Running Ethernet cables on a drain vent box

[rhymecheat]

Hi all.

 

I'm planning on running some Ethernet cables throughout my house and step one is to get access from the loft to where the switch/router will be. 

 

There's a drain vent that seems to be open all the way down from the loft to a pantry. This pantry has a boxed bit (in the picture), but in wondering what that top extruding strip is. I've not yet adventured to drill there yet as the shape of it is making me think there's a tube there for some reason. 

 

Would anyone have seen something similar to this that can shed some light?

 

Further to that, how could I drill safely in there to check what's on the other side?

[MikeSharp01]

You can't really drill safely anywhere there as the boxing in must be for something and it won't be a steel because it has no support at the front end. Where do you think the pipe comes down in that space - right in the corner? 

[rhymecheat]

2 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said:

You can't really drill safely anywhere there as the boxing in must be for something and it won't be a steel because it has no support at the front end. Where do you think the pipe comes down in that space - right in the corner? 

Given the length of the boxing I'm thinking there's more than one pipe on there. I guess I could possibly try an inspecting camera down from the loft to about the expected height of this boxing. 

[MikeSharp01]

I use a hole saw that I have adapted for this sort of thing. It has a jubilee clip around it that a set to what I think the thickness might be and then I drill very gently, once it bottoms out and I am not through I adjust the clip and go again until I am just through. You can then look in the hole and see what's there.

[MikeSharp01]

Camera would work or you could just gently remove the boxing and remake it when you have the cable through. 

[rhymecheat]

6 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said:

Camera would work or you could just gently remove the boxing and remake it when you have the cable through. 

I'm a novice. Would probably avoid adding “remake boxing” to my list of skills. 

 

Hole saw is a plan. I was thinking of just going at it with a screwdriver until its through just to gather the thickness of it. But seems like after the first 10/12mm it gets harder so I'm scared I've gone through the plasterboard and I'm now either facing wood or something else. 

 

This is why I'm asking specifically about that extruding bit along the top (that's where I'm thinking of drilling)

[MikeSharp01]

There must be something in that box or it would not be there so what ever you do don't go to hard as it is probably pipework. 

[rhymecheat]

15 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said:

There must be something in that box or it would not be there so what ever you do don't go to hard as it is probably pipework. 

Yeah ironically, because there are pipes there and they're boxed, that's the easiest way to run cables through the loft without having to mess with wall insulation, studs or external walls 😆