new build coax return problem
Discussion
About to have new build completed but there is an issue with the return coax cable from the mainroom to eventually the main bedroom in that the network/TV guy tells me there is a short in the wire and hence unsatisfactory signal readings, the sparkys who installed thought they had identified it and replaced part of it to no avail.
I have suggested just running a new cable through the attic and down the eaves but it seems v difficult to pull the wire out.
Is there a way to replace the coax wire without doing wholesale cutting into walls
I have suggested just running a new cable through the attic and down the eaves but it seems v difficult to pull the wire out.
Is there a way to replace the coax wire without doing wholesale cutting into walls
s2t said:
About to have new build completed but there is an issue with the return coax cable from the mainroom to eventually the main bedroom in that the network/TV guy tells me there is a short in the wire and hence unsatisfactory signal readings, the sparkys who installed thought they had identified it and replaced part of it to no avail.
I have suggested just running a new cable through the attic and down the eaves but it seems v difficult to pull the wire out.
Is there a way to replace the coax wire without doing wholesale cutting into walls
I think your options are probably to use the damaged wire as a pull wire (which might be difficult if it is now nailed to something) or install a new cable. Sparky should be able to do it without too much upheaval.I have suggested just running a new cable through the attic and down the eaves but it seems v difficult to pull the wire out.
Is there a way to replace the coax wire without doing wholesale cutting into walls
Not trying to teach your installer to suck eggs but did they test the cable with the wall plate removed?
I've encountered poor signal where the outer screening (fine braids) have not been stripped properly and even the tiniest stray filaments can cause problems.
I've pulled coax through walls and ceilings in hundreds of houses over the years and you have to be really ham-fisted to knacker it - i.e. knock a nail or put a staple through it.
Normally all the cables from the face plates around the house just run into the loft and then make up the interconnects accordingly there.
Do you know which leg is at fault - I've rarely encountered an issue with re-pulling cables in a new build - normally they run in plastic conduit vertically directly up to the loft space. Normally you can strip back several inches of the copper core and twist this together into a strong tight loop cover in tape and pull away - either up or down.
If the conduit is packed it can mean pulling all the cables out leaving a single cable in place to pull the full set back in again - if that makes sense.
Occasionally getting to the drop point in the loft can be a bit of a pain as it can be right under the eaves and hard to reach - it can often be a two man job feeding the cable in at one end whilst pulling on the other, but it should be far from 'difficult' - more of an inconvenience really.
I've encountered poor signal where the outer screening (fine braids) have not been stripped properly and even the tiniest stray filaments can cause problems.
I've pulled coax through walls and ceilings in hundreds of houses over the years and you have to be really ham-fisted to knacker it - i.e. knock a nail or put a staple through it.
Normally all the cables from the face plates around the house just run into the loft and then make up the interconnects accordingly there.
Do you know which leg is at fault - I've rarely encountered an issue with re-pulling cables in a new build - normally they run in plastic conduit vertically directly up to the loft space. Normally you can strip back several inches of the copper core and twist this together into a strong tight loop cover in tape and pull away - either up or down.
If the conduit is packed it can mean pulling all the cables out leaving a single cable in place to pull the full set back in again - if that makes sense.
Occasionally getting to the drop point in the loft can be a bit of a pain as it can be right under the eaves and hard to reach - it can often be a two man job feeding the cable in at one end whilst pulling on the other, but it should be far from 'difficult' - more of an inconvenience really.
Edited by TheExcession on Sunday 2nd March 11:13
TheExcession said:
Not trying to teach your installer to suck eggs but did they test the cable with the wall plate removed?
I've encountered poor signal where the outer screening (fine braids) have not been stripped properly and even the tiniest stray filaments can cause problems.
I've pulled coax through walls and ceilings in hundreds of houses over the years and you have to be really ham-fisted to knacker it - i.e. knock a nail or put a staple through it.
Normally all the cables from the face plates around the house just run into the loft and then make up the interconnects accordingly there.
Do you know which leg is at fault - I've rarely encountered an issue with re-pulling cables in a new build - normally they run in plastic conduit vertically directly up to the loft space. Normally you can strip back several inches of the copper core and twist this together into a strong tight loop cover in tape and pull away - either up or down.
If the conduit is packed it can mean pulling all the cables out leaving a single cable in place to pull the full set back in again - if that makes sense.
Occasionally getting to the drop point in the loft can be a bit of a pain as it can be right under the eaves and hard to reach - it can often be a two man job feeding the cable in at one end whilst pulling on the other, but it should be far from 'difficult' - more of an inconvenience really.
