I think fiber splices look worse after the first year, not better

About 14 months ago I finished a big fiber install in a new apartment complex in Denver. Everyone told me the splices would settle in and look cleaner over time. But when I went back last week to check on them, the fusion splices actually looked messier with more visible defects under the microscope. I think the heat shrink and cleavers we used just degraded faster than people want to admit. Has anyone else noticed their splices looking worse after a year compared to when they were fresh?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_holly16d ago

...and honestly I read somewhere that a lot of those heat shrink tubes have a shelf life people ignore, so they start breaking down way before they should. I had the same thing happen with a job in Boulder where the splices looked fine for like 8 months and then just got cloudy and brittle. @pat_coleman I get what you're saying about price and expectations but for something like fiber that needs to work right for years, it's different than a phone case you know. The cleavers definitely wear down faster than most techs want to admit too, I've heard guys say they can get 5000 cuts but half that is more realistic before the blade starts chipping.

jenniferw8216d ago

Totally agree with you on this, I've seen the same thing happen with my own installs and it just bugs me. It's kind of like how those cheap silicone phone cases look great for a month but then get all yellow and gross no matter how careful you are lol. Seems like a lot of stuff we buy these days is built to look good right out of the box but just doesn't hold up over time.

pat_coleman16d ago

Honestly, is it really that deep though? I mean yeah, phone cases getting gross is annoying, but I feel like people act like it's some huge betrayal or something. @jenniferw82, you're right that stuff doesn't last like it used to, but at the same time, we're paying like ten bucks for a case or a cheap install. It's not like we're buying heirloom quality stuff here. Ngl, sometimes I think we just expect way too much for how little we're willing to spend, you know?