Is fiber optic cable hard to pull?

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zach_zachary1@yahoo.com

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Apex,NC
I am looking at installing a separate network at my plant in Building D. In order to do this I would have to pull fiber about 500' feet from Building A to Building B, 500' from Building B to Building C and 500' from Building C to Building D. Its 2" PVC conduit that has 1 fiber optic trunk in it. Its pretty small (4 strand). I've never pulled fiber before. I work in maintenance to most of my wire pulls are 50' max. So I dont have much experience with long pulls either. There are man-holes between buildings to act as pull points.

What would the best approach be? Laying out the fiber and pulling from the middle? Or pull of the spool from the beginning. Would this be considered a hard pull?

Thanks for your advice!
 
How much help do you have?

With the fairly long lengths and the man holes you are going to need a lot of hands.

My first thought is you should sub this out to a contractor with experience in it.
 
iwire said:
...sub this out to a contractor with experience in it.
Click to expand...

I agree. This would be a complicated pull for an experienced firm. You want someone that has the training and tools to avoid damage to the new cable and existing infrastructure in the manholes and the capability to fix a break in a hurry should something happen and do it safely..
 
iwire said:
How much help do you have?

With the fairly long lengths and the man holes you are going to need a lot of hands.

My first thought is you should sub this out to a contractor with experience in it.
Click to expand...


I've got plenty of help. There are 8 guys in the maintenance department. None of them are fiber optic guys with experience in long fiber pulls though. We are definitely going to sub out the terminations.
 
Assuming the existing fiber has a tough jacket, which it should, your main problem will be fishing in a pull line without wrapping the existing fiber too much. Also, don't pull a new cable with less than 12 strands in it; the incremental cost is almost nothing compared to the installation itself.

Oh and if you sub it out, then somebody else is responsible if there's a problem with the existing fiber. They're still paying you to supervise the work and know where everything is.
 
zach_zachary1@yahoo.com said:
I am looking at installing a separate network at my plant in Building D. In order to do this I would have to pull fiber about 500' feet from Building A to Building B, 500' from Building B to Building C and 500' from Building C to Building D. Its 2" PVC conduit that has 1 fiber optic trunk in it. Its pretty small (4 strand). I've never pulled fiber before. I work in maintenance to most of my wire pulls are 50' max. So I dont have much experience with long pulls either. There are man-holes between buildings to act as pull points.

What would the best approach be? Laying out the fiber and pulling from the middle? Or pull of the spool from the beginning. Would this be considered a hard pull?

Thanks for your advice!
Click to expand...

the problem isn't that it's a hard pull, the problem is that you are working with
a live data line in the pipe, and if you break it, i'm guessing your plant infrastructure
is toast.

ideally, you have a pull rope in the pipe already, and you pull it out, and pull in a
new mule tape to install the new fiber with. if you don't have a pull string, then you
most likely would do best with a duct rod, instead of a fish tape. $650 at amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/CableDuct-Coated-Fiberglass-Continuous-Rodder/dp/B00STZ7FGA

let's look at the worst case scenario, and how that would work if it happened.

you get halfway pulled in, and foul the existing fiber, and break a strand. your first
clue is your cellphone rings with a call from the head of your IT department, saying
"what did you do?"

the second call, which occurs three minutes later, is from the VP of the company,
and you are standing in the parking lot between building C and D, trying to explain.

what do you say now? what do you do next? you need a new cable immediately,
and it needs to be terminated. you have neither the cable, nor the ability to splice
or terminate it. nobody can use their computers, so they are chatting amongst
themselves, or are out in the parking lot, trying to use their cellphones to make
necessary calls.

living the dream......

think it can't happen? i was using a camera on a 4" pvc that was full of water and
mud, to locate and document for repairs. empty telco pipe, with a string in it.

i got in about 100', and that harmless little pull string managed to become a timber
hitch around the head of the sea snake, effectively sticking a $12,000 rental camera
under a church courtyard. couldn't pull it back, couldn't push it forward.

the only different thing between my story and your hypothetical one, is i didn't have
anyone calling me and yelling, i was on the hook personally for the camera.
 
Have you considered replacing the existing fiber trunk with a new cable that has enough strands to handle the old traffic, the new traffic, and plenty of spares for future use (or in the event some strands fail)?
 
zbang said:
Assuming the existing fiber has a tough jacket, which it should, your main problem will be fishing in a pull line without wrapping the existing fiber too much. Also, don't pull a new cable with less than 12 strands in it; the incremental cost is almost nothing compared to the installation itself.

Oh and if you sub it out, then somebody else is responsible if there's a problem with the existing fiber. They're still paying you to supervise the work and know where everything is.
Click to expand...

...I don't think so. There is no way a contractor would except the liability of the existing cable , unless he removes and replaces existing cable, which would more than double the install cost.

They would tell you they will take every pre-caution to protect existing cable, but not the liability if something is wrong after new cable is pulled in.
 
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