Moving Dropwire

[Motters1955]

My dropwire comes to the apex of my property and then follows the bargeboard and facia for the length of the property before going through the front door frame to a junction box and then up into the loft.
The woodwork is being replaced and I intend to take the dropwire through a new hole at the apex direct into the loft.
Should pull the heavy cable the length of the loft to a junction box and master socket by the hatch or should have the junction box by the entry point and run thin internal type cable the length of the loft?
The reason for the question is that we had thunder and lightening last night and I'm not sure about having a heavy conductor running from the top of a telegraph pole through the length of my loft
I'm guessing that the small gauge internal wire may act as a better fuse then the heavy cable.
Thanks for any comments.

 

[AlanE]

Actual conductors same size assuming it's not the old fig. 8 style.

If you are proposing to do this from top of a ladder then THINK AGAIN!! It is a dangerous idea, you stand a very good chance of being dragged off of the ladder.

BT/Openreach would do this the other way, from property to pole which they are strapped to.

 

[bernardgreen]

DO NOT interfere with the drop wire, It is not your property.

If it crosses a highway or some one else's property then you will be responsible for any damage caused if the wire drops to the ground.

If OpenReach have to attend to the emergency situation you create then it is possible they will bill you for the costs and maybe refuse to reconnect your line as you will have broken the conditions of the contract with your phone service provider.

If the over head is struck by lighting no fuse will protect your loft. What ever wire is used the lightning strike will, as a plasma discharge, go where it wants to through your house irrespective of wire size and routing.

 

[Motters1955]

The dropwire attachment does not require removing so no wire tensioning to deal with.
The cable is a side by side twin conductor figure of eight style with substantial conductors within a thick layer of insulation. It looks like a and has probably been there since 1972 when the property was built.

 

[cajar]

Bernard is right, the gauge of the wire will make no difference.

We pull the extermal cable as close to the hatch as possible to keep joints accessible when the loft is full of stuff in 20 years time.

Never noticed increased lightning damage from this practice.

 

[cajar]

double post

 

[SimonH2]

I believe BT have rules that prohibit the external cables going more than a short distance inside - I think it's to do with emissions in case of a fire. So normally they will fit a junction of some sort within a short distance of entry - which in most houses will be the master socket.