US Cable Support > Comcast HSI > [Business] Main electric being changed to underground conduit ..

[Business] Main electric being changed to underground conduit ..

Re: [Business] Main electric being changed to underground condui

Call 1-800-COMCAST, tell them your utilities have been moved to underground and you need them to move their drop, and that's conduit already exists. They will send someone out and you can take it from there, as long as the cable runs to the same general location it did before for the power meter area , its a simple switch. If you moved where the power meter is on the house then you have a more complex task ahead. Also, one that will likley require you paying to move the point of distribution.

IE if it used to be on the garage side of the house and it stayed going to the garage side of the house [maybe a few foot of change, but nothing that could not be covered by placement of ground block where it comes up and a feet feet of cable from the ground block to .the splitter then its going to be pretty simple. IF, however, you moved it to another location like around to the back door or to a detached garage instead of the one that is part of the house, you made things a whole lot more complex, and you can expect to pay to cover the new requirements of providing service to your house.

reply to pandora
You said the meter is moving... how far from current location to new location?
Typically Comcast is going to want to bond to power. So if Comcast comes and replaces the overhead with an underground drop, they are going to want to ground it at the meters location. What also may have to move is where the cable currently enters the home. A line may need to be run from the new meter location to where the line entered before.
Assuming the the conduit was run smartly, and assuming that the tap is located at the same pole as where your conduit terminates it should be an easy switch.
I wouldnt expect there to be a charge for a new drop. Comcast typically handles that as their responsibility. If a tree or storm took down the drop, they would replace it at no charge. If your drop was damaged or removed somehow when poco does their work the new drop should be free.

Without seeing it, and assuming everything goes easy, it should be pretty easy swap.

^^^^^^ what he said... someone is a faster typer

reply to pandora
Question, did you leave a pull rope in each unused conduit?

If there is no pull rope, don't count on the utility to deploy one. There is a chance they'll walk away if there isn't a suitable rope to use. Better check on that!

Cable can't be pushed very far down a duct, certainly not 85 feet.
--
~Help Find a Cure for Cancer~
~Proud Member of Team Discovery ~

Nothing a fishtape, vacuum (providing no cracks!), or compressed air couldn't fix

I know several tried and true ways of getting a pull rope down through a pipe, the 64-dollar question is: will the utility do it?
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~Proud Member of Team Discovery ~

reply to pandora
From the point of view of an AT&T (now retired) foreman, if there is customer owned conduit, the customer must also provide a pull string/rope for use in pulling the new drop, or cable. Essentially, if there was no pull rope, then no installation.

The normal installation technician does not have the equipment (vacuum, or air compressor to install a pull string/rope.

I know what you are saying as I had 37 years with Bell/AT&T both craft and management, but I think it depends on the situation and location.
In craft I always carried 2 100 foot fish tapes. When in management I required all techs to do the same. We were being paid by the hour so it didn't really matter we were doing, plus it was good PR.
A 85 foot run is nothing unless you get some knuckle head electrician that puts in 90s instead of sweeps.

I would agree with the use of fish tapes when the technician is doing time and materials work, however, a new install is not a time and materials job.

With the current environment of "numbers", no installer is going to make his numbers using fish tapes, etc. In all likelihood, the install will be jeopardied to the customer, and the installer will move on to the next job.

I am not saying this is right, that is just the way it is today.

I agree. Things have changed since retiring in 2003.

You beat me out the door by 4 years. I left in June 2007.

As one of my previous bosses said, you left at the right time. I still keep in touch with a couple of managers and a couple of my techs who are still working and they agreed that I am not missing anything.

reply to Wayne99021

reply to pandora
Comcast won't do it without a pull rope/string/tape/etc.

Make that comcast wont do it in your area. Pretty routine for comcast to do it around here. No need for a pull string around here.

reply to pandora
Once the conduit is buried and local inspector has approved it's installation, use your shop vac to suck through bailing twine or heavy duty string or rope..You never know what tech you will get on installation day, the guy who will be helpful or the guy who's a douche and won't do shit...So don't chance it...Call Comcast and simply tell them you want to schedule a DROP WORK/ SRO (service request order) That costs you nothing...Not a relocate / re-install drop, they will charge 49.99 if you use those terms...If they ask why you need the drop replaced, make something up, like a tree came down on the drop and your services have been effected..Use your imagination...lol
Push for a time frame and not an open ended order..That way you know it will not get pushed off by any tech that ends up with the job..When he arrives offer to help pull the cable through the pipe , this keeps the installer in a good mood and he wont change the order to a chargible call on you...
Let Comcast provide the coaxial cable, because they will use if they do it correctly armor plated or plenum underground cable...If coaxial drop is under 125 feet RG-6u will be fine...Anything over that urge the tech to use rg-11u just to make sure signal is not marginal...Every Comcast region is different when it comes to signal out of the tap at the street..You follow these steps and you will make the installation process smooth...Post your results let us all know how it goes...