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Cables in conduit jammed.

  • 03-07-2012 10:49am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    Recently bought a house that was built in 2007. The cabling system is a bit of a pain and looking to run sky to another room. Figured I could run it down through the existing conduit but the cables in there seem to be jammed pretty tight. It looks like its a straight run from the attic down to the kitchen (entrance and exit points above eachother) but probably isnt. Its a 2 story house also, so going from attic, down to bottom floor.

    So anyone have any tips of how I could get this sorted so I can feed two new sky cables and a network cable down?


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 431 ✭✭Diggerdunne


    it depends on the route down and where it is in the house.
    i try to use vents in the room of a battened out wall and fish it down that way to the room below the attic and then if there is a socket or tv point below the vent u can open them and pull down to there and then try feed down to the vent on the ground floor and then on down to the tv point or sat box etc...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,381 ✭✭✭DublinDilbert


    Yea as the poster above says there's probably lots of other routes down from the attic.

    If the house is plaster board & battons, or even just bonded to the walls with dobs of plaster, get some mini trunking and use the lid to fish the cables down from the attic. You may need to lift a floor board at the middle level. Check around where the heating pipes are, there's usually a loose floor board or two.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    chris_ie wrote: »
    Hi,
    Recently bought a house that was built in 2007. The cabling system is a bit of a pain and looking to run sky to another room. Figured I could run it down through the existing conduit but the cables in there seem to be jammed pretty tight. It looks like its a straight run from the attic down to the kitchen (entrance and exit points above eachother) but probably isnt. Its a 2 story house also, so going from attic, down to bottom floor.

    So anyone have any tips of how I could get this sorted so I can feed two new sky cables and a network cable down?

    10 foot length of 16 or 20mm mini trunking lid,roll of insulation tape and fish the cables down

    Keep co ax and Cat5e/Cat6 cables away from any electrical cables,as they will pick up electrical interference.

    Leave a small loop of co ax and cat5e cable spare in the attic and in the wall at faceplate/termination end,incase its ever needed.;):)

    Cut out a new single gang backbox hole in the wall where the coax/cat5e cables will be and fit a drylining backbox or a metal back box (if moutning to concrete wall.

    Job done.:)

    PS-A 20mm plastic conduit will take 2 co ax cables max and no more,any forcing of any more cables or cat5e/cat 6 can cause friction burn to the outter sheeting of both co ax and also cat5e/cat6 cable.

    Big NO NO.:(


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    +1 for the advice above.
    You could also buy these (available Thurs.)and have them for again:
    http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_22525.htm


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭chris_ie


    Cheers for the replies guys, much appreciated. Had a quick look again last night and think I'm kinda screwed with regard to the existing conduit. The conduit is rather narrow, and there are 3 cables coming down into the kitchen, looks pretty crammed. In the attic there are 2 cables going in at the point I was talking about. There is another conduit entry point where there are more cables going down but that is underneath the floor in the attic. (Attic is converted and can see conduit by looking underneath the floor from the crawl space, but cant access without lifting the floor).

    So it seems like the 2 cables are going from attic to the kitchen and a third cable is going from under the attic room floor and joining the conduit in the kitchen at some point? Unless the room above the kitchen is linked to the kitchen... Must try and get a proper look tonight again, didn't get much time last night.

    On a side not, any quick tips on testing cables? Attic has a mess of cables so want to label them as to which room they go to. Getting the sitting room wired for Sky but looking like I'm going to have run the cables on the external wall as only the one TV point in sitting room as well.

    If I was building my own house one of the main things I would want done would be 2 good quality cables going to each room and a network point in each room. Would save so much hassle!


    Edit : Re-read replies again, misunderstood first time I read them, definitely given me a few more things to think about, many thanks!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 431 ✭✭Diggerdunne


    what type of cables ya testing? Normally you can just short a pair in cat5 and find it up in the attic or else u can crimp the ends and use a tester to find them. For coax just short the screen and the core and find it or u could use a resistor of know resistance etc but i think its over kill...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭chris_ie


    Just looking to find which cables (TV) are which in the attic, if I find some use for them! So I could connect something to the tv point and figure out which cable in the attic it is. Just send a current down, battery bulb kinda thing work?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    what type of cables ya testing? Normally you can just short a pair in cat5 and find it up in the attic or else u can crimp the ends and use a tester to find them. For coax just short the screen and the core and find it or u could use a resistor of know resistance etc but i think its over kill...


    Use the correct testing methods and cable detection equipement.;)

    A Sonic device will do the job perfectly.:)

    Then with a permenent marker,number/label each cable/co ax at attic end and also at Tv Point/Phone Point termination end.

    Simples.:)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    red sean wrote: »
    +1 for the advice above.
    You could also buy these (available Thurs.)and have them for again:
    http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_22525.htm


    Better be quick,because at 9pm this morning,they were flying out the door.

    Loads of sparks and builders in buying them all up.

    Same with the long masonary drill bits.:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭chris_ie


    Crap, I'm stuck at work til 5! Could do with it too as I have surround cable hidden in behind coving in the sitting room I need to get at.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    You are looking at 35 euro and more in a leccy wholesalers for the exact same cable fish kit.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    Good bit of kit from Aldi.:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    paddy147 wrote: »
    Good bit of kit from Aldi.:)
    Ya. Exactly like the set I gave about €50 for 6/7 years ago!
    Got them this morning.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,381 ✭✭✭DublinDilbert


    paddy147 wrote: »
    Better be quick,because at 9pm this morning,they were flying out the door.

    Loads of sparks and builders in buying them all up.

    Same with the long masonary drill bits.:)

    I didn't notice the Rods when i was in there earlier, will have to make a second pass in the morning.

    I did pick up some 1M SDS bits :) Will do me for years the amount i would use them, have already drilled a 16mm hole for the expansion pipe from the boiler (lazy plumber decided to leave it in the kitchen). Was able to drill from outside the boiler press (instead of taking it apart) right the way through the wall, made the job a very simple. Also pushed the smaller bit inside the qualpex and used it like a needle to thread it through the hole. Simples...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,917 ✭✭✭red sean


    Got the sds bits(1m) as well. A fraction of the price I paid for a 12mm last year.
    The amount of Transits and Berlingos etc. in the car park was like a building site 5 years ago! :D


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