Sky dish repair and red plastic dot stuck in wall?

faceache

Just wondering about this as only noticed it today, storm damaged dish and guy was out last week to fix it, heard him drilling outside and wondered what for as the lines were already going through a hole in the wall, anyway there were no new holes in inside walls so forgot about it.

Just noticed today there is a red plastic thing stuck in a random bit of the wall outside sitting room, looks like a hole was drilled and this thing stuck into it, the piece showing on outside is about size of 20c coin and plastic, it's not particularly near the existing wires or anything.

Anyone know what the hell this is or what is the purpose of it?

muffler

Probably a rawlplug - something like this?

faceache

I know what a rawlplug looks like and it's not like any I have seen, they usually have an opening in them for the screw, I don't know what the bit in the wall is like but it looks to be more nail shaped with a flat head the size of a 20c coin.

Mystified as to why this hole was drilled in the first place going nowhere!

Actually after another bit of googling it looks like they drill holes in the wall to screw in something to secure their ladder! Wouldn't mind but there is already another substantial hook up a little higher from the UPC guys, he could have used that. The red plastic thing is an ugly repair, will have to paint over it.

gavindublin

As part of sky health and safety we have to anchor the ladder to the wall. If he got onto the roof you should have 2 red caps. A 10mm hole is drilled, raw plug put in. An eye bolt then screwed into this. A ratchet is then used to harness the ladder to the wall. First hole should be shoulder height, second one at the top of the ladder. Holes are then covered with the inserts, red or grey in colour

faceache

Right, I see. He probably used the second UPC installed bolt as his top one so as it's just under the roof level (bungalow) and only drilled one, it's roughly shoulder height.

Grey cover would have been moderately better, I'm know I'm being picky but I just painted the house last autumn, don't like this red plastic dot, might have been nice to have been told too. Would have preferred if he had done this on the back of the house, would actually be nearer the dish as well.

greasepalm

yes sounds right but i have a large flat roof with 2 fixed dishes and 1 motorized and he still needed a support,up a ladder yes ok but on a large flat roof?

dahamsta

I was just a wee bit annoyed when I heard a Sky guy drilling into my brand-new house a couple years ago. Seems like typical health & safety overkill, and he could at least have given me a heads-up first.

muffler

dahamsta wrote: »

health & safety overkill

No pun intended says you

Liameter

dahamsta wrote: »

Seems like typical health & safety overkill

You think he should simply take the risk of falling and serious injury or death?
The red plug is usually a sign that you got an installer who actually knew what he was doing and took the time to do it right.
Picture: http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/eyebolt.htm

I know a window cleaner who fell ten feet from an unsecured ladder eight years ago. He spent six weeks in hospital, had two operations and still can't walk without a limp, or run at all.

dahamsta

Was the level of deaths and injuries /really/ all that much higher before the Sky installers - I've never seen anyone else do it - started doing it, or was it just perhaps another committteeeeee of clipboard-wielding losers, with too much time on their hands, sticking their noses in where they're not wanted and wasting everyone else's time and money in the process? And walls...

hju6

If ladders are not secured properly this may happen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h4khZIX7jU&feature=youtube_gdata_player