Unfortunately there is no easy fix when retro fitting electrical lines. I've seen some different long drill bits like you have but I don't know the diameter and that will be important since it has to be larger than the 14 gauge you'll need to be running.
One bit of good luck for you cutting the hole next to a joist. code and good sense require you to mount the box either on a joist or to a stud running crossways to the joist. You can't use a plastic box with the wings that pop out behind drywall. At least not if you want to hang a fan on it. Tell Mrs. my wife complained about the dust too but I think the best idea is to use a hole saw big enough that you can fit your hand through the hole. With a hole saw you can save the cut out, then when you're ready to close up, cut some thin strips of plywood or you can get larger if you have scrap. Cut the wood a couple inches longer than the hole is round. Push the wood into the hole and center it over the opening. Run a drywall screw through the drywall and into each end of the wood. Now you can put a couple screws through the cut out and screw it to the wood behind the opening. A little tip to make this easier is to start a screw in the center. This will come back out but it gives you a handle to hold the wood while you drive the screws in. I just did this project during the spring. With any luck your hands are smaller than mine and you won't have to use a 4 inch hole saw like I did. Fishing the tape across gets pretty impossible after 2 joists because you can't manipulate it after that point. The only simple fix would be to try picking up power on a wall that runs perpendicular to the joists so you could run up through the plates at the top and into the bay where the fan will mount. The way it is, you might be able to cut a hole between every other joist and see if you can feed the wire through. I stripped the wire back so I could bend a hook in the bear wire and cut off the black and white even with the insulation. That's so I didn't end up with a big knot to try pulling through each hole. The hook is in case I was only close. I had a wire coat hanger I could catch the other hook with and show the way. When you get the wire run, you can use some joint compound to seal the opening. There are all kinds of "textured" applicators. There are rollers, sponges and things I probably don't even know about now. I hate that kind of texture but it was popular for a while. I had to make those repairs when I had younger kids. Somehow "accidents" kept happening. "Daddy I was picking up the ball bat and it went through the ceiling." Not the hardest repair you'll ever do, especially when you finish running the wire. ----- Original Message ----- From: Scott Howell To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 8:32 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] installing a ceiling fan-the tricky part All, I have a minor problem, ok not a problem so much as I'm just trying to find an easy way to do something that would be simple if I'd just stop trying to make life difficult. I cut a hole in the ceiling for the fan box and I should point out there is no fan or light etc. so a new install from scratch. I also have the added problem of fishing wire from where the switch is to the center of the room and of course the joists have the absolute nerve to be running perpendicular to the direction I need to go; damn builders didn't bother to consult with me before putting the place together, but ah well. Ok, so, yeah I could knock a hole every other joist and bang a hole in each joist and I only need a hole large enough to fit my hand in so I can fish the wire. Now because I'm such a clever fool, I wasted my money and got one of those four foot rods with the bit on the end, meant for drilling hole. Well first it seemed like a fine idea, but controlling that sucker wasn't easy and I'm fairly sure I piloted the bit under the duct that had the nerve to be in my way, but then I hit something that took the drill out of my hands and smash the hell out of my forearm. Now not to be out done by the drill, I tried again and got beat up by the drill again, but since I lack the good sense to stop, I did punch through to the other side, but I have no idea where in hell I ended up. So far my wife hasn't found any holes in the bedrooms upstairs and that must mean I made holes generally in the right direction. However, because I do lack common sense, I didn't realize that trying to pilot the fish tape through the holes I made will be damn near impossible. So, I think the holes are generally in line with each other, but has anyone any tips on driving a fish tape um, well, ahuh blindly through the joists? I'm trying so hard to avoid making anymore holes and trying to justify the cost of the bit/rod deal. I mean it'll be useful in driving up the wall into the whatever it's called up there, but seems I'd have to run the fish tape up that way and not through the hole where the fan box will go. Of course luck would have it that the hole I made is right against the beam and I'm hoping it won't cause me a lot of problems. Of course the real hoot to all this is if I end up making holes, I got one of those ceilings with the popcorn stuff on it. Well it's more like thick, sharp, knuckle-slashing popcorn stuff. So, patching the holes and finding that stuff will be interesting, but I still have the plug I cut out of the ceiling, so matching it shouldn't be to bad and it'll be easier in the end to patch that then if it were all smooth. See I'm trying to avoid making the lovely spouse unhappy with additional destruction. She's not overly happy with the dust, but she understands dust is a way of life in the construction business and well I tried taping the shop vac to the drill and that sort of worked. :) So, a little less dust. Well hey, any thoughts appreciated. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
