FTTP Installation EWI - External Wall Insulation

[Pro1]

We're having FTTP installed soon and all our original phone cables are buried under external wall insulation. I know these won't be required anymore so that's no issue.

I am a bit concerned about the location of the new wiring having recently had external wall insulation fitted. (100mm foam blocks covered with around 1.5mm of render.) We don't really want any cables pinned to the new EWI, also standard cable clips will not stay in the render and just fall out.

As our line comes from a pole to the upper floor just under the guttering, It might sound a bit daft but can the cable run down inside guttering downpipes? or cable tied behind downpipes? As we want the entry point to be on the ground floor.

Im also not sure if they will be able to install as it said they will need to anchor their ladders to the wall, this won't be possible due to the EWI.

Anyone been in a similar situation and can offer me any advice please? I was thinking maybe having some some sort of tiny trunking fitted somewhere so they could run the cable down it. I'd rather get everything ready to make the installers life a bit easier and get things done that BT can't or won't be able to do.

[stevebrass]

Don’t forget there will need to be a cable entry point somewhere into the property and a small external junction box fitted externally. 

if you have a handily placed drain pipe you could fit some trunking behind it and the cable could be run down that from the guttering down to ground level by the engineer. 

[pippincp]

I wouldn't worry, you are not the first customer with EWI to have fibre installed. The install engineers are trained on all types of install and a cherry picker is normally available locally if ladders can't be used.

Just discuss with the installer.

[Starwire]

Officially they’re not supposed to cable tie Drop Cables to guttering/down pipes but I’ve never met an Openreach Engineer and or Contractor who wouldn’t.

 When I used to be an SD Engineer for Openreach I did it plenty of times with both Copper and Fibre Cable.

If the Engineer plays by the book though there is these specialist cleats that are designed to go into the insulation and then the cable is cable tied to it, looks like **** so for your sake you better hope the Engineer doesn’t have the Auditor on his case. 

Also as said there is a Hoist and if that can’t access it then they can get scaffolding in but probably not on the day.

[Pro1]

Do you think if I installed top to bottom with elbows either end some 20mm upvc conduit such as this "TOWER ROUND UPVC BLACK CONDUIT 20MM X 3M" 

they would just run the cable down that?

What's the fibre cable like around bends? There are more forgiving elbows available for that pipe that have less of a sharp angle here:

- TOWER BLACK INSPECTION BENDS 20MM" if it was possible to install that way.

Something I've just thought of, we have an external gas meter its own gas meter cupboard, are there any restrictions known how close they can drill next to it to feed the cable through inside?

Thanks 🙂

[pippincp]

That piping shouldn't be a problem but I would go for the elbows with the less sharp an angle. Also include a drawstring to make the pull through easier.

[Pro1]

Just a quick update:

I had the install done.

Came out today (contractor) and said they didn't need to use the pipe i'd bought and they would just cable tie the fibre cable to the drainpipe. Looking at it after it looks ok but I'd have stuck a few more ties on as there is loose cable between the ties they used. I can imagine in the winds the loose cable will be flapping about like mad against the pipes.

Arranged for a cherry picker hoist van to come to do the height work as couldn't use ladders due to the EWI.

The cables gong into the outside box are a bit messier than I wanted. Attached with cable clips that will fall out very soon due to only 1mm of render on the EWI. I'll attach a picture if anyone has any suggestions on any tidying up solutions as they sticks out like a sore thumb again the render.

The old telephone line from the telegraph pole wasn't removed so I now have two cables coming to the house from the pole.

Speeds are as expected, I had to set up the phones which was easy enough to do. Can't seem to find the call guardian feature on them which we had on out old phones and was told was on the new phones they sent.

Here's that photo:

[imjolly]

there is no call guardian on new DV phones.  however just connect your existing phone base to phone socket on back of hub and then ensure that you set your call guardian to answer first by extending 1571 to max number of rings

[Pro1]

Can they be used together as in the HD handsets sent out with the FTTP package and my original call guardian handsets?

Ive plugged my original phone in and tried calling withheld and my original phone doesn't ring as is expected but the new hd phones still ring.

I tried calling from a number that is not on the call guardian list to allow straight through and again, call guardian phone doesn't ring but the hd ones do.

Is there a setting I need to configure or is it a case of I can only use my original phones only if I want call guardian to work?

Thank you 🙂