Installing fibre optic cable

Hi not sure if this is the right board but does anyone know if you can dot and dab over fibre optic cables for the broadband

To be on the safe side, have it through a plastic conduit inside the void.

Interior, or exterior by the way ?

Hi thanks for the answer it’s inside

I would add that "capping" is not suitable. It needs to be a complete tube that provides a smooth wall to the fibre. The problem with capping is that whatever is being pulled through is exposed to the invariably rough wall surface at the back, which invariably causes damage when stuff is pulled through.

Exactly what you can use will depend on the connector but assuming a fairly standard simplex SC connector then the smallest you can use would probably be 20mm round. I doubt you could get an SC connector down even 25mm oval. If it was simplex LC you could get id own 16mm oval.

They pull the raw end back to the CSP and don’t pull the connector through.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. This seemed to be good enough for Miller Homes' contractors: https://imgur.com/a/0CHrtIN

Pretty sure after the plastering was done that the network cable was just jammed into the sockets using a screwdriver too.

In reply to a post by Noolah:

I wouldn't worry about it too much. This seemed to be good enough for Miller Homes' contractors: https://imgur.com/a/0CHrtIN

Thats really not good

Cowboy builders and their subbies 🤣

Good thing there’s no mandatory separation distance requirements for fibre and LV electrics.

In reply to a post by Noolah:

I wouldn't worry about it too much. This seemed to be good enough for Miller Homes' contractors: https://imgur.com/a/0CHrtIN

Pretty sure after the plastering was done that the network cable was just jammed into the sockets using a screwdriver too.

That is an illegal wiring job as none of the electrical mains cables are in the safe zones.

Agreed, that's a joke. There are prescribed zones for a reason. All those cables require protecting with an appropriate containment system before the plasterboard is installed.

More info at https://flameport.com/wiring_regulations/BS7671_sele...

Edited by jpm (Fri 14-Oct-22 16:57:16)

In reply to a post by jpm:

Agreed, that's a joke. There are prescribed zones for a reason. All those cables require protecting with an appropriate containment system before the plasterboard is installed.

Bit late for that, those pictures were taken about 5 years ago. I wasn't aware of the zones, but there's no way I'd have run the network cable over mains like that. As it'd have been instant dismissal at one of my previous roles, and old habits die hard. As the lack of circuit segregation would impact the insurance underwriting. But what you can expect from bods that didn't even appear to have four quids worth of crone tool to properly terminate the network connections.

In reply to a post by jabuzzard:

In reply to a post by Noolah:

I wouldn't worry about it too much. This seemed to be good enough for Miller Homes' contractors: https://imgur.com/a/0CHrtIN

Pretty sure after the plastering was done that the network cable was just jammed into the sockets using a screwdriver too.

That is an illegal wiring job as none of the electrical mains cables are in the safe zones.

The only mains cable on that wall, is the one coming down from above. The rest are data and the fibre.

Issues as follows from the photo:

1. the mains cable dropping down the wall to the back-box on the right is outside the prescribed/safe zone according to BS7671 (for protection against mechanical damage). Therefore as these are outside the prescribed zone they should be in trunking, armoured or otherwise protected. According to the standard.

2. Where the mains cable crosses the 4 x UTP data cables, there should be an additional non-conducting divider or containment between the mains and data cabling according BS 6701 - as the minimal 50mm separation (between data and power cable voltages not exceeding 600 volts AC) can’t be maintained.

3. The fibre cable is poorly routed over the mains cable - although it isn’t a safety issue per se, as it’s non-conducting, it would have been better routed on the opposing side of the backbox so it didn’t need to cross the mains cable.