how to bring cables into the house

[howardino 0]

Hi guys,

 

Just trying to work out how best to bring cctv camera cables (will be using rg59+power) into the house.

Will be looking at around 6 cameras around the house, will be looking to have dvr in the small utility room on the ground floor. That would be 6 thick cables - I would need to drill a large hole to get this cables in. Is this normal? Is there a more easier way of getting the cables inside the house?

 

They system I'm looking to get is from adata, a combination of qvis eye-e37 and eye-e38 (the e38 being more than double the price of e37 - anyone use these, are they worth the extra?) and currently trying to decide which one of their 8ch dvr's to get - they have a large selection with very subtle differences between them. Anything from the i-Zeus HD to the i-apollo pro dc.

 

Many thanks for your help on this.

[Kawboy12R 0]

Using cables with pre-made ends makes for large holes, especially if they're ALL going in through the same entry point. Guessing the wrong size hole makes a small job much worse. The holes are smaller if you put your own ends on. Maybe look to run the cables into the soffit to the wall of the utility room and in through the side? Depends on home construction. Maybe along the soffit into the attic and then down into the room you want along a stud? There's a bunch of different ways to skin that particular cat, especially if you use multiple entries for the cable and use your own ends. Just don't drill an undersized hole for a one-hole entrance, run 3/4 of your wires, and then find out it's a real pain to stick those big premade ends through 2 or, much worse, 3 layers of wood and end up yanking the wires you've run, and trying to make your hole bigger without the benefit of the pilot drill for your holesaw. Maybe practice on plywood first to make sure all your last end will go through the hole you think you want to use with all of the other wires already going through the hole.

[GrouchoBoucho 0]

having to drill oversize holes to fit pre-made ends is a pain, but remember, the hole doesn't have to fit *all* of them through at the same time; it only has to fit all but one of the cables, and the last end

 

that said, kawboy is right, somewhere like a soffit is the best idea, as that's usually easiest to repair/replace later, and doesn't piece the envelope of the building. if you do have to go through a wall, look at mounting a suitably-sized weatherproof junction box over the hole, and run the cables out the *bottom* of the box. this will prevent water from running along the cables and through the wall. use a good outdoor silicone caulk to seal the box against the wall.

 

also, if you're drilling through a wall, always angle the hole slightly upward from the outside to the inside, so water can't run *down* into the house.

[shockwave199 0]

I would only put wire through walls and install bnc/power on the ends once it's through- and it seems that's what you're going to do anyway. You might want to consider an upper floor install if you have an attic. For an example, I have a back bedroom on the second floor that we use as the computer/crap room. Actually now crap, no computer. But I ran cat5 to that room a couple years before, so there's the hookup for the dvr. The adjacent bedroom has a closet right on the other side of the desk the dvr is on. All wires go through to that closet and from there go up to the attic. The attic has two windows on either side of the house. This is where my coax exits house, with no need for holes in any walls. If I ever have to move, perish the thought, there's no repairs needed- just pull the coax back in. Point being, think of all possibilities when you decide where to park the dvr and route cables. There may be an easier, less invasive choice. Good luck with your install.

[howardino 0]

Thanks for the pointers guys, some solid advice there. I was concerned about the cable run length if I took it all the way to the attic and then brought it back down to the utility room - this room was ideal as its next to my office and can easily access the dvr. However, I take it once its all setup there is little need for physical access to the dvr so it could go in the attic - tho our attic is a dumping ground so it could get knocked about by other family members going up there.

 

Just thought, the utility room is part of the extension to the original house, so there should be a cavity wall forming part of the original outside wall. Not sure if its been filled with insulation. This might be an option.

 

Is there like a best practice on how to bring cables into the house - is it generally through the soffits into the attic and then onwards from there.

 

I was planning on using pre-made cables as I figured fixing the cameras was going to be hard-work as it as, why make life more difficult. But I guess I could make a couple of connectors.

 

Thanks,

[Kawboy12R 0]

How hot does your attic get? Electronics like DVRs, computers, etc don't like heat. Even if they don't crash their lifespan can be drastically reduced. Check your docs for the recommended operating range but I'd definitely expect problems of some kind if your attic reaches 40 deg C. Maybe even lower than that. Cooler is better.

[shockwave199 0]

Yeah, I wouldn't ever put the actual dvr in an attic. Just wire runs for dispersal, if it makes sense for the particular situation.

[Jomadav 0]

My 2 cents worth.....When we have to run on the exterior and then back in, we use schedule 40 PVC and dump into a "Bell" box ( 2 gang w/ Stainless Steel cover), then use the rear knock-out for the entrance into the house. You can make the opening in the back of the box any size you want as long as you can still mount it. Also, not mentioned here yet - by code you have to use Duct Seal to plug the hole around the wires into the house and also have a "weep" hole in the bottom of the box/ fitting outside. Try to keep the run "out of the center" of the wall, go towards the edges/corners or horizontal until you can come down.

 

It's not always the prettiest option, but opening drywall can cost a lot more.

[fullbirdmusic 0]

If you are using premade cables and have a bit of soldering experience, you could cut the connectors off (leaving enough cable to re-solder them together, of course), run the cables through your hole, then reattach the connectors once they're in. This is much easier (for me) than buying cable, connectors, and crimping gear if you don't already have it. Just make sure to use shrink tubing and heat on those connections once you re-solder; you don't want tape on there that could eventually unravel and come off.

[Jomadav 0]

I would not "cut and re-solder" a video connection. If your going to go that route you WILL have video quality issues down the road. Open connection, cold solder joint, RFI interference, etc. You can get a 2in. hole in the back of a 2 gang weather box (grey box) ...."a lot of room to work with". Silicone around top and sides to shed water, leave bottom edge open to drain against wall.