How to Protect Wires in a Fireplace Chase

Detach the wires and pull them back through the hole in which they've been fed. If you're protecting electrical wires and not some other form of wire, such as electronics component wires, turn off the power first.

Drill a hole near the wires' origination point and fish the wire back through with a fish tape. This may be the most difficult part of the process and may require a second person. One person can feed the fish tape through the wall while the other person watches for it and pulls it through at the point where the wires are located. For instance, if the wire feeds through the chimney chase to a point on the wall 3 feet away, you'll have to feed the tape from the origination point, through the chimney chase and to the point where you pulled the wires out of the wall.

Cover the wires with a high-temperature electrical wire shield. These can be purchased at an electrical supply store. You may also be able to find the shield at a national home improvement store in the electrical section. Shields are designed to protect the wires from the heat of the chimney flue. Feed the wires through the hole in the end of the sleeve as if you were pushing them through a water hose. Some sleeves have a side-entry option that allows you to wrap the sleeve around the wires without feeding them through the end holes.

Measure the diameter of the wires once you've fed or wrapped all of them with the shield. Make both holes larger to accommodate the size of the new wire assembly. Using a larger drill bit or simply hollowing out the hole with a screwdriver should suffice.

Attach the wire assembly to the fish tape. Feed the wire assembly with the protective cover back through the hole. Attach the wires back to their intended destination, whether it be an electrical source or an electronics component.

Caulk around the holes that you drilled to seal off the potential for any heat or air loss.