Basic wiring question

My Elk install was my first and I have a basic question concerning how I ran cables exiting the enclosure.
 
My main enclosure is installed flush in the wall at the top of the basement staircase. The cables travel down from the enclosure between the wall studs to the unfinished basement and exit through a hole that I droilled in the floorboard/ basement ceiling between the floor joists. So when I look up at the ceiling in the basement I can see the bundle of wires which exit through the hole and are tied in a bundle and attached to the joist.
 
It occurs to me that this does not look very neat and that the wires are exposed to harm. How would or should I have handled the wires? It was my first DIY install and I couldn't think of any other way to do it.
 
Any help appreciated, Mike.
 
 

It occurs to me that this does not look very neat and that the wires are exposed to harm
 
I have bundles of cables in the attic rafters and basement rafters here and a variety of chases.
 
Many bundles haven't been touched now in over 10 years and no harm has come to them. 
 
Dress the cables neatly is really all you need to do. 
 
 
 
Here is a video.
 
[youtube]http://youtu.be/qm9JMo87YUU[/youtube]

This guy is good! Mine are a twisted mess and it would be a big improvement to do what he did in the video. I'll have to give it a try.

It didn't occur to me to look at youtube for wiring tips. I just found this cool tip
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C_wQkMF9aA
 
Mike.

Yes here have one setup with one closet and two cans and it basically the automation and security are used and never touched.  The wires in the closet come from the attic and in to a wall and in to two cans.  I was neat inside of the cans and the attic.
 
The other setup is a sand box (here in the Midwest) where I play with everything.  I have run LV for everything everywhere and it all ends up in the same place two places here as I have configured a wire section and server section in the basement.  I am playing with it all of the time. 
 
Just yesterday got an email from a friend selling her house with or without automation that she owns.  Her husband DIY'd automated her home and he is dead.  I did shut down most of the automation over a period of a few months after he died as she had no interest nor I in maintaining the stuff in the house.  I did initially try to explain what she had in the house.  She really had no interest though.
 
She has sold her home now and is removing what little automation stuff is left (I am helping her). 
 
I will probably just leave the LV wires alone whatever condition they are at.
 
There will be no mention of automation/security in any verbiage on the sales contract. 

Yeah, just don't stick a sharp metal screwdriver into a scane of cables and rip and nick insulation. Bad idea!
 
Use something more blunt and preferable plastic, like polyethylene or nylon that slides through with less friction.
 
If they don't dump loosely into a tray or box you will have to disconnect them at the final end to resort them.
 
Most of our bundles start out this way but after a few changes we long for cable troughs and tray to hide the mess.
 
Don't pull your cable ties too tight on tender CATxx  sleeving.

LarrylLix said:

Yeah, just don't stick a sharp metal screwdriver into a scane of cables and rip and nick insulation. Bad idea!
 
Use something more blunt and preferable plastic, like polyethylene or nylon that slides through with less friction.
 
If they don't dump loosely into a tray or box you will have to disconnect them at the final end to resort them.
 
Most of our bundles start out this way but after a few changes we long for cable troughs and tray to hide the mess.
 
Don't pull your cable ties too tight on tender CATxx  sleeving.

Click to expand...

 
This is a complete working system and I won't be disconnecting the ends to make it neater but I'll see what I can do without damaging anything.
 
Mike.

If the bundle is not large you can also use split looms to hide it a bit more.

Usually at some point in the runs there is a hiding spot to hide the jumble you create by tidying the ends. If not tidying up one end makes the other a mess unless unplugging and rearranging the peel offs is done.
 
Our electricians would spend months doing this very neatly, only to have us come along, when proofing the systems, and have to cut a lot of ties to find one conductor in a cable.
 
But it does tidy up easily again, once done the first time. After decades of this, we learned to display the end of every cable jacket so that conductors could be traced back to their cable jackets when wiring confusions happened. Panel duct was also used too hide the mess after some of the "old boys" retired and the slow bundling technique disappeared.

pete_c said:

If the bundle is not large you can also use split looms to hide it a bit more.

Click to expand...

Yes in one spot where I wanted to protect the wires from damage I used a ten foot length of pvc pipe. I used the table saw to cut a slit length- ways in a 1" conduit and slipped the cables into it as I ran each one. It makes a nice way to hang the wires neatly.
 
Mike.

If the cables transition from a bundle and then go up into the wall, I probably wouldn't loose sleep, assuming you're using romex staples or drive rings and bundled the mass up until that point. I really wouldn't lose sleep unless there's a ton of slack or the cables aren't run in the center of the joist. There's only so much you can do once you end up getting into "fished" territory.
 
Or let me know and maybe I'll swing by and give you ideas.

DELInstallations said:

If the cables transition from a bundle and then go up into the wall, I probably wouldn't loose sleep, assuming you're using romex staples or drive rings and bundled the mass up until that point. I really wouldn't lose sleep unless there's a ton of slack or the cables aren't run in the center of the joist. There's only so much you can do once you end up getting into "fished" territory.
 
Or let me know and maybe I'll swing by and give you ideas.

Click to expand...

DEL
 
I'd love it if you would come by and give me some tips. I've done the full install and it all works but it would be great to get your seal of approval or criticism at this point. It'll be good to finally meet. Pretty much any time is good with me with a little heads up warning.
 
Mike.