What speaker wire should I use??

I use monoprice cabling in all of my theaters.

As long as you're buying the proper gauge and something well insulated, there's no need to spend big money on some of the pricer (cough... Monster) brands.

+1 Monoprice. There are many distributors online. Check prices at your local electric supply store.

I use 16 gauge.

Monoprice or Ace hardware. There is absolutely nothing wrong with electrical cord in 16 Ga or 14 Ga for speakers.

Don't run 'electrical cord' aka zip cord in the wall.

Agreed. Don't use any cable that isn't rated for in-wall use.

Unless, of course, it's not in-wall.

Ouch! Neurorad, you're killing me.

Not to thread jack too much, but when I go to do all of my wiring, I am not going to have an outlet on the ceiling for my projector.

Is there any specific type of extension cord to look for when looking to make that plug longer so that I can actually run it somewhere near an outlet?

Or is something like that just a really bad idea?

For speaker wire, if I'm going to be running wires like 30-40 feet in wall, what gauge wire should I be looking at?

14-16 Gauge will be fine for those runs. No need to spend the extra money on thicker 12 gauge.

How do you plan to get the power cable from the projector to the wall? will it just gone straight down in the back of the room or are you talking about running the cable along a soffit or something? While not ideal, a standard extension cord should do. You can also put a surge protector at the end of the cord to help reduce risks.

Well I had planned on running it behind ceiling where there is a beam that runs the length of my ceiling in the direction I want. My projector is mounted right near this beam.

So I planned to cut a hole in the wall that is around the beam, then run it behind the wall next to the beam, into a wall on the side of the room then out the wall.

Is all that feasable by simply getting an extension cable and running it inside of the ceiling and out of the wall, or is that a bad idea?

It will eventually be plugged into a surge protector before going to the actual wall outlet.

It's definately not up to code to run extension cords behind walls. If you're going to cut into the walls, I would highly recommend having an electrician come out to put an outlet in for you.

Agreed. If you are going to have to cut holes and fish wire, you might as well cut a square hole for an old work box and fish 14/2 down to an exisitng outlet box and tie it in there. Neater, cleaner and to code.

Having the electrician add an outlet is best. Do NOT run an extension cord in the wall. If you have a fire, this sort of thing will void your insurance. If you don't want to hire the electrician, amazon and monoprice both sell something called a powerbridge. It is basically an extension cord with wall plates on each end. It uses standard romex wire, so it is in-wall rated, and does not require an electrician or any special training. They have become popular because of wall mounted TVs where the owner doesn't want visible wires hanging down, but they work great with projectors as well.

As an added bonus, the power bridge solution also allows you to plug into the UPS/surge protector.

Okay cool thanks for the information. My friend who is an electrician is going to help me fish wire so I will mention this to him as well. He's coming over tomorrow so I will run some ideas past him and see what he thinks is best for the situation.

I just searched on amazon for that power bridge item and that does look like a pretty good solution.

I'll see what he thinks is best though since I do only need 1 outlet near the projector.

As far as speaker wire goes, for the 30-40 feet or so I'd run it, would the gauge difference between 16 and 14 really matter?

Looks like someone's started early with the Christmas cocktails

^^^^^^^^Yup funny stuff. Oh, and if you are concerned about your garbage man turning you in, do what I do .Find out what beer he likes and buy him a case or two and he will start looking more closely at your neighbors. Works like a charm!

Regards,

RTROSE

I assume that comment was aimed at me. Just to be on record I do not drink.

You would have been better off admitting that you drink heavily. Recommending that someone gets a DIY book to run electrical, even if they are completely new to it, is only the first of the nonsense recommendations I've seen here. And suggesting that people cut corners and not follow code simply because it's a means for the city to make money? Without codes, you can pretty much throw safety concerns out the window with any new construction project.

Please let us know if your house ever goes up for sale so that the members here can avoid it like the plague. I can only begin to imagine how many hidden secrets it holds.

Oh well, so much for biting "my" tongue

We are of two completely different mindsets and is exactly why there is both chocolate and vanilla, as well as Democrats and Republicans. BTW, my dad before he passed away, was a card carrying Journeyman Electrician. I used to work with him when he needed an extra hand. I guarantee everything in my home is up to code and will pass inspection. And I stand by my comment that anyone with a DIY book and a little common sense can do electrical work.

Yes - crazy, and not crazy.

LOL, opinions vary on that. I have better things to do than trade insults with you. Have a good day.
Oh, BTW, I am a retired teacher with 31 years experience and 3 earned college degrees. Apparently some people don't think I am all that crazy.

hmmmm, hokie, laughs, knows what that means in slang terms

I usually sit on the sidelines here, but when a post is made that could lead to safety issues, someone has to say something. Teach all you want - just stay away from my panel box.

My dad never touched a hammer or screwdriver. He called someone to change light bulbs. I had to start from scratch, with my electrical knowledge..

With no experience with electrical, one has to start somewhere. For some, books are a solid start. I suggest more than one title, and multiple read throughs.

I've learned a ton from reading about electrical, though I'm still super careful, and paranoid.