes through the duct, as a shortcut to the basement? Not allowed at all.

But, if for example, you have a "chase", no metal or whatever, duct, and the "chase" is the actual framing and drywall, created to act as a return air duct, then MC or AC (BX) cable ,plemum rated, can be pulled. This means though there is no return air duct in the basement, and means the entire basement is wired with plenum rated metal cable, or other metal raceway.

Best you can do is to find another path from the attic to the basement. Try around the masonry chimney, see if there is a clear path. Or look aound in the attic for the large plumbing vent pipe that usually goes up through the attice and out the roof. Many times this pipe has a small clearance aorund it to the basement.

Use a good strong nylon string with a nut, bolt, washer, or best, a short piece of chain, as a weight, to drop down a possible path to the basement from the attic.If you can get the string to come through into the basement, cut off the weight and tie on your cable.

A bit expensive, but you can buy two or three 6 foot drill bits connected together, called DiversaBits, and drill down to and through the second level floor framing. If you can line up in the same bay of the framing in the basement, drill up a hole, and send down the string and weight from the attic.

These are the popular methods electricians have to "fish" or "snake" wires. There may be others, but depeneds on the construction of your home, but won't vary greatly from those I have offered.

[Accent Lighting]

There is a tool called a Greenlee. This is a long drill bit with flexible screw on rods that can drill through laterals all the way from an attic to a basement. We use this tool daily to install new switches and wires for remodel homes.

You can also pull power from outlets in the same room or from above the basement to power lights or fans. Do not overload the circuit.

At times we have used floor trim to run electrical wiring behind to the location needed. Molding comes off easy, giving plenty of room to work, and the sheet rock does not go all the way to the floor giving great access for a chase.