Cut wires in ceiling

[crackerjr]

Has anyone else ever had a problem with cut wires in the ceiling? Opened up my 2019 Cougar 315RLS to an E2 error message. I did some tracing and found my temperature sensor wasn't working. I starting pulling on the wire up at ac and about 5' cable came out in my hand. Looked like a clean slice across. Opened up the vent in the kitchen and found the wire, pulled on towards touch panel and had another break towards the bathroom. Bought a new sensor and now everything works but can't snake across the ceiling. Today I tried my furnace and had nothing. Again did some tracing and found a wire from control unit in ac to the furnace was broken somewhere. I ran a jumper and got working. But now how do I get these all rerun through the ceiling without having them get cut again? Sorry it's so long.

[flybouy]

Cut or chewed? Look around for "indicators" of visitors, i.e. droppings.

[sourdough]

If it is rodents you can usually tell by he marks on the insulation of the ends of the broken wire.

[crackerjr]

Definitely not rodents these were clean slices across the wires. I'm wondering if the weight of heavy wet snow on the roof may have done it? How do I get new wires run through the ceiling?

[NH_Bulldog]

I can’t imagine snow load had anything to do with it. Are your rafters metal or wood?

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by crackerjr

Definitely not rodents these were clean slices across the wires. I'm wondering if the weight of heavy wet snow on the roof may have done it? How do I get new wires run through the ceiling?

OK whatever you like to think but I've never seen a "cleanly cut" wire that wasn't cut by human hands. Irregardless you need to run new wires. The only way I'm aware of is to open up the ceiling access as much as possible by dropping interior vent rings, light fixtures, speakers, etc.

Start at one end of the run with an electricians fish tape or fiberglass rods. Tape some string to it and feed it thru until you get to the other end. This may require "leap frogging" from opening to opening, i.e. go into one speaker opening and bring it out of another speaker opening, then remove the tape or rod and continue thru the second opening to the next. This can make it easier to get the string over obstacles laying on the ceiling panels and through the rafters.

When you get to the last hole, tape your wite to the string AND another string. Tape it so the transition from string to wire is smooth and snag free. If possible, have an assistant feed the new wire & string into the hole while you pull from the string only end. If resistance is encountered have your assistant pull it back about 6" and try again. When you have successfully reached the other end free the wire and second string and let it hang from the holes. Cut the string so there's about 2' extra on each end and secure it inside the hole in case you need it in the future.

Then find the ends to the wires that were "cut" and use them to pull a string down to their termination. So let's say your replacing a t'stat wire. Remove the thermostate, remove the broken wire at the terminals. Find the loose end of the wire and tape a pull string to it. Repeate the process earlier to pull the new wire and another string to the t'stat. I like to leave a pull string there just in case. It would be very frustrating to go thru all that then find another "cut" wire up there a month from now and have to go thru that all over again.

[jasin1]

Id do like Marshall suggested..if you feel resistance then stop!…I’ve seen too many times where people don’t realize this…they just pull like Shrek and break the wire at a connection point or if fishing a wire they pull the tape connection loose.

I started using this fish tool a couple a years ago …I like it better then a fish tape

[crackerjr]

I've been fishing lines through walls for many years but this ceiling is a bit different. I'm going to give it another shot this weekend and try some other access points. Thanks for the help everyone.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by crackerjr

I've been fishing lines through walls for many years but this ceiling is a bit different. I'm going to give it another shot this weekend and try some other access points. Thanks for the help everyone.

Keep in mind that the ceiling has wires going back and forth through the rafters and these small openings are a bit hard to find. I suggest you get an inspection mirror and remove a light fixture and set a flashlight up there and use the mirror to get an idea of where to pull wire. The inspection mirror I speak of is used by mechanics to see down in places where they dropped a nut or bolt, etc. and is usually on a telescoping stalk.

[JRTJH]

Harbor Freight (or any hardware store) will have inspection mirrors available.

They're $3.99 at HF.

[wiredgeorge]

I had a Sunnybrook bumper pull at one point. One light in the cabin would not work with the switch on the light. As I recall, the light was similar to the incandescent 12V lights I have in my old Cougar. I got sick of this light not working and re-wired it to a hot wire up above the microwave and fished the wire with one of those fiberglass deals and used the magnet. Later found there was a wall switch which also turned the light on if you left the switch in the on position. It was in the off position. I learned to use the mirror in this regard and have respect for thinking things out prior to spending half a day fixing that which didn't need fixing. There ain't much room up there and not sure how wires could be cleanly cut but hope the OP gets it sorted.

[flybouy]

I've use the fiberglass rods every since they first came out, unless it's a tight situation where there just isn't room for it. I use a borescope that wirelessly connects to the phone. They are inexpensive and can reach quite a distance. You can buy them with attachments that allow you to use it as a "fish hook" as well.

[crackerjr]

I just remembered i have a borescope that I can tape to my fish line and get a birds eye view of what's really going on up there but it won't be until Friday. I will let you know and share pictures when I get them. Also thinking of just putting a separate thermostat just for the furnace and bypass the in-command system for heat. We barely ever use it anyway. Then I can keep the temp sensor up by the ac unit without running it though the ceiling.

[rhagfo]

Well to me the most important thing when fishing in new or replacement wire is to make a solid mechanical connection between the pull device and the new wire!! Do not depend on just taping the wires together as they wii part.
I wanted backup lights on out 5er, the trailer didn’t have a wire from pin box into the front compartment. I tugged on one of the cables and it moved at the pin box. Used that wire to pull in its replacement and the new wire for the backup lights. Made a good mechanical connection and nicely tapered tape job, slowly worked in the new wires. There was a pretty sharp turn that took a bit of work the get the connection around this bend, but past that point and it pulled in easily. Sometimes the path forward requires backing up sometimes.

[crackerjr]

I went up in the ceiling with the borescope from the ac unit and from the vent in the kitchen area and didn't see any dropping or anything out of the ordinary. I did see all the wires go over the wooden x-braces but I couldn't get the fish line over because of the insulation. So I'm going to keep the new temp sensor up by the ac unit and install a separate thermostat for the furnace. this will also eliminate any problem with it being too cold for the furnace to come on. It's a real simple fix for that problem. I will let you know how it works tomorrow when the thermostat comes in. Thank you all again for your help.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by crackerjr

Definitely not rodents these were clean slices across the wires. I'm wondering if the weight of heavy wet snow on the roof may have done it? How do I get new wires run through the ceiling?

Here's a photo of what Mickey did to one of my clearance lights. I didn't believe it was a rodent at first, either. I was lucky enough to be able to hook out the dropped wiring and re-connect it with crimp connectors.

In the same vicinity (bedroom ceiling) he also took out one of the conductors to a ceiling light; I couldn't locate the chew because it was stapled somewhere inaccessible, so I just ran a new connector between the light fixtures.

The little bugger also stored a cache of palo verde beans in the ceiling, so for the next two years I had palo verde beetles hatching out and falling on the bed, for a genuine camping experience.

I get vertigo on a creeper these days, so I hired a guy to copper-wool and foam every crevice on the underside. Stopped having wiring problems, got one final generation of beetles, then blessed relief.

[skids]

What a nightmare LHAVEN.