CUSTOM INSTALLATION HOW-TO

You have to wonder what the folks at Labor Saving Devices were thinking when they dreamed up the Wet Noodle Magnetic In-Wall Retrieval System—but thankfully they did. Until you’re struggling to fish a wire out of a closed-wall cavity, especially one with insulation, it’s hard to fully appreciate the simplicity and elegance of this popular tool.

The kit consists of three parts. First, there’s a slippery, 10-foot, nickel-plated ball chain that allows attachment of an included stop ring or wire loop on either end. Next, there’s the noodle—a 24-inch, flexible, wand retriever with a powerful neodymium magnet on its end. Finally, there’s a thin, 18-inch, telescoping wand with a small hook on the end of that.

To really understand how it all works, visit the company’s Website (info below) and view the video tutorial. But here’s the general idea: Let’s say you have a speaker cable you’d like to run to a shelf beneath your wall-mounted TV where you’ll be resting a center-channel speaker. You’ve already run the wire from your rack up into the attic and over to the stud bay that corresponds to the area behind the shelf. Then, you’ll drill a small hole down from the attic through the top plate to gain entry into that stud cavity. So far, so good.

Now, it’s time for the noodle kit. While still in the attic, run the ball chain down through the hole so it reaches below shelf level. Head downstairs and drill a small hole into the sheet rock right where you want to bring the wire through. Fold the noodle into an “S” shape, push in the end with the magnet up to the first bend, and turn the noodle back and forth like a doorknob until the powerful magnet comes in contact with the chain and grabs it. Bring the chain to the edge of the hole, then stick the hook on the telescoping wand through the hole to hook the chain and pull it through. At that point, you can either attach your wire to the top end of the chain and pull it down, or attach a length of pull cord or a snake to the lower end of the chain and drag it back up so you can then pull down a larger wire bundle. You’ve kept the hole in the wall really small for a clean installation and saved a bunch of time otherwise spent trying to blindly hook a wire with a coat hanger.

The WNRS Wet Noodle Retriever System lists for $39.95 but can be found for less online. It’s blissfully inexpensive and a ridiculous value when you consider what your time is worth.

Labor Saving Devices • lsdinc.com