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

reply to jack b

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

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.
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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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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 jack b
From experience time and time again Comcast will probably do it with a little bitching. AT&T will cite some union rule and walk away.
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I do not, have not, and will not work for AT&T/Comcast/Verizon/Charter or similar sized company.

It isn't a union rule that AT&T will cite, it is company policy.

It's what ever it takes to get out of doing the job at hand... I had one 3 weeks ago that refused to pull fiber through a 40' conduit because it didn't have mule tape in the conduit. I've also had them refuse a pull because a ground was not in place yet. Our LATA has some (not all) techs that do what it takes to get out of work.
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I do not, have not, and will not work for AT&T/Comcast/Verizon/Charter or similar sized company.

Just for your information, when the initial site visit is made with engineering and construction folks with the people that ordered the service, the customer is told that the pull string must be in place for the work to be completed.

You LATA has some technicians that are flirting with their jobs, or at least discipline. Should a supervisor catch them not following policy, they could get into trouble.

As for the ground, again that is covered on the initial (or should be) site visit. At least it was when I was the fiber equipment installation foreman. No ground, no installation.

I've done a few dozen metro E circuits this year and maybe 3 of them have been grounded when a ground was provided. Half the time the BIC Engineer will visit the site and completely ignore the notes that say to contact me or my office prior to the visit so we rarely get to meet with the BIC.
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I do not, have not, and will not work for AT&T/Comcast/Verizon/Charter or similar sized company.

reply to pandora
New 400 amp conduit. The National Electrical code Completely prohibits this type of use. High Voltage, which is anything over 48 volts, CAN NOT co-exist with any type of low voltage cableing, inside the same conduit. That included COAX tv line. If your trench is still open, you can have the coax placed next to the other conduit, or place a new conduit for low voltage use so that
you can replace the line without digging up your yard in the future.
This has been the US Electrical code for a long time. Besides if you do place it inside the same conduit, you might degredade the signal with it being so close to the new electrical feed.

reply to WheatRidgeCO