move AV gear into a cupboard

[benz0]

Hi folks,

Due to a water leak this summer our entire flooring needs to be ripped up.

This has given me the chance to finally sort the AV and network cabling out in my house.

I am thinking about moving my AV receiver, cable box, modem and PS4 into a storage cupboard next to the living room (about 4 metres away from the tv).

Do i need any special equipment for this? Or just plenty of cables run under the floor? AFAIK the av receiver can be operated through the TV via HDMI.

May need to get a remote extender for the cable box, however.

If i was to run some sort of channel or tube to feed the cables through, are there any clever tricks to be able to feed new cables through at a later date? Do i just need to leave some wire/twine in there to pull through new ones? Or is there anything smarter out there?

Any advice gratefully received!

Edited by benz0 on Wednesday 16th September 09:22

[tr7v8]

benz0 said:

Hi folks,

Due to a water leak this summer our entire flooring needs to be ripped up.

This has given me the chance to finally sort the AV and network cabling out in my house.

I am thinking about moving my AV receiver, cable box, modem and PS4 into a storage cupboard next to the living room (about 4 metres away from the tv).

Do i need any special equipment for this? Or just plenty of cables run under the floor? AFAIK the av receiver can be operated through the TV via HDMI.

May need to get a remote extender for the cable box, however.

If i was to run some sort of channel or tube to feed the cables through, are there any clever tricks to be able to feed new cables through at a later date? Do i just need to leave some wire/twine in there to pull through new ones? Or is there anything smarter out there?

Any advice gratefully received!

Edited by benz0 on Wednesday 16th September 09:22

you need to work out the total power consumption. You may need an external vent either with/without a fan. I'd monitor temp as it may get very hot in the summer.

[Mr Pointy]

Runs as large a duct as you can get away with & make it as straight a run as possible or with smooth wide bends. Don't forget you'll need to pull the connectors through as well & the HDMI ends can be quite chunky. Use something like 3mm nylon twine as a pull wire & don't forget it needs to be twice as long as the conduit so you can pull it back.

[RichTT]

I did this when we refurbed our house last year.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Cupboard designed specifically to hide all the tech gubbins that I don't like seeing. Mines controlled by the Logitech universal remote and IR repeaters. Piped conduit underneath the floor for all the cabling to the TV.

[hyphen]

tr7v8 said:

you need to work out the total power consumption. You may need an external vent either with/without a fan. I'd monitor temp as it may get very hot in the summer.

As said, heat may kill them. So make sure there is enough air space between and around and that it is not sealed.

[OldSkoolRS]

I did this a few years ago hen we redecorated. I use a Harmony remote which works via RF to a 'base' that sits above the rack and 'converts' back to IR to control the equipment. I've set up various 'activities' that turn the right things on, in the right order (sometimes with slight pauses to help) and it selects the right input/memory on my video processor too. Much more reliable than ARC/CEC.

Since it's under the stairs then I used a studio type 19" rack. Some of my gear is rack mountable, but the rest I was able to just use rack mounted shelfs. I also spaced it out to help with heat, added an external temperature controlled fan unit above my AVR (not shown in these photos as it was added later). Also, I always run it with the cupboard doors open (since we're in the living room, again it doesn't matter what it looks like in the hallway).

Closer view of the Harmony 'repeater' on top of the rack (the IR just bounces off the wall opposite and controls all the gear below):


A view of the whole rack:


I also have a 'mini' rack for my subwoofer and bass shaker amps, which is to the right side of the main rack (just visible in the above picture). These are fairly noisy PA type amplifiers, but being outside of the room it doesn't matter and the fans also help keeping the heat out of the cupboard:

Edited by OldSkoolRS on Thursday 17th September 08:41

[anonymous-user]

benz0 said:

Do i just need to leave some wire/twine in there to pull through new ones

Yes, it works a treat. When you pull a cable through with your twine it's a good idea to pull a new piece of twine through at the same time - for the next or some future cable.

One thing to watch out for is some cables come with quite large plugs already fitted. They need to (a) fit through your conduit, and (b) not jam half way, especially if there are other cables already in there. One trick is to bind the plug/cable with duct tape to make a "torpedo" which won't get jammed. You can also use the thick twisted end of the duct tape torpedo to tie on your twine. (If you tie twine to a cable behind its plug you massively increase the risk of a jam.)

I find the best twine for "pulling" is the nylon string that's used in curtain rail mechanisms. Slides easily and almost indestructible.

[Mr Pointy]

rockin said:

Yes, it works a treat. When you pull a cable through with your twine it's a good idea to pull a new piece of twine through at the same time - for the next or some future cable.

That's why you use a pull wire/cord that's twice as long as the duct plus a couple of feet each end & tie the end of the pull wire off so you can't ever pull it through the duct.

[anonymous-user]

Mr Pointy said:

That's why you use a pull wire/cord that's twice as long as the duct plus a couple of feet each end & tie the end of the pull wire off so you can't ever pull it through the duct.

Except that doesn't work. Your new cable will stop the half way through the conduit..... unless you untie the end - at which point you're back where you started and still need to tie on & pull through a new cord as well as the cable.

It looks to me as though your suggestion would require a cord three times the length of the conduit.

[Mr Pointy]

rockin said:

Mr Pointy said:

That's why you use a pull wire/cord that's twice as long as the duct plus a couple of feet each end & tie the end of the pull wire off so you can't ever pull it through the duct.

Except that doesn't work. Your new cable will stop the half way through the conduit..... unless you untie the end - at which point you're back where you started and still need to tie on & pull through a new cord as well as the cable.

It looks to me as though your suggestion would require a cord three times the length of the conduit.

• Cut the drawcord to twice as long as the duct plus a couple of feet each end. Lets say the duct is 3m long
• Run the drawcord from end A to end B - this can be the tricky bit. Use rods or an existing cable to pull it through
• Tie the drawcord off to something at each end. Now you can't lose it
• You have the drawcord in the duct, no spare at end B & 3m on the floor at end A. Tape your cable to the draw cord near the end of the duct (ie in the middle of the drawcord)
• Pull the drawcord & cable through to end B. Take the cable off; you now have no spare cord at end A & 3m on the floor at end B
• Pull the cord back to end A & repeat

[anonymous-user]

Mr Pointy said:

Some more stuff

I see what you're getting at, the "few feet extra" is essential to making it work and you don't necessarily need as much as x3.