A question for installers

[miguelaqui]

A question for installers / underground coax

When I worked for a cable company, we only used flooded cable for underground installs. I was told NEVER to put the non-flooded cable underground, that it would go bad very quickly.

If the cable broke, we had gel packs to enclose the connectors. I was told NEVER to splice an underground cable without a gel pack. Sometimes, if a cable had been cut and a gel pack was used, they will still send a tech out to bury a new drop.

I have yet to met a D* or E* installer who had true underground cable with the flooding compound. They used the siamese dual cable, not even quad-shielded, with the ground; most of the time either Perfect Vision or Vextra.

My question is.... Has anyone ever seen the cable go bad ?

 

[TYORK]

I will have to say i have been doing this 5 years and have never had a problem and mine has been in the ground longer that 5 years and still works fine.

t

 

[dragontat002]

The cable we use for DTV installs has never given us any problems.......other than a customer cutting it into......i've seen many cases where the cable installed wasn't the flooded type and it had been in the ground for the better part of 10 years with no problems

 

[satelliteinstaller]

I have never had a problem with my installs or any I have seen.JUst a few things I do to prevent probs is.

If it goes under a stone driveway. I use pvc pipe to protect it from getting cut.

I also would not recommend a splice under ground.If I have to for a repair I just use a small piece of pvc pipe over the splice.Then fill both ends with a 35 year silicone.After it dries you can bury it.If you do not protect it some how it will sooner or later go bad.

 

[dishjockey]

Flooded cable is carried on my truck but the customer pays extra for it .
I've been installing for 10 years and any underground is supposed to be flooded cable.
Then again I won't work for the crappy rates now being paid so my truck sits in the yard.