ok to direct bury coax?

[rieferman]

It's already done, so I'm really wondering whether I need to have a backup plan started for later or not.

Basically, when we trenched for electric (that line is properly in conduity) we just dropped regular old run of the mill coax cable in the same trench so I could have TV in the barn. Several electricians (off the record) said that in reality this would be fine given the short run (75 feet) and because the soil isn't rocky (I'm assuming rocks could damage the cable).

Is the cable really going to die as fast as the manufacturer's websites would have you believe? It's working great right now.

 

[mrb]

it will eventually die. Might last a year, might last ten. Since its already done, leave it. When it eventually becomes a problem install conduit, then install flooded direct burial coax inside the conduit.

 

[fireman]

I put mine in the ground 5+ years ago and it still works fine. Other than possible physical damage, being in the ground won't hurt it at all.

 

[tfi racing]

Cable companies never use any underground conduit anywhere,most of their residential lines are likely just under the sod line!You may have to worry about your buried RG6 in twenty to thirty years from now,at that time replace it with direct burial RG6,by then there will be likely some kind of new technology in use.

 

[mrb]

I put mine in the ground 5+ years ago and it still works fine. Other than possible physical damage, being in the ground won't hurt it at all.

what hurts it from being in the ground is water intrusion. The jacket on non db coax isnt completely waterproof, water eventually compromises the dielectric and your signal goes to ****. bigger problem with modems and digital than just a tv.

Cable companies never use any underground conduit anywhere,most of their residential lines are likely just under the sod line!You may have to worry about your buried RG6 in twenty to thirty years from now,at that time replace it with direct burial RG6,by then there will be likely some kind of new technology in use.

the cable companies use either direct burial cable, or a product called DID which is direct burial cable preinstalled inside a 1/2in or so poly duct.

they do not use normal coax underground -they always use direct burial cable. The contstruction of the two cables is quite different. The db cable has a poly jacket and is 100% waterproof, then there is a coating of waterproof gel between the jacket and braid which keeps water from infiltrating through any small nicks in the jacket.

 

[kbs2244]

Actualy the DB cable isn't too hard to find.

There has been a full spool under my neighbors front hedge for over 3 years.
The lawn mowing guys have benn pushing it back out of the way so you can hardly see it.

None of us has needed any, so it is still there.

 

[dipper]

You can probably also buy the DB from your local cable provider customer service department. I bought the regular RG6 from them for 0.10 / foot when i needed some to run out the the shop. The direct burial would have been ideal for that run instead of regular RG6, but it should last a few years i would think.

 

[ksp]

Well. you at least didn't run it right next to the electric which would have screwed your cable signal up. If and when you need to rebury the coax in condit just stay a little ways away from electric lines. You can get interference in the coax line if you get too close to the electric. Ask me how I know.

 

[rieferman]

Thanks fellas. This is one of those kick yourself in the a$$ types of things.. for under $50 (on a project that cost much more than that) I could have done it right the first time. Live and learn. We'll see how long it lasts.. Besides, I really want to bring plumbing out there eventually, so this gives me another excuse to rent a trencher in a few years! ha ha

(shhh... don't tell the wife about the plumbing)

 

[Falcon67]

>(shhh... don't tell the wife about the plumbing)
LOL - that's the one thing mine tells people she doesn't allow me to install in the shop.

For your LOL consideration - when we lived in Houston, I accidentally hit the cable feed with a spade - near the house, below the demarc. So I thought I'd just pull it up some and see if there was slack enough to patch until I could get them out to fix it. I started pulling cable - and kept pulling, and pulling and eventually there was this uprooted Bugs Bunny cartoon-looking trail all over the yard with about 100' of cable in a pile. Seems our house was the model home and when they patched in the cable they just left a whole bunch just laying on the build site. In true Houston building fashion, nobody gave a s$$t and it was run over, drug around then sodded over.

So I call and get them to come out and trim down this mess-o-wire. The cable guy comes and has to hop three fences and uproot a bush to get into the feed box, then pulls a run back to the house. He leaves the new run draped on the fences until the burial crew can come to put it down. Cable guy doesn't do burial, sorry that's another department "theyshouldbeoutinaweek". We moved 3 years later and the cable was still draped on the fence.

The cable that was in the ground -IIRC- was just regular old coax and was in pretty good shape for being just thrown on the ground. Probably been there 2 years before we moved in.

 

[mrb]

The cable that was in the ground -IIRC- was just regular old coax and was in pretty good shape for being just thrown on the ground. Probably been there 2 years before we moved in.

some DB cable is orange, and some is black and looks just like regular coax without close inspection.

 

[rocketman]

Comcast buries DB cable here in Chicagoland. The biggest worries are gophers and rodents munching the cables. Most every time there is a major technology change, they replace the cable from the shared box in the back yard (with 4 other houses) up to the house. The installer lays it out on the ground and says they'll be out to bury it "in a week or so." However, unless you immediately call and schedule a burial yourself, they will never show up. The "color deJour" this year was Orange!