Showerthought: I always drilled new holes for apartment drops until a job in Cincinnati changed my mind.

Had a job last week in an old brick building, needed to run a line to a third floor unit. My first thought was to drill a fresh hole from the outside, but the super pointed out an old, unused phone line conduit running straight up the wall. I was sure it would be packed with junk or blocked. We fished a line through it anyway, and it went clean from the basement to the attic in maybe ten minutes. Saved me an hour of drilling and patching. Anyone else find a good use for those old conduits everyone ignores?

3 comments

3 Comments

ruby5612mo ago

That Cincinnati super saved you a real headache. Those old lines are a gamble, but hitting the jackpot feels great.

blairwhite2mo ago

Ever had a line just give up on you right after you fixed something else? That's the gamble with old plumbing. I learned to check the whole run after a big win like that Cincinnati super, ruby561. Found a weak spot behind the washing machine hookup that was next to go. Saved myself a second flood by swapping that section too while I had the walls open.

phoenixgonzalez2mo ago

That Cincinnati super was still holding up after all that time... I can't believe it. My old place had a line from the 70s that burst on a Tuesday night for no reason at all. The whole kitchen floor was ruined. Finding a weak spot before it goes is like winning the lottery, but backwards. You just saved yourself a world of pain and money.