Re: neighbor's contractor cut my phone line

meirman wrote: 
The neighbor's contractor cut my phone line

Is soldering and taping good enough for an outdoor phone line repair?

Or should I have the phone company come and do it according to its
standards?

I don't want to get stuck paying later, when the contractor is long
gone and maybe the neighbor too.	


The neighbor's contractor was working right at the property line and
cut my phone line.  I found him with the 4 wires stripped from each
end, and he was wrapping the wires together, and going to use wire
nuts and electrical tape.

I stopped him and soldered the connections, used his wire nuts for
some reason, and then used stretch tape (I think it is called silicon
tape) which normally gives a much better seal, afaict.  But I don't
really know how long the tape lasts.  The splice is two inches above
the dirt, and would look better covered with dirt (which I guess they
didn't do, because I had complained that just wrapping the wires isn't
good enough for an underground connection.)

All 4 of my solders were good. No possible cold solders.

The neighbor himself suggested I call the phone company, and that he
would pay. The woman at the repair office won't tell me how much they
charge for this until the repairman comes out. And then I will have
to pay for the service call. The woman admitted a lot of people don't
call them, of course. 

I don't want the neighbor or even the contractor to pay if my repair
is good enough, but if I don't get him to pay now, when it breaks
later, the contractor will be long gone, and maybe my neighbor too.
And I'll have to pay.


(The contractors didn't cut a buried wire.  They knew the wire was
there and one was holding it out of the way, while the other used a 4-
or 5-foot rod to jab at the cement left in the ground from a fence
post.  He hit it several times before he cut the wire. :)  )  They
should have used a rod that they held in place, and hit it with a
sledge or something, instead of moving the whole 5 foot pole, right?

(FWIW, they also didn't tell me they had cut my line, didn't apologize
when I found out (I was 15 feet away and on the ohter side of bushes,
but I heard one talk to the other), didn't tell me they were going to
"fix" it or when, and I was going to call the phone company when I
went outside again to do a temporary repair, and saw that they had
started their repair.  I don't think they planned to tell me at all
that they had cut it.)

Thanks.


Meirman
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Reply is also posted.

As others have pointed out that telephone cable does not belong to you
it belongs to the telephone company.  It needs to be repaired using
standard techniques.  This is especially true if the cable has a copper
shield beneath it's plastic jacket.  There are repair kits available
from Greybar electric that reestablish the continuity of the grounded
shield but you really need to turn it over to the telephone company and
let the contractor take his lumps on the utility locating service issue.
 If you don't have it repaired by the telephone company then you may
end up footing the bill later.  You didn't cut the dammed thing why make
it your problem.
--
Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad.  It is much too dangerous
for general use."  Thomas Alva Edison



--
Tom Horne


Well we aren't no thin blue heroes and yet we aren't no blackguards to.
We're just working men and woman most remarkable like you.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: neighbors contractor cut my phone line
    ... I found him with the 4 wires stripped from each ... The neighbor himself suggested I call the phone company, ... to pay for the service call. ... I don't want the neighbor or even the contractor to pay if my repair ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: neighbors contractor cut my phone line
    ... I found him with the 4 wires stripped from each ... The neighbor himself suggested I call the phone company, ... to pay for the service call. ... I don't want the neighbor or even the contractor to pay if my repair ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Neighbors contracter cut my phone line
    ... Is soldering and taping good enough for an outdoor phone line repair? ... Or should I have the phone company come and do it according to their ... end, and he was wrapping the wires together, and going to use wire ... I don't want the neighbor to pay if my repair is good enough, ...
    (sci.electronics.repair)
  • Re: neighbors contractor cut my phone line
    ... I found him with the 4 wires stripped from each ... The neighbor himself suggested I call the phone company, ... to pay for the service call. ... I don't want the neighbor or even the contractor to pay if my repair ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: neighbors contractor cut my phone line
    ... end, and he was wrapping the wires together, and going to use wire ... The neighbor himself suggested I call the phone company, ... to pay for the service call. ... I don't want the neighbor or even the contractor to pay if my repair ...
    (alt.home.repair)