How to Wire Phone Systems
The best time to wire a phone system is, of course, when a building is still under construction. That way, the wiring can easily be run through the walls without any unnecessary drilling and feeding required. Unfortunately, most of us don't have that luxury and must feed phone cable through the ceiling already in the office. This is still relatively easy to do if you have some experience with wiring. If not, it's wise to call a professional.
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Things You'll Need
- 24-gauge telephone wire
- KSU control unit
- Wire strippers
- Large washer or other weight for cable
- String
- Phone jack faceplates and screws
- Electric drill
- Stud finder
Instructions
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1
Decide where you would like to put the control unit, or KSU. This unit will help you control a multi-line system. Since it's pretty substantial in size, about 2 feet by 2 feet, a storage room or closet is a good bet.
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2
Draw a diagram of how you'd like to run cable from the KSU to the areas where you would like to install phone jacks. You will need a separate cable for each phone you'd like to hook up, and all must connect directly to the KSU. A circuit formation will not work.
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3
Drill a hole in the wall behind the KSU, being careful to avoid studs, water pipes and other wiring. Use the stud finder if needed. Then, feed the string through from the ceiling with a weight attached to it. Swing the string until it shows up behind the hole you've drilled. Then, tie the other end of the string to the cable. Pull the string out of the hole until you see the end of the cable. Untie the string and connect the cable to the KSU. Then, drill holes near the floor in each spot where you'd like to install a phone jack. Repeat this procedure to pull the cable through the wall at these locations.
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4
Hook up the phone jacks. Use your wire strippers to take the plastic coating off of the end of each phone cable. You will see that each contains four separate wires: blue stripes on white, white stripes on blue, orange stripes on white and white stripes on blue. The phone jack will have green, red, black and yellow wires. Wrap the cable wires around the screws in the same order as listed in this paragraph. For example, blue stripes on white goes with green.
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5
Screw or nail face plates to the wall to cover the phone jacks. Then, plug in your phones. Check each for a dial tone to make sure all wires are connected correctly to the phone system.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure your wires don't touch anything they're not supposed to, such as additional screws in the wall. Only strip as much wire as you need to connect the jack. To avoid the risk of electric shock from existing wiring in the wall, consider turning the power off before connecting the phone cable.
