Fibre cable delivering both internet and water into my house!

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Fibre cable delivering both internet and water into my house!

apm45

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#317307 4-Oct-2024 09:15

Has anyone come across a situation where the fibre cable is sending water into a house?

Last night I heard a gurgling sound coming from my ONT - turns out water is tracking into the house through the cable. It actually looks like it is coming from inside the cable, not just tracking along the outside. The cable comes up into the house from underneath, so it isn't related to a roof leak etc. The wall panel is all swollen behind it, so it seems like it has been happening for a while (in Dunedin, so the current rain made it apparent). I've got a bucket under it at the moment, and i reckon it collected somewhere near 2L overnight!

Any suggestions on how best to deal with this? Who 'owns' the cable - is it me, or Chorus? Thinking I'll start by contacting my ISP, but not sure how if they will be much help.

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#3292763 4-Oct-2024 09:18

Call your ISP and they will pass to Chorus!

Goosey

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#3292768 4-Oct-2024 09:38

I’ve had this before, but with a copper line.

just as well the conduit was on the outside of the house….a fountain was interesting to watch at the demarc on the side of the house.

i lived “down hill” / driveway.

nztim

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#3292770 4-Oct-2024 09:43

@wheelbarrow01

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apm45

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#3292771 4-Oct-2024 09:44

Linux:

Call your ISP and they will pass to Chorus!

Thanks, that is exactly what has happened - 2degress have arranged for a tech to visit this afternoon, which seems like great service. They said they will likely replace the cable and ONT. Not the best job in the current weather, so will see if they do it today or wait a few days.

Rickles

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#3292823 4-Oct-2024 10:05

Also notify your insurer right away .... probably need some repairs to sodden bits of wall and/or floor!!!

Take lots of photos before Chorus get there.

Bung

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#3292842 4-Oct-2024 10:29

The conduit probably needs a T junction or a hole at ground level to let the water out before it reaches the ETP.

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Goosey

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#3292844 4-Oct-2024 10:42

Bung:

The conduit probably needs a T junction or a hole at ground level to let the water out before it reaches the ETP.

ahh. In addition to my post above….thats what the solution was for my issue at a previous house.

chorus tech banged a drill hole near the bottom of the conduit and slapped in a rubber grommet to make it look legit.

but every time it rained….performance was bad (copper of course).

id say there’s aerial fibre to that house now…. One would hope.

Wheelbarrow01

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Chorus

#3292953 4-Oct-2024 13:05

Hi @apm45,

I've flicked you a PM asking for further details. We are keen to make sure the issue is addressed properly.

Many thanks,

Simon @ Chorus

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

wellygary

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#3292967 4-Oct-2024 13:59

I'm guessing that there is a likely cut in the black cable sheath somewhere under the house and water is entering the cable and saturating the stuffing, capillary action is then wicking it up the inside of the cable and its end up dripping out at the ONT....

On the plus side it looks like a "older" house so should be full of timber and stuff which tends to dry out easier than the Gib and laminated sawdust in many modern dwellings, ..

But as others have said, take photos and have a poke round for any water damage,

pih

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#3292980 4-Oct-2024 14:40

Amazing what fibre internet can do these days. Maybe we should use this new technology to fix Wellington's notorious water infrastructure troubles! Can it also carry wastewater full duplex?

wellygary

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#3292982 4-Oct-2024 14:42

pih: Amazing what fibre internet can do these days. Maybe we should use this new technology to fix Wellington's notorious water infrastructure troubles! Can it also carry wastewater full duplex?

Can handle number ones OK, its a bit of a struggle with number twos :)

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K8Toledo

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#3292985 4-Oct-2024 14:48

It's called "multitasking", the Chorus way.

tweake

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#3292994 4-Oct-2024 15:32

wellygary:

I'm guessing that there is a likely cut in the black cable sheath somewhere under the house and water is entering the cable and saturating the stuffing, capillary action is then wicking it up the inside of the cable and its end up dripping out at the ONT....

exactly. very common with tv aerials. water gets in and the braid wicks it right through. even seen a tv fail because the water went through the plug and into the tv and dripped onto the circuit board.

the amount of new homes that required aerial cables to be rewired because sparkies leave cables out in the rain, on the roof, or even in the gutter.

Rickles

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#3293006 4-Oct-2024 15:54

>Can it also carry wastewater full duplex?<

Oh, I'd definitely want mine to be only half duplex ... and outward direction.

apm45

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#3293742 7-Oct-2024 09:11

Update for anyone interested. The Chorus techs came on Saturday and very quickly identified the issue. Turns out the fibre cable from the street to my house (downhill from the street) had been rubbing against my neighbour's garage. Probably installed originally with too much slack. The crazy part is that the water had been travelling inside the cable down to the house, along the roof line, down the wall, under the house and back up into the ONT. Total run maybe 30m+?. Over 4L of water came into the house over a 24 hour period!

They did a good job fixing it, repositioning the cable and adding a joint outside the house so it can't happen again. Now just running the dehumidifier 24/7 to dry out the room.

Thanks Simon for helping prioritise this.

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