Had an old timer tell me to always leave a service loop, I laughed until a job in Phoenix proved him right

I was working a new build in Phoenix last July and this guy named Frank who's been installing since the 80s kept telling me to leave a 3 foot service loop at every drop. I thought he was being old school and wasteful so I trimmed them all down to about 6 inches. Three months later the homeowner decided to move the TV to the opposite wall and my short runs were useless. Had to run all new lines and spent 4 hours in a 110 degree attic cursing Frank's name. Anyone else learn a lesson the hard way from ignoring the veterans in this trade?

3 comments

3 Comments

webb.ben19h agoMost Upvoted

The velcro trick changed my life too. Loops at every box now.

dakota_patel9818d ago

Honestly, I feel your pain with that attic crawl. I learned a similar lesson when a buddy of mine who's been doing low voltage for years told me to always zip tie cables loosely, not tight. I thought he was being too careful and pulled them snug on a job. Fast forward a year and the homeowner wanted to add a second outlet next to the first one and I had zero slack to work with. Had to spend a whole afternoon cutting and re-terminating everything because I was too stubborn to listen.

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mary_foster9218d ago

What worked for me was switching to velcro straps instead of zip ties (total game changer, honestly). They let you bundle cables nice and neat but you can pop them loose in seconds if you need to add or move something later. Also started leaving a service loop at every junction box (at least a few feet of extra wire coiled up in the attic or wall cavity). Saved my butt more than once when a homeowner changed their mind six months down the road.