Yes he tested it with the bare wires ie not connected to the face platesI've encountered poor signal where the outer screening (fine braids) have not been stripped properly and even the tiniest stray filaments can cause problems.
I've pulled coax through walls and ceilings in hundreds of houses over the years and you have to be really ham-fisted to knacker it - i.e. knock a nail or put a staple through it.
Normally all the cables from the face plates around the house just run into the loft and then make up the interconnects accordingly there.
Do you know which leg is at fault - I've rarely encountered an issue with re-pulling cables in a new build - normally they run in plastic conduit vertically directly up to the loft space. Normally you can strip back several inches of the copper core and twist this together into a strong tight loop cover in tape and pull away - either up or down.
If the conduit is packed it can mean pulling all the cables out leaving a single cable in place to pull the full set back in again - if that makes sense.
Occasionally getting to the drop point in the loft can be a bit of a pain as it can be right under the eaves and hard to reach - it can often be a two man job feeding the cable in at one end whilst pulling on the other, but it should be far from 'difficult' - more of an inconvenience really.
Edited by TheExcession on Sunday 2nd March 11:13
They thought they had discovered the faulty bit of wire, put another in then when the network/tv guy tested it on his machine was showing a short
I dont think they have used conduit otherwise as you say easy to repull through another wire. I am sensing they may have stapled it
They know where the drop point is but because of the design of the house the attic part falls short of the vertical to the mainroom because of a 5 metre void we have, so the wire come from the attic drops too 1st floor level in the eaves then goes horizontally for 5 metres then drops vertically
s2t said:
I am sensing they may have stapled it
I'm sensing they are either incompetent or raping you.No one in the industry staples coax indoor - it gets clipped outside to the wall so a clumsy hammer strike could put a nail through it there... but internal? Honestly internal - something doesn't quite add up here.
s2t said:
They know where the drop point is but because of the design of the house the attic part falls short of the vertical to the main room because of a 5 metre void we have, so the wire come from the attic drops too 1st floor level in the eaves then goes horizontally for 5 metres then drops vertically
That does sound properly awkward, to ask again - will the cables pull?A 5m run into an attic void would have us just running the the cable outside and up the wall (behind a drain pipe etc).
I'm VERY surprised someone managed to destroy a coax cable in the first place - I don't know how big the house is but perhaps double check you are on the correct cable - I was in the loft of a house before Christmas, a massive house with a huge loft space. There were about 15 cables coming up from the rest of the house in a massive bundle - it took a long time to get the right cable!
It's just wire - it shouldn't be that difficult!
TheExcession said:
I'm VERY surprised someone managed to destroy a coax cable in the first place
It does happenEven more so now that builders all use torque drivers/nail guns to put any type of screw/nail in
I assume you have two coax cables to feed the sky box? Using a combination of taps and splitters you can make two into three to provide a return path.
Also if they have used very cheap coax you can get twists when puling in that will cause signal loss.
bristolracer said:
It does happen
Even more so now that builders all use torque drivers/nail guns to put any type of screw/nail in
I assume you have two coax cables to feed the sky box? Using a combination of taps and splitters you can make two into three to provide a return path.
Also if they have used very cheap coax you can get twists when puling in that will cause signal loss.
Yes have 2 coax cables....and yes have now discovered sparky fitted coax to a lesser spec than the tv guy specifiedEven more so now that builders all use torque drivers/nail guns to put any type of screw/nail in
I assume you have two coax cables to feed the sky box? Using a combination of taps and splitters you can make two into three to provide a return path.
Also if they have used very cheap coax you can get twists when puling in that will cause signal loss.
Then that is a challenge to throw back to electrician.
Lower spec cable can have a significant impact on the performance of satellite and tv channels. This is one of the reasons I always supply my own cables to the electrician.
Is it significantly lower, as in TV spec stuff with cheap screening or is it just a lower spec of satellite cable.
V.
Lower spec cable can have a significant impact on the performance of satellite and tv channels. This is one of the reasons I always supply my own cables to the electrician.
Is it significantly lower, as in TV spec stuff with cheap screening or is it just a lower spec of satellite cable.
V.
Problem solved, the return coax didnt go back up through the attic(as the electrician was instructed to do) but took a different route direct to the bedroom, therefore we could get access cutting a hole in the MVHR cupboard to gain access to an eave, coax cable cut and pulled low and behold there was damage to the coax causing the short.
Cable replaced - system now clear
Cable replaced - system now clear
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