Getting Cat6 down a mostly full conduit

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#910208 9-Oct-2013 07:08

Interesting idea. I'd probably want to cut it only 5cm above the conduit, once that's done there's still no easy way of pulling it out since there's a cable in there. It'd probably take a lot of cuts, across and long the flex, to do it. I'll probably have to do it though.

There's also rigid ducting coming from the bottom that takes up the entire duct. I'm going to have to take to that with a hacksaw.

There's a chance this will break the cable. Instead of doing it myself should I call the installation company back and ask them to fix the problems they've created? Will they tell me to get stuffed?

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#910275 9-Oct-2013 10:42

Are you saying that the flexible duct connects to a length of rigid conduit running inside your rigid conduit?

If that's the case the limiting factor will be the connection between the two, look at the top of the flex. The top of your conduit looks as if it has been squeezed to give some clearance that won't be available further down.

If you wanted room for an aerial coax as well it would have been better if they stayed out of your conduit. What sort of walls are they sarked or studs and dwangs/nogs?

timmmay

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#911266 9-Oct-2013 11:05

Yes the flexible conduit they installed feeds into the rigid ducting I put in. I don't know how far the flexible conduit runs, but not very far into the rigid conduit. They don't connect, the flexible conduit is a little smaller so it just runs inside. The conduit itself is about an inch wide, plenty of space if they hadn't filled it.

The interior wall's new with modern construction, totally stuffed with insulation, drilling through would be difficult. I had no idea the UFB people would add huge pipes that take up most of my conduit.

Bung

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#911276 9-Oct-2013 11:27

timmmay: Yes the flexible conduit they installed feeds into the rigid ducting I put in. I don't know how far the flexible conduit runs, but not very far into the rigid conduit. They don't connect, the flexible conduit is a little smaller so it just runs inside. The conduit itself is about an inch wide, plenty of space if they hadn't filled it.

The interior wall's new with modern construction, totally stuffed with insulation, drilling through would be difficult. I had no idea the UFB people would add huge pipes that take up most of my conduit.

Flex running into the top of your conduit is one thing, the bit that has me confused is your statement "There's also rigid ducting coming from the bottom that takes up the entire duct."

timmmay

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#911303 9-Oct-2013 12:24

OK I have a 1" duct inside the wall. The router's in the ceiling. The cable runs down inside the duct, at the bottom the Chorus contractor has put another hard duct on that's about 0.8" that effective prevents anything getting out of the bottom of the duct. Basically a hard pipe that sits inside another hard pipe.

I'll take a photo tonight if I get under the house. It's super dirty and not really keen to take my expensive cameras down there.

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#911318 9-Oct-2013 12:45

timmmay: I'll take a photo tonight if I get under the house. It's super dirty and not really keen to take my expensive cameras down there.

Probably not necessary. It might be useful to show where the Cat6 will emerge assuming that it won't be that far down.

timmmay

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#911349 9-Oct-2013 13:21

The fiber goes from the ceiling cavity to under the house, then to the box on the side of the house. The cat6 goes from the ceiling cavity to under the house, along, then up into my lounge, hallway and office to provide hard wired connections.

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andrewNZ

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#911351 9-Oct-2013 13:21

Cut the cable tie at the top holding the flexible conduit. Next GENTLY lift it out, if it wont come far enough trim it carefully.

You can then hold the existing cables over to one side of the conduit while you run your ethernet cables.

To get the cables down, a weight on string or nylon will probably do the job, a net curtain wire would also work well. Push a loop of wire, or something stiff-ish through your exit point so it kind of runs round the inside wall of the conduit. This will help keep the existing cables to one side, and when you drop your draw wire/string down, it'll go through the loop and you just pull it out.

The most important thing is to avoid damaging the existing cables. Try to prevent your "mouse" weaving amongst the existing cables, and when you pull the cables down pull gently and fairly slowly. If they'd burn your hand if you pulled them around it, it could ruin the cables in the conduit.

Also, Cat6 is overkill for the home, Cat5e is all you need. But it's too late now.

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#911352 9-Oct-2013 13:24

So you'll be running your cable down and along under the floor before it comes out of the conduit?

If so, this will not be fun.

timmmay

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#911359 9-Oct-2013 13:33

There are no cable ties. The flexi cable goes into rigid piping at the top, the rigid piping is screwed to the 4x2. It's all very well done, it's just not letting me use the conduit for anything else. I may have to unscrew the piping and push the flexi further up it.

Once I've done that back to the original issue of getting the cable the whole way down. There is the restriction part way down the pipe where I have flush boxes, but string, chain, etc could all work. I'll be sure to be careful, but since Chorus have to come back to check the install once it's connected to the network they can fix anything that breaks.

I figured cat6 to future proof.

andrewNZ

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#911361 9-Oct-2013 13:36

I can see a cable tie in your photo, so I call bull crap :-)

timmmay

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#911372 9-Oct-2013 13:55

andrewNZ: So you'll be running your cable down and along under the floor before it comes out of the conduit?

If so, this will not be fun.

The cable will run from the router in a top cupboard, up into the ceiling space, down the conduit, under the floor, then up into the house. The fiber runs from the router in a top cupboard, up into the ceiling space, down the conduit, under the floor to the box on the outside of the house. It's pretty simple.

andrewNZ: I can see a cable tie in your photo, so I call bull crap :-)

Ah I see what you mean now, the almost invisible white cable tie on the flexi. Good spotting. I could cut that, yes. Thanks :)

DarthKermit

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#911410 9-Oct-2013 14:58

If it was me doing that installation, I would have put in either an inspection tee or conduit junction box where those cables & the flexi conduit merge into that larger diameter conduit.

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#911467 9-Oct-2013 16:24

DarthKermit: If it was me doing that installation, I would have put in either an inspection tee or conduit junction box where those cables & the flexi conduit merge into that larger diameter conduit.

Why? That's just another thing to get in the way.

For the OP.... This would be easy for a proffesional to do. I know what I would do if I turned up to do that job but I can't promote my technique on the forum. I have access to splicing equipment and have actually done a few UFB install's. Sorted this out would not take long just a quite a lot of care.

DarthKermit

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#911489 9-Oct-2013 16:41

^^^ To make it a lot easier to get an additional cable down there.

Mind you, I'm thinking about it as if it was my own install and planning for a future expansion.

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