Threading wires

[RobinClay]

I have a pair of old wall sconces, each with two branches. Each branch carries a ceramic batten lamp holder, fed by a pair of separate rubber-insulated cotton-covered wires. Obviously, both have perished. When I try to draw out the old wire, it tends to just break.....

Should I pull them both together ? I had thought to extract just one wire, and then use the other to pull the new flex through, but if I pull out both, THEN how do I insert the new ?.

Any suggestions ?

AND... if a wire breaks and leaves some in the middle... as it probably will....any suggestions for getting the blockage out ?

[joglynne]

The place where the wires seem to be most in danger of breaking appears to be where they are constricted by the right angle bend just before the wall plate. As the sconces will not have been made in one piece have you checked to make sure that they do not unscrew at this T junction. If you are lucky and they do then you will have more of a chance of drawing the old wire out and with luck can use a draw-thread to feed the new wire through.

[Dai]

Coiled curtain wire is excellent for feeding through tricky bends. I use a length of that to pull cat5e through voids and ducts.

[Taf]

Rat tail wire puller will do it.

You may consider fitting an earth point to the fitting too.