Splicing Direct Burial Phone Cable

[2Big2Ride]

The direct burial phone cable supplying phone and internet to the house has been cut between the pedestal and house on our side. Looks like it is 5-pair (10 separate wires), 22 awg. Assuming I can find some replacement cable, probably 6-pair, 22 awg, are the direct burial splice enclosures pre-filled with sealant a reliable repair?

 

[jeffmoss26]

Phone company should fix that. Anything up to the NID is their responsibility.

 

[mobiledynamics]

I would opt for a fresh pull IF doable within means.

if not, they do make enclosures that are relatively inexpensive. About $10 . It's fine either way you go....

 

[2Big2Ride]

Guess we will make a call to the phone company. A fresh pull is probably 200' and the cut is clearly our fault.

Thank you for the speedy advice! It is awesome that there are always helpful subject-matter experts available to provide advice and direction.

 

[mobiledynamics]

They responsibility is up to the NID but....OP, how did the cut occur. Lawn work, etc where you might foot the bill....

If the cost is on your end, splicing is def going to be the cheaper of the 2 options..

 

[rlitman]

They responsibility is up to the NID but....OP, how did the cut occur. Lawn work, etc where you might foot the bill....

If the cost is on your end, splicing is def going to be the cheaper of the 2 options..

This. If you called Dig Safe and had a markout done before the cut, AND the cut happened within the allotted time frame, then the repair will be on the phone company. If you did not make the call, you will be given a MASSIVE bill for the repair.

The OP says this cable supplies internet. Is this DSL? Splices may have an affect on your bandwidth.

 

[MBfreak]

No problem to splice.
Solder the joints with resin core solder.
Put several lenghts of shrink tubing with glue over the wire before you solder. Push over the solder joint when cold . Shrink real well.

If you are the real careful kind, embed the spliced joints in a IP 66 plastic box and fill that with silicone putty before you put the lid on.

Will last well into the next century if done well.

Ola

 

[mobiledynamics]

rlitman -

between the distance the cable is from the co already, and yeah, I saw the internet part, I don't think he's see that much affected even it was DSL...


OP, just splice it and call it a day. Got no cable options out there - assuming you're currently on DSL. Hell, I would rather use a MIFI adapter into a router with sub par 4G and funky packets than DSL

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Phone company should fix that. Anything up to the NID is their responsibility.

Guess we will make a call to the phone company. A fresh pull is probably 200' and the cut is clearly our fault.

Thank you for the speedy advice! It is awesome that there are always helpful subject-matter experts available to provide advice and direction.

How is it your fault?

If u end up splicing u could use one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00M..._1_5?colid=A7ISGQASJNU3&coliid=I378CJLN18ZA66

 

[ishiboo]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C73FLSO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I'd just use the button-style gel-filled crimps though, cheap and easy and available locally.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

yup those buttons with the gel in them are what my Pop's used for years while working for AT&T (Ma Bell)

Like these http://www.vpi.us/****-splice-connector.html

I still have a roll of direct burial left from those days.......will feed the shop when it gets built

 

[Git]

It has been my experience that when a buried cable like that gets accidentally cut - it kind of gets mangled up and you usually don't have enough good material left (and no slack) to properly splice it back. Or, if you did want to splice it, you're probably going to have to add a piece which will actually require two splices...

Call the phone company and see what they say

 

[theoldwizard1]

Several years ago (before I was on GJ) I had to splice the underground feed to my son's garage (8/3 UF-B) because the original owner laid it about 6" AND the grade was too high. Dug down about 2' from the garage back to the deck and used an underground splice kit I bought from HD. Heavy, dual wall, heat shrink over a circular 4 wire splice block No silicon gel box.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C73FLSO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I'd just use the button-style gel-filled crimps though, cheap and easy and available locally.

yup those buttons with the gel in them are what my Pop's used for years while working for AT&T (Ma Bell)

Like these http://www.vpi.us/****-splice-connector.html

I still have a roll of direct burial left from those days.......will feed the shop when it gets built

Theyre called IDC- insulation displacement connectors.

 

[2Big2Ride]

Will have a gel filled splice kit made for up to 6-pair cable, along with some UDC **** connectors here shortly and will try the splice before calling the phone company. Measured it off and it is right about 200 feet if repulled.

I am assuming the Internet service we have is some form of DSL. We had DSL and now have a service thru a large provider that they brand with name similar to universe. Works for us, at least when the cable isn't severed. Options are liter for service, no cable or fiber service where we live

For those that might be curious, it was cut with a riding mower and not a digging error. I dug it up when the shop was built because the orginal installer cut the corner and it was where the back corner of the shop had to go. I rerouted to go in front of the shop and didn't bury a section that would eventually be behind a retaining wall - at least that was the plan. I have been looking at that cable lately thinking I need to go get the shovel and get it protected...but could think of an excuse to wait every time it was a thought. I will skip the rest of the story as those that are married can guess the rest of the story.

