Conduit for underground fibre in Auckland

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S

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#302387 19-Nov-2022 16:12

My builder has installed the following cable for underground fibre connection to my houses from the property gate:

The inside tube cross section is as follows:

The CHorus team for the job has said the conduit is too narrow to "pull" the optic fibre through. The builder and their electrician insist it is correct.

1) Appreciate if someone could suggest what is correct

Chorus says the alternativ is to put a Gator to connect the fibre to their cable in the Drop-off Box.

2) Does usinhg gator work and does that reduce connection eficiency?

Thanks

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#2998477 19-Nov-2022 16:32

Chorus guy you been talking to is a bit of an idiot.

The second photo you have provided is the microduct that they blow the fiber through - they dont pull it.

They just join it to the microduct assigned to your household on the roadside and then blow the fiber through from the pit or cabinet down the road. however it does need to be kept sealed so water, dirt or moist air doesnt get in there.

Maybe there is more to the story.

Edit: If the electrician has installed it correctly, you should be able to pull on the black hexatronic microduct at one end a few inches, it should move down the marley conduit with ease. Be careful not to loose the other end into the marley conduit though. The electrician should have left about a metre at each end.
If there is any tight bend preventing the hexatronic microduct from moving then that may be an issue. However they dont necessarily need to install it in a conduit anyway to make it work.

Chorus pay on piece rates. To me it sounds like since they are being provided a microduct, they want to pad out the invoice with a gator at the roadside. It would work and your not the one paying. Though i think its a bit dishonest. Again maybe there is more to the story.

Ray Taylor

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raytaylor

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#2998478 19-Nov-2022 16:41

Actually I sent you a PM. Am keen to see more of this.

Ray Taylor

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cyril7

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#2998488 19-Nov-2022 17:26

Hi I agree with Ray, all looks good, seems like the contractor is being a dick, don't be a dick.

Cyril

everettpsycho

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Ultimate Geek

#2998503 19-Nov-2022 18:50

That looks fine for a pair of fibres they blow down them. The Jon should just be connect that to their tube at the boundary, blow fibre down the lot all the way from the cabinet to your house and bury the joint. Shouldn't take a technician very long at all to do that sort of job.

Like ray said there's a whole host of reason there could be issues with the tube, usually it's either bent too tight or got damaged after reinstating the trench, but as you have an outer conduit the risk of damage should be pretty low. I have heard of technicians pulling fibres down tubes but only if they have a draw wire or fibre inside, normal practice is to blow the fibre. If they really want to do more work make them use your tube as a draw wire for their own conduit, but I'd ask to see their conduit first as it will be the same stuff as you literally have chorus written in it and it's their shade of green.

quickymart

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#2998514 19-Nov-2022 20:05

Maybe ask to get a different tech? Looks okay to me.

Jase2985

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#2998651 20-Nov-2022 06:44

quickymart:

Maybe ask to get a different tech? Looks okay to me.

could you explain how one does this? when chorus assign the tech to the job

quickymart

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#2998655 20-Nov-2022 07:21

If the OP explains the situation to their RSP, they can request to get a different tech assigned to the job, as they are usually assigned randomly.

If they've asked to rebook it's highly likely (although not guaranteed) that a different tech would probably re-visit anyway.

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#2998656 20-Nov-2022 07:22

@chorusnz might need to look into this

sscribenz

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#2998878 20-Nov-2022 20:20

Does the fiber get to your boundary underground or overhead? They may have tried to pull aerial fiber through the duct so it would be a continuous piece from terminal to ETP.

There should be no reason to put a gator on the boundary if its microduct to microduct and a new install, more likely it would be for a transition joint from aerial to blown fiber.

The join in the gator wouldn’t affect your quality of service.

raytaylor

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#2998943 20-Nov-2022 20:59

sscribenz:

for a transition joint from aerial to blown fiber.

Unless its a policy thing, even that wouldnt require a gator - the aerial fiber is also a 5/3.5 microduct so can be joined with a standard join kit.

Ray Taylor

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sscribenz

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#2998955 20-Nov-2022 22:10

Most is aerial microduct but, situation dependant, it could also be aerial fiber cable. I forget the design reasons for one being deployed over the other. There is also some weird overlap situations where both have been used.
It's just the only reason I can think of that a gator would solve the techs supposed issue.

S

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Wannabe Geek

#2999015 20-Nov-2022 23:32

Hi guys, thanks for your responses.

Some more info: My area (Onehunga, Auckland) has overhead fibre as well as power lines. Chorus has installed a 'Drop-off point' at my property gate with provision for four fibre connections. I will be using three, ie, two to new houses under construction at the rear and one to convert the old overhead fibre to underground (OHUG) in the existing house in front. All three conduits have been laid alongside other utilities (power) down the drive. The OHUG is being done now while the other two wait for the construction to be ready - however, they will be done the same way. I beieve Chrous should include a 10 or 15m underground cabling in the job order but that has been done. The OHUG has one right angle turn from drive to the house and I reckon they will use the right bend radius.

While I can correspond with Chorus for the new connections through their website, I have to get the OHUG done by Chorus through Vodafone and VOdafone charges a $99 fee for it. I am pasting below Vodafone's message to me after the last aborted Chorus visit:

QUOTE

Service company has advised us as below :

(Customer cancelled the job; they have some inside work need the builder and later rebook . This job is to change service from overhead to underground and the builder of the customer put small conduit and put regerdised on both ends. Customer want fixed fibre (connection now is fixed fibre aerial) straight to his instead of using GATOR for joining the fibre so when we tape fixed fibre with this regerdised and pull from other side it won't come as its too tight as conduit is small . so, we can't install anything until customer decides either they change conduit or okay for gator using in green pit so its customer need to decide. Please rebook when customer is ready.)

You can also call us on 0800 346 825. Please reply on the above email and also cc : to Fibre.Comms@vodafone.nz

Thanks Vodafone Team

UNQUOTE

@Ray Taylor: I don't understand the sealing to avoid dirt, or about "not to loose the other end into the marley conduit" etc, you mention; I hope guys installing will know.

Also, the electrician seems to have left extra cable/conduit on both ends like in photo below:

I hope that gives some more info. Await any further suggestions.

Many thanks.

S

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Wannabe Geek

#2999018 20-Nov-2022 23:58

Further, yes, Chorus guys were trying to tape to my black microduct one of their cables of similar dia and said they couldn't pull it through the green conduit.

cyril7

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#2999025 21-Nov-2022 06:56

OK, I see the problem, and to be honest I still think the installers are being silly and should just get on with the job.

There are two things here to note, firstly this is an overhead to underground conversion, so the pole will be fitted with preconnectorised fittings to tight buffer, but the builder has hauled micro duct through the 20mm conduit.

So, the builder has not done any favours by installing the micro duct, even though he probably thought it was the right thing, he should have just left a draw wire in each conduit.

As you can see if you stay with the current materials you will need a transistion from the pole tight buffer to microduct, hence the comments of a Gator in a small hand hole pit.

Just have your builder remove the microduct and leave a draw wire in its place, to be honest, I dont understand why the installers cannot just do that, surely they can be creative in how to achieve that, but yes taping ruggidised micro duct to the tight buffer will probably be too much to pull, but surely they have been on the job long enough to know how to get around that.

Cyril

Jase2985

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#2999028 21-Nov-2022 07:17

S:

@Ray Taylor: I don't understand the sealing to avoid dirt, or about "not to loose the other end into the marley conduit" etc, you mention; I hope guys installing will know.

What he means is someone, anyone tape up the ends of the micro duct/conduit to prevent dirt and water getting in them. i normally use electrical tape.

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