Working on running network cables (not mains) down the garden to the garage (12meters). Will be burying some of the pipe in concrete. Something tough enough to avoid rodent damage and not the concentina stuff. Where do the guys who lay cable TV cables get their piping from?
-- Adrian C
I'd use the blue plastic water pipe, the stuff NTL use is much less strong. The 25mm stuff is dirt cheep, the bigger stuff is expensive.
Rick
Burdens in North Wales will get you the pipe you are asking for, many builders merchants will get it as a specil in large rolls. Also land drain with no holes might work, many places neer me can get this.
Rick
Thanks for the tip on water pipe. Got some this morning from the plumbers shop, seems OK for the task ahead :-)
-- Adrian C
Are you using anything for lightning protection?
Regards, Blew
Nope. Should I be? It's all along the soil, some buried!
-- Adrian C
If there was a nearby lightning strike it may fry the entire network. Probably not to much financial risk f their's only a couple of PC's, but if you've got a lot, or expensive PC's you might want to consider it. There are special lighting protection devices for both ends of the cable
BTW I'm not a profesional data cable installer, I'm an electrician who occasionaly installs data so others on the NG might know better.
Regards, Blew
Thanks for the headsup. Yup, some of those protectors looks like a good idea. I live close to some quite tall metal structures - the arch on top of the new wembley stadium for one!
-- Adrian C
While on the subject, does anyone know if its possible to get green (colour, not environmentally friendly) mdpe pipe. I need to lay some under the lawn for bringing in cable TV - instead of the tortuous route NTL installers thought acceptable - and since it will enter at the same point as the existing water main I don't want any chance of confusion so it seems sensible to use the right colour.
Andrew
How about bright blue? Most wide diameter plastic water pipe is bright blue. Would it stop the confusion?
The two generally available colours are blue (your "bright blue" presumably) and black. The blue is for use underground and away from light, the black is for above ground in the light. I'm not sure what happens (if anything) if black is buried or blue is exposed to light.
On 13 Jul 2005 20:09:41 GMT,it is alleged that snipped-for-privacy@isbd.co.uk spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:
Black is routinely buried (or was) before the blue became commonly available, but like you, I know not if the blue is UV stabilized.
If it's going to be difficult (as it appears) to obtain the correct colour, bands of green insulation tape would serve to identify it in the 'in house' section where it enters, and possibly a sleeve of some larger diameter pipe (maybe rainwater downpipe) in the buried section? (At least near the water main).
I've got 3 off 6m lengths of utility duct at work going begging, std black, in Southampton.
It might be worthwhile contacting any local civil engineering contractor who does duct-laying for CATV companies in your area. I shouldn't imagine that the original duct suppliers would be interested in selling less than LARGE quantities of their piping to an individual.
When lightning discharges to earth, depending on the resistivity of the ground nearby there can be a severe voltage gradient in the soil. If you have a long length of cable buried, the voltage across the two ends may be perhaps several (or even many!) thousands of volts. Again depending on the circuit configuration you can end up with lots of volts /across/ the "pair".
I've had lots of experience of this on a VHF/UHF cable TV system, a number of years ago. In spite of gas-discharge tubes fitted to trunk amplifiers we lost loads of regulator ICs. As most of these amplifiers were fitted underground it wasn't a very straightforward job having these replaced in pi$$ing down rain while there are still storm rumbles around and hundreds of people whingeing about their lack of TV reception.
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