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Projector mount diy8/17/2023 This is a time where the extra cost and effort to get an outlet box in the right place counts, so be sure to do it right! 2: Run the Projector Power Cable to the Outlet It may seem a little intimidating, and you’ll be tempted to run an extension cable from an existing outlet in your attic if you have one, but, please don’t do this! Again, this is a major fire hazard and violates section 11.1.4.3 of the NFPA 1 (National Fire Protection Association). If you have any uncertainty at all, do not attempt this without a professional’s help. Warning: If you do not know how to install an outlet already, I highly suggest that you contact an electrician. More likely, though, it’s time for you to call an electrician and have him do the work here. If you’re handy and know what you’re doing, then you can buy a box yourself and use some Romex cable (more on that below) and maybe metal conduit to get the outlet installed in the right place. Now that you have the right spot picked out, you can go ahead and install an outlet box. Make a call about where you want the socket, based on the hole you drilled and projector’s power cable length, and then you’re ready for the next step. You can always bolt the outlet to the side of a horizontal two-by-four that’s within reach. If there’s no hard surface–no vertical two-by-fours or anything where you can put an outlet box, that’s OK. If you know the length of the projector’s power cable, you can use that information to try to find somewhere within “reach” of the projector to put the outlet. When you’re up in the attic and have found that hole, you now need to figure out where, relative to the hole, the power outlet should go. The glow rod isn’t 100% necessary, but it’s extremely helpful when running cables through ceilings and/or walls. You’ll need to do this so you can find the spot when you’re on the other side, up in the attic. Now, using a drill-bit, go ahead and drill through the ceiling and insert a glow rod (on Amazon). Use a stud finder on the ceiling to ensure you are directly next to a stud then mark the spot with a sharpie. This spot will likely be about six inches back from the projector itself. Start by looking at where the projector is, and where you’d like the power cable to disappear into the ceiling behind it. That’s not a problem, though–we have a lot of room to work with when it’s the attic you need to get into…our route can’t be blocked by studs or joists because we’re just going straight up through the sheet-rock. And just so we’re clear, the projector really should be mounted on the centerline. ![]() That spot on the ceiling is set by the center-line of the screen, which is probably where you started thinking about your home theater setup. Odds are you already know where you want to mount your projector, and if you don’t already have a mount, don’t worry because we’ve compiled a list of the top 10. Check the Projector and Power Outlet Locations There is a right place to put a power outlet based on your setup, so, let’s start by finding it. ![]() This is a building code thing–you don’t want an extension cable just laying around in your attic, around all that insulation. You can’t just toss a power outlet anywhere and expect things to work out, and you can’t just run an extension cable from the projector’s power cable to an outlet that happens to exist. ![]() However, just because it exists doesn’t mean it’s in the right spot. In fact, there may already be an electrical socket to hook up to in the attic. If you’re lucky enough that your projector is installed on a ceiling with an attic on the other side, you’re going to have much less work to do. Don’t worry, by the time you get to the end of this article, you’ll feel prepared to take the next step, and empowered to finally get rid of that last cable dangling between you and a clean, professional home theater setup. There are a lot of details involved in both these methods, and we’re going to walk through them all below.
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