How much pulling force should you apply in fiber optic cable installation?

Exactly how much pulling force should be used for fiber optic cable installation?

Here is a brief answer.

The pulling force must be kept below a designated limit for the specific cable being installed. For outside plant (OSP) fiber optic cables, the limit is usually 600 pounds. For indoor fiber optic cables and other types of cables, the limit is usually 300 pounds.

The key point is – Keep the pulling force UNIFORM.

Why is keeping pulling force uniform so critical? The short answer is that most fiber optic cables cannot handle high impact load. Fiber optic cable strength member is purposely designed to handle the pulling force and facilitate fiber optic cable installation. Never pull the glass fibers directly. Never jerk a fiber optic cable.

Power equipment should never be used for indoor fiber optic cable installation, since the limit of allowable pulling force for indoor fiber cables is so small that you can easily break the fibers.