c/cable-installers

Finally got through a full week in the new apartment complex without a single callback

This past week I was assigned to the new Riverwalk complex downtown, all fresh builds with zero existing wiring. Usually that means a bunch of little problems pop up after the first day, like a bad fitting or a signal drop that needs a second visit. For once, everything just worked. I ran about 25 drops, all RG6 quad shield with proper wall plates, and my meter readings were solid across the board. The super even commented that the cable runs in the utility closets looked clean, which never happens. It's a small thing, but after a string of tough jobs with old, messed up conduit, it felt good to have a smooth run. Anyone else get a nice, straightforward new construction job lately?

TIL a trick for fishing wire in old brick houses from a retired installer

I was stuck on a job in a 1920s Philly rowhouse, trying to get a line down a plaster and brick wall for over an hour. The homeowner's grandfather, who used to do phone lines, came out, handed me a metal coat hanger and said, 'Straighten it, tape your line to the tip, and use a magnet on the outside of the wall to guide it down.' Has anyone else used a magnet trick like that in a pinch?

Hot take: My garage workshop taught me to label every cable.

I wasted hours tracing wires after a project. Using color coded tags now makes everything clear and quick.

A random person tried to tell me how to do my job

I was running cables at a client's building yesterday. A man stopped and said my way was wrong. He had no training in this work. It held me up for a bit. How do you handle folks who give unwanted advice?

I treat cable layouts like art, but my partner calls it slow.

Debate: Should we prioritize looks or speed in our work?

Got offered a supervisor role but I'm hesitant

The pay bump is nice. Not sure I want the paperwork though.

PSA: Save old cable reels for DIY projects! I made garden planters and they're fantastic.

Almost drilled into a live wire hidden under attic insulation.

Update: My take on using fish tape in tight spaces after a rough pull

I had this job yesterday where the cable had to go through a crawl space full of insulation. I mean, I see guys just shoving the fish tape in blind and hoping for the best, but idk, maybe it's just me but that's asking for trouble. This time, I tied a bright zip tie to the end of the tape so I could see it poking through. It took an extra minute, but when I was guiding it past a pipe, I didn't get stuck at all. My buddy laughed and said it was overkill, but he spent half an hour untangling his later. Now I think skipping a simple marker like that is just lazy. It saves so much headache and keeps the job moving. If you're not marking your tape, you're wasting your own time and probably cursing more than you need to.

Showerthought: Weighing a fast job against a right one years back

I was running late on a setup and thought about just hooking things up without the usual checks. It didn't sit right with me (you know, that gut feeling), since a bad connection can cause real problems down the line. What's your take on dealing with time pressure versus doing a proper install?

Found out the hard way about old junction boxes in crawl spaces

I was running cable in a crawl space last week. I found an old junction box that was still active. It could have caused a shock if I wasn't careful. Now I make sure to check for live wires first. It's a basic thing that can prevent accidents.

A visit to a coastal town taught me about salt air and cable corrosion

I just got back from a week at the beach and saw how salty air eats at metal fittings on the piers. It made me check all my outdoor connectors twice now. Do you do anything extra for installs near the ocean?