I need to run some telephone underground wire to a separate garage. Problem is, I have no idea what kind of wire will work underground for telephone. The run is about 100 feet, in case that’s important. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
The "She Build" initiative is empowering women in Seattle, WA by ensuring they have safe, healthy homes.
Featured Video
Video: Build a Fireplace, Brick by BrickHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
You can get telephone wire that's rated for direct burial, or you can install a conduit and run the wire in that (the wire should be rated for use in damp areas since the conduit will be underground.) You should be able to find either one at a home center, or buy it from various online sources.
Given the choice I'd recommend using a conduit, as it will protect the wire from critters, as well as people digging with shovels.
Edited to add: with the price of copper nowadays, it may be cheaper to just use a cordless phone (plus it would save you a lot of digging.) :-)
Edited 4/21/2007 7:13 pm by Stuart
I looked at Home Depot and Lowes and couldn't find any underground phone wire. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places. I can try asking someone for help. (no, that wasn't a joke!)
I have to bury power line and water line anyway, so I'll just run the phone line in the same trench.
Don't run the phone line parallel to the power wires, in the same trench. You're very likely to pick up hum and you won't be able to get rid of it easily, if at all. If you don't want to have to re-pull the wire, use direct burial Cat5e AND conduit. While you're at it, why not run some RG-6 coax? If low voltage wires and cables need to be close to high voltage lines, always cross at a right angle. This decreases the chance of noise pick up.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
The direct burial cable would likely be in the bulk cable section -- that big ferris wheel gizmo.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Note that, from a code standpoint, lightning arrestors may be required at both ends of the run.
(The code doesn't have much to say about low voltage wiring, but does require lightning arrestors in many "service entrance" situations.)
Actually the code has a lot to say about LV. It is just that many people, myself included do read that high.800.90 does require protectors.Also I found this.http://www.cat-5-cable-company.com/faq-bury-burial-cat-5-cable.html"[Q] Can I bury CAT 5 cable?[A] Standard PVC Jacketed CAT 5 Cable is not specifically designed to be buried in the ground, although it is done quite often with or without the use of any kind of protective conduit.There are now varieties of CAT 5 Cable that are being manufactured to be buried in the ground without having to be protected by conduit. This type of cable also generally has UV protection for the benefit of those who run the cable on top of the ground for temporary purposes.It should be noted that this type of direct-burial CAT 5 Cable is considerably more expensive than standard cable.However, if you choose to bury standard CAT 5 Cable, the cable should be enclosed in some type of water-tight conduit, and the conduit should be buried, rather than direct burial of the cable itself. If this is done, the cable is less likely to be exposed to environmental extremes that might adversely affect its performance.That being said, customers have reported to us that cable buried directly in the ground years ago continues to function to this day. So please use your own judgement in this matter.Again, we cannot warrant cable used in this manner.RELATED FAQ QUESTION: Can I use CAT 5 cable outdoors?Keywords: cat 5 burial, direct burial cat 5, bury cat 5"And HD, at least my lcoal one, has outdoor rated (UV and moisture) cat-5. So I suspect that would be good in conduit..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I would vote with the conduit crowd who have already posted.
PVC conduit, nicely prepped, cemented and allowed to cure before backfilling should last a long time and provide easy "servicability" without any future digging.
3/4" or 1" should do nicely. In case you don't know - a piece of a plastic sandwich bag tied to mason's twine or monofilament fishing line can be easily sucked through the conduit run with a shop vac to provide a fish for the wire.
Of course, I hate digging so much, I would probably run an additional empty conduit at the same time for unknown future uses.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
The Regional Bell Operating Companies use 26 gauge copper conductors in a sheath rated for burial in the ground. This sheath contains chemicals that make it unpalatable to rodents, among other things, and is expected to last at least 25 years. As far as I know, the smallest size contains 4 conductors. I have found that the local phone company is often the cheapest way to get this sort of thing done. I don't know if your local service provider is willing to sell you the wire, but it doesn't hurt to ask. The conductors come in 19, 22, 24, and 26 gauge, but 19 and 26 are the most commonly used.
Voice quality analog service can be transmitted about 18,000' from the serving office before voltage drop becomes a problem, so the extra 100' from your house to the garage is unlikely to make a discernible difference.
George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service
Edited 4/21/2007 9:18 pm ET by grpphoto