Our Telephone Line Saga

Nasty135 · Jun 21, 2005

Sailor Bob, If you still have service call them and tell them that you suspect the service feeding your house is exposed and your concerned about losing service.. Is it being driven across or is it running parallel to the drive? No matter either way it must be to safety code.. which in the training classes I had back in 1980 the code was 18", But the cable tv companies are using the same contractors to put there stuff in the same trench with the phone so look for it soon, if you have it...

I have dug up both of mine (phone and cable)with a shovel on two separate occasions /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I was very suprised when I hit it 6" on my second scoop of dirt. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif they fixed it the next day but its still only 6" under

LarryD · Jun 21, 2005

I was “charged” for it at what was a per foot rate since it was over 500’. 

And you didn't get what you paid for. I do not agree that 8" to 10" down is within tolerances (my tone changes when a contractor says "industry standards") I'll bet there is a county / state code somewhere that DOESN'T say ±10".

The other problem is this guy probably does this all the time and gets by with it. If he wants to run a business then he needs to give his customers what the contract says, not what HE feels is acceptable.

I'd probably go so far as to pothole every 50" to show the inferior installation and demand the whole line be installed to correct "Industry Standards".

Phred · Jun 21, 2005

Around here it is often much less than 8"!

I was helping a friend and it turns out that the phone line was down maybe 1".
The tech that repaired it made it clear that sometimes the contractor will just lay the cable on the ground and let the builder top it off with sod!
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
That seemed to be the case at my friends house.

They will fix it for free in short runs, but they appear to only dig it a couple of inches and only when the customer complains due to a phone outage.

Fred

SailorBob · Jun 22, 2005

The phone is still working. It would not be a big deal for me to spiceit if it got cut. I used to be in the data and phone cabling business. It is just 6 pair burial grade phone wire. The line actually runs down my drive and then across it. My driveway is sort of S shaped. I did it that way to give more privacy to the house. The front of the property is wooded so you can't see the house from the street.

My biggest concern was them trying to charge me to fix it one day. I don't know why they even buried it. The cable on the street is on the utility pole and AL Power had to put a pole in the yard to bring in electricity.

Thanks for the info

LBrown59 · Jul 25, 2005

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Removed , duplicated in error.

LBrown59 · Jul 25, 2005

<<
1*the phone co. contracted the install). Several conversations and I now have a “temporary” phone line running on the ground along the driveway from the pole to the house (1200’).
2*To get a permanent line installed again the phone company originally stated that I would need to dig a trench 24” deep (here we go again see below) and place a 2” PVC pipe with pull line for the new phone line to be installed in the field. We only plow 10 to 12 inches deep.
3*Why the PVC pipe requirement?
4*Seems to me that the phone co. should put a new line in since that original was not installed correctly.
5*I now have a “temporary” phone line running on the ground along the driveway from the pole to the house
6*I truly want to get the line repaired correctly, within a reasonable cost, but do not want to be taken.

>>...............
1* The ans. to this question may be very important.
Is there an interface box on the house?
My company SBC is responsible for everything going to this BOX. The customer is responsible for everything leaving said box.
Who is your company? - seems to me they are trying to take you if they are trying to make you pay for anything going to the interface.
2*This isn't a new installation it's a repair of the existing line for which the phone co should be responsible for.
3* it may be their requirement but I don't see it as your responsibility.
4*If this goes into an interface box it is the phones companies responsibility to maintain and repair that line at their expense. How that original was not installed has nothing to do with it!
5*I had a temp on the ground for about 2 months. The phone company recently buried it at no cost to me; Why because the line goes into the interface box which makes the line the phone companies baby.
6*If that line goes into an interface box the only reasonable cost to you is $0.00 as it is their obligation and not yours.
IF this line goes to and interface box and they are trying to make you pay anything toward it they are trying to take you for a ride.

LBrown59 · Jul 25, 2005

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The way it works here with SBC is that there's what is called an interface box.
Everything going to this box is the phone companies obligation at their expense while everything leaving it is the customers responsibility at his expense.

LBrown59 · Jul 26, 2005

1*It seems to me the phone line is your responsibility
2*its kinda hard to believe they are in a position to dictate using PVC
3*consider renting a trencher.
boustany
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
1*Why dose it seem like it's his responsibility? It don't appear that way to me!
2*Them demanding the PVC indicates to me that the line is their responsibility but they're trying to get him to foot a bill that's their obligation not his.
3*I wouldn't rent a trencher or pay anything for any part of their obligation for them.

The all important question regarding this situation is which side of the interface box is this line on?

What the interface does is determine who is responsible for what.
The phone company is responsible for everything going into the box including the box.
The customer is only responsible for what ever comes out of the box.


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Varmintmist · Jul 26, 2005

If the line was less than 12" then I would say you didnt get what you paid for, providing you have a contract saying that it will be over 18".

NEC codes should tell you what min spec is, dont have a book with me but I am pretty sure that its there. If not, ask for the telephone company practice, on paper.

Yes you should put conduit under a driveway or any other place that heavy traffic my cross the line, phone, catv, or power. Very simply the weight will, over time, grind stone into the cable.

You could use 4 in black flexpipe. Its not great as a conduit, but that will hug any grade you have.

As far as splices. A ped is better than a buried, simply because they go bad eventually. A flush ped should hold anything you could normally put on it. If you drop a scarfire off a D9 on it it will break, but you can drive over them. My preferance as a tech would be a above ground ped because you can find them /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. Brushogs are a little rough on them though.

Like I stated in the first post. You paid for the thing to be buried correctly, it should be done right and I dont know why you would be paying for it again. Call the same super again, if you dont get a answer let him know that the BBB and the PUC are next.

18007821110 www.puc.paonline.com

.................
LBrown, you are right, to a point. The telco is only required to go so far to put the NID. There are places that there is a NID on a stake in the woods 1000 ca feet from the nearest terminal. The house is another 500+ feet from there.