# Install question - will DTV run a line through the attic?



## The Big Bad (Aug 23, 2006)

When a work order includes running an extra line, does anyone know whether the installer will run the line through the attic rather than along the outside of the house and into the chosen room through a hole in the wall?


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## captain_video (Nov 22, 2005)

That would depend on how easy the room is to access and whether or not the installer feels like crawling through your attic. Installers for DTV are independent contractors and not exactly the cream of the crop , so don't expect them to jump through hoops to get your system installed. 

There are countless stories of installers flat out refusing to do the job after showing up because they felt it was too much work for them. They get paid a paltry sum by DTV and make more money by performing quick and dirty installations instead of lengthy, complicated ones. I'm pretty sure they get a flat fee for each installation and perhaps a bonus for each line they run and so on, but that's just a guess on my part.


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## or270 (Feb 12, 2006)

The Big Bad said:


> When a work order includes running an extra line, does anyone know whether the installer will run the line through the attic rather than along the outside of the house and into the chosen room through a hole in the wall?


When I wanted a coax ran to a back room going under the house, previous installer
said they would do a "house wrap" around the house. Before the installer arrived this time I drilled my own hole and ran a pull wire, so all the installer had to do it tape the coax to the wire and pull it.


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## cybok0 (Jan 5, 2006)

or270 said:


> When I wanted a coax ran to a back room going under the house, previous installer
> said they would do a "house wrap" around the house. Before the installer arrived this time I drilled my own hole and ran a pull wire, so all the installer had to do it tape the coax to the wire and pull it.


Installer wouldnt crawl under the house he said hell put the wire in the side of the house and across the rooms doorway, He also said just put a rug ontop of the cable so no one trips.

I crawled under the house ,he drilled the hole and I fished the cable down and outside to the multiswitch then he hooked It up.

I didnt want to throw a rug over my cable.


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## rbpeirce (Feb 24, 2006)

Where I had my dish installed I had easy access to the attic and a 4" conduit to the basement where the line could be split and run to the varous rooms. They insisted on running the line across the roof and down the outside and drilling into the basement from outside. I think my route would have been easier. OTOH, the did do a very neat and clean install that has worked perfectly.


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## GregStanfield (Mar 11, 2005)

Here at our office we would rather go through the attic or under the house instead of wrapping the house. It is much quicker and looks much neater than a bundle of cable attached to the side of your house.


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## Skip Towne (Dec 20, 2003)

A Standard Basic Instllation (free to the customer) does NOT include attics, under houses, wall fishes, or pole mounts. That is all considered custom work. Your installer may offer those services but he will charge you for them.


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## gio12 (Jul 31, 2006)

when they came and to install my HR10 and new dish, I explained to the installer that I wanted the new dish in the exact placement of the old dish. yes to extra wires would have to be added then pulled through the attic. Anyone under 6' 1" can stand in walk in my attic. He agreed to do it if we could not find a better location. We did so he did not have to. But he was willing.
I mentioned that D* "professional installation" only included drilling through *1* wall! Anything after that is "Custom" and a $50 up-charge.

he stayed 4 1/2 hrs re-cabiling everything the way I liked. I said man a lot of work for $99 Installation charge (It was free for me anyways) and he laughed. he said D* pays them $25 per install and usually they are done in 1 -1/2hrs so they do a lot in a day. But he said he takes 'pride" in his work and always tries to do a nice job and help customers out. he left me his name and number if I needed anything to call him direct. really nice guy. But by 9pm he forgot to run an extra line into the bedroom to get the SD Tivo back up.

When another guy came out 2 weeks later (first installer was too busy to come when I needed him), I informed him that he MUST go through the attic and down inside the wall to run the extra line. There is NO other way to do it. He laughed and said "that's custom" so $50 + another $30 for him to go in the attic.

I said just cut me a double RG6 cable, leave me the MS and I will do it myself later this year when it's cooler.

so I all depends on the installer and usually no.

later this year, I am going to run a double line to all 4 rooms through the attic myself and have them run the outside lines into the MS in th attic and I will do it myself. This way all rooms have double lines and only a 8 ft run of cables outside will be seen.


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

This reminds me of the time in 1992 that my employer had me install 15 cable drops in his home from his attic. Not in my job description! But I did it, and quit that job a couple of week later.

I've been back with him now for the last four years...He's into DTV now.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

cybok0 said:


> Installer wouldnt crawl under the house he said hell put the wire in the side of the house and across the rooms doorway, He also said just put a rug ontop of the cable so no one trips.


Any installation that involves running a wire across a floor is doomed to failure. Thats just stupid.


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## Gregg00SS (Sep 7, 2006)

My installer crawled through 18 inches of insulation in my attic to run the lines. I didn't think anything of it until last week when I went up there to run one line for my OTA. What a pain in the ass!!!


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