I will need to dig up some of the cable to reroute slightly to make up for the 2' of cable that was severely mangled so I can make the splice.

 

[Falcon67]

Beware calling the phone co - department head had a new house built here. Bell pedestal sitting right where the driveway would land. All they had to do was move it back - the way the cable runs behind the houses - about 10'. Took a month and he got billed for $3000. No ****. And since they still think they are the phone co., complaints were met with "sorry". Hindsight would have been to just dig it up and toss it, claim "I dunno".

 

[Dragfluid]

Will have a gel filled splice kit made for up to 6-pair cable, along with some UDC **** connectors here shortly and will try the splice before calling the phone company. Measured it off and it is right about 200 feet if repulled.

I am assuming the Internet service we have is some form of DSL. We had DSL and now have a service thru a large provider that they brand with name similar to universe. Works for us, at least when the cable isn't severed. Options are liter for service, no cable or fiber service where we live

For those that might be curious, it was cut with a riding mower and not a digging error. I dug it up when the shop was built because the orginal installer cut the corner and it was where the back corner of the shop had to go. I rerouted to go in front of the shop and didn't bury a section that would eventually be behind a retaining wall - at least that was the plan. I have been looking at that cable lately thinking I need to go get the shovel and get it protected...but could think of an excuse to wait every time it was a thought. I will skip the rest of the story as those that are married can guess the rest of the story.

I will need to dig up some of the cable to reroute slightly to make up for the 2' of cable that was severely mangled so I can make the splice.

And those of us that are married can also here the bellering from here. "Why don't you have that damn cable fixed yet??!!!"

I wouldn't call the phone co, either. If you call them and tell them what happened, and asked for an estimate, and decide that it's too much, (it will be!) they aren't going to say "oh that's perfectly all right if you want to fix it yourself". Let sleeping dogs lay.

 

[rburke65]

Never forget the #1 rule.....Never Ever Tell on Yourself!

 

[inphx]

splice, solder if you can, i did a patch sealed using electrical "liquid rubber" http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-4-fl-oz-Liquid-Electrical-Tape-Black-LTB-400/100119178 on an exposed roof and it has lasted for 8 years now.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Will have a gel filled splice kit made for up to 6-pair cable, along with some UDC **** connectors here shortly and will try the splice before calling the phone company. Measured it off and it is right about 200 feet if repulled.

I am assuming the Internet service we have is some form of DSL. We had DSL and now have a service thru a large provider that they brand with name similar to universe. Works for us, at least when the cable isn't severed. Options are liter for service, no cable or fiber service where we live

For those that might be curious, it was cut with a riding mower and not a digging error. I dug it up when the shop was built because the orginal installer cut the corner and it was where the back corner of the shop had to go. I rerouted to go in front of the shop and didn't bury a section that would eventually be behind a retaining wall - at least that was the plan. I have been looking at that cable lately thinking I need to go get the shovel and get it protected...but could think of an excuse to wait every time it was a thought. I will skip the rest of the story as those that are married can guess the rest of the story.

I will need to dig up some of the cable to reroute slightly to make up for the 2' of cable that was severely mangled so I can make the splice.

did u mean Uverse? As in ATT Uverse?

Yes thats a form of DSL called vDSL..

 

[2Big2Ride]

And those of us that are married can also here the bellering from here. "Why don't you have that damn cable fixed yet??!!!"

This! Plus it is my fault for not burying "the damm thing," which I will agree with. Plus not replacing the orange marking flags after she mowed them down earlier.

 

[2Big2Ride]

did u mean Uverse? As in ATT Uverse?

Yes thats a form of DSL called vDSL..

Yep, vDSL. No cable or fiber service where we live, so very limited service providers available.

 

[Jess]

The standard fix for direct buried drop damage around here is to piece it out, use Scotchloc gel filled connectors, and a grease filled Klickit closure on each splice point. Plan or replacing it later anyway as they all leak sooner or later. There are several types of direct bury underground splice closures for drop wire. Your friendly local tel installer may have one fall off his truck if you ask... Drop wire should be grease filled for direct bury and these days Cat5E or better. All the other methods will only be temporary as water will get into the splice unless its encapsulated. A good electrical supplier that sells quality Telco wiring and parts should have all you need.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Yep, vDSL. No cable or fiber service where we live, so very limited service providers available.

Its faster than previous DSLs so be glad u have it.

Could be worse! 56K dial up?

 

[Dragfluid]

Its faster than previous DSLs so be glad u have it.

Could be worse! 56K dial up?

Being out in the country, DSL is all we've got. But we're lucky to have ADSL2+ available a few years ago. 23 - 25 megs down. We're about 3/4 miles from the DSLAM, so it's fairly stable. It's fast enough for me.

 

[2Big2Ride]

Splice completed and phone and internet access restored. Time for more shovel work.

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