My apartment (top floor) has runs of 3/4" (-ish) pex-like tubing (photo attached, Switzerland if it's relevant) running from a central point. One such tube carries an existing coaxial cable (landlord provided, I do not want to detach) from a satellite splitter in my apartment to the roof, where, together with a large number of other such cables it emerges through a (non-removable) metal pipe about 4" in diameter with a 180 degree turn on.
My corona-virus challenge is:
- to somehow thread a cat-6 cable up the same pex-like tubing so as to get internet access on my roof terrace (where the pipe is).
- preferably to do the above with either no new tools or no tools I can't get by mail order.
EDIT: The pex-like tubing is not split (it's solid all the way around).
EDIT: I think I've now gained access to where the pex-like tubes end in the roof void. If I'm correct the cables emerge from many tubes, and are then cable-tied together to a cable frame in the open and go through what looks like some plastered gauze into a roof void, presumably into a pipe the opening of which must be about 15" above the gauze. So there are now two separate tasks: getting the cable up the pex tube (or down it having identified it), and getting it through the gauze and up the pipe (or the other way).
How would you approach the above?
Best Answer
I agree with Solar Mike that a vacuum may work to pull a string, If the smurf tube or flexible nonmetallic conduit is 1 piece. The nickname is from a kids carton where the characters are blue.
Having 9 or more flex lines going through a 4” makes me think this would not be 1 piece or the flex ends at the 4”, so you will need to try a fish tape.
A fish tape is a reel of steel or plastic that is used to push through a conduit, connect a wire and pull the wire back. The only problem(s) may be if the conduits stop prior to the 4” and the tape doesn’t go into the large pipe. The second possible problem is the 180 degree turn; depending on how tight this turn is, it may be tough getting a fish tape through depending on how far from the 4” pipe the flex conduits end.
If the smurf tube exits the 4” connect a vacuum and suck a string thru the tube a little plastic like a bit of bread wrapper on the end of the string helps the vacuum work. Fish tapes come in different lengths from 25’ to 250’, it will need to be as long as the length of the conduit.
Just finished and saw your edit I think a tape or combination of tape and string are the paths forward.
Good luck