Enter the attic and find the inlet wall. Have a helper downstairs
knock on the top of the wall right above the inlet location;
locate the general area by following the sound. Most likely,
you will have to clear away insulation. Ask your helper to
continue knocking until you locate the area between wall
studs directly above the inlet location.
Next, measure the thickness
of the wall. Mark the
exact center of the wall
where you will drill the
access hole. Remember
that the access hole must
be placed exactly in the
center of the wall.
Locating Basement Access Holes
To locate access holes in
the basement, remove the
toe molding or baseboard
at the base of the inlet
wall. Carefully loosen the
molding or baseboard by
inserting the blade of a
putty knife behind it.
Force another putty knife
between the first knife
and the baseboard or wall.
Gently hammer a cold chisel between the two knife blades,
prying the loosened molding away from the baseboard or the
baseboard away from the wall.
Directly below the inlet
location, drill a 1/16”
(1.6 mm) reference hole
through the floor into the
basement. (If you are
drilling through carpet,
use an awl to slightly
open the weave. This will
keep the carpet from
wrapping itself around
the drill bit.) Insert a
piece of scrap wire or a clothes hanger into the reference
hole so you can easily find the hole in the basement.
Once you’ve found the location in the partition wall, you must
center the access hole in the middle of the wall. Measure half
the thickness of the wall and mark the center of the wall
where you will drill the access hole. If you cannot see the
plate, you can determine this measurement from upstairs. At
the nearest doorway, measure the thickness of the wall,
including the baseboard.
In the basement measure a distance equal to half the
thickness of the wall, using the reference hole as a starting
point.
Drilling the Access Holes
Once you are certain that
you’ve located the center
of the wall directly above
the inlet location, use a
2½” (64 mm) hole saw to
cut the access hole
through the wall plate or
header and into the wall
cavity. (A 1/2” [13 mm]
drill is recommended.)
Carefully remove the drill
from the hole.
Now, use a flashlight to
inspect the wall cavity
through the access hole.
Make sure no hidden
obstacles will interfere
with the tube installation.
(If this inspection reveals
an obstacle, find a new
inlet location.) Repeat
this procedure in your
attic or basement until your
access holes are drilled.
Assembling the Inlet Tubing
Once you’ve drilled the access holes, you assemble the inlet
tubing and insert it into the wall cavity. Refer to “Working With
Plastic Tubing” section on page 4 before you begin to
assemble the inlet lines.
Select a section of plastic
tubing and an 8” (203 mm)
section of the flexible inlet
tubing. Apply cement to
the outside of the plastic
tubing and to the inside of
the flexible tubing. Join the
two pieces together and
allow five minutes for
them to dry.
Cut a piece of low-voltage
wire which is long enough
for the complete inlet line,
allowing 6” (152 mm) for
connections to the inlet
wall plate. Secure the
wire to the tubing with
electrical tape.
Tuck the 6” (152 mm) wire
lead inside the flexible
tubing so that it will not
snag inside the wall.
page 8
INSTALLATION IN EXISTING CONSTRUCTION (CONT’D)
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