Private Residential Property.
A homeowner experienced ongoing issues with their automated front drive gates where the communication had stopped functioning reliably and the gates had stopped working.
This equipment plays a critical role in ensuring reliable operation. An electrician initially assessed the system and identifiedĀ a damaged fibre optic cable so called Alker for assistance in fixing the problem.Ā
Upon inspection, our engineers quickly identified a key vulnerability in the original installation. The fibre optic cable,Ā measuring just 0.9mm in diameter,Ā had been connected directly to the transmitter without any form of protection along the length of the vulnerable fibre cable. While compact and efficient, this type of fibre is extremely delicate and unsuitable for unprotected use.Ā
A detailed fault analysis revealed the root cause: rodent damage. A mouse had nibbled through the exposed cable, completely interrupting the signal and rendering the equipment inoperative. This case highlights how seemingly minor environmental factors can lead to significant system failures when infrastructure is left unprotected.
Our team combined two specific solutions to fix this problem and prevent it from happing again.
The first was the use of a Splice Pipe, an inline ultra slim fibre optic splice enclosure designed to house fibres once spliced. The second part was 1.75mm dia. micro armoured, stainless steel, 4-way fibre optic breakout tail, preassembled within the Splice.
We simply spliced the fibres to each other, housed the slack fibre around the spine within the Splice Pipe and sealed it within the armoured stainless steel tail.
The upgraded installation restored full functionality to the gates while significantly improving the systemās resilience against future damage. The client now benefits from a reliable, long-term solution designed to withstand both environmental and physical risks.
Richard Kershaw, Owner & Technical Director, Alker:
āNo mouse will ever eat through the armoured solutionā¦althoughā¦if they do, donāt call us, weād rather not meet that rodent. They win!ā
To find out more about how we can help you with all your fibre optic needs contact Richard directly for a personal response: [email protected]
