Which drill for drilling a hole through concrete house foundation
jimmiem
| Posted in General Discussion on
I need to drill a hole through my house’s concrete foundation to run a cable wire. The outdoor cable runs underground and I need to keep it underground where it enters the basement. I have a hammer drill and have used it to drill into concrete in the past to attach stuff and it’s not very fast. I’ve got to go all the way through the foundation at an angle so I figure this could take a while with the hammer drill.
What tool is a better option?
Thank You
Replies
You could get a bigger hammer drill. folks rent them.
Might consider a new bit for the purpose. make sure it is long enough to go all the way through the wall. Drilling goes easier with smaller diameter holes, so make it big enough, but not too big. I used my bosch SDS + hammer drill to put a faucet in and it did not seem all that long to get through the wall.
Why does the hole have to be at an angle?
If this is for the main electric service, consider renting a core drill. they use a diamond bit hole saw to cut through. some work wet to reduce heat and get the dust out of the hole. you probably have to buy a bit.
https://www.hilti.com/c/CLS_POWER_TOOLS_7124/CLS_DIAMOND_CORING_MACHINE_SUB_7124/CLS_DIAMOND_CORING_MACHINE_7124
If this is a cable TV type coax, you really can run it out of the ground and up to the rim joist which may be easier to get through. you can slip the cable into a conduit if you like for the above ground part.
this would also avoid another hole in your basement wall below ground level.
Our electric, cable, and phone run underground to the house and then up the outside foundation wall and enter through the clapboard siding. We had an alarm system, which uses the phone line, installed and we were told to have the phone line kept totally underground and enter through the concrete foundation underground....which we did. If the phone line were above ground and visible it could be cut before breaking into the house. The hole in the foundation is angled downward ( from inside the house to outside) so that ground water won't be able to flow into the basement......it would have to flow uphill in order to do so.
We're switching from Verizon phone service to Comcast and the Comcast cable currently enters the house above ground through the clapboard siding. Basically we're going through the drilling and burying process again.....this time with the cable. The alarm company did the drilling for the phone line during the initial alarm system install. Comcast doesn't do the drilling so it's on me.
Rent a Bulldog rotohammer (or hilti / dewalt) and use an SDS bit - probably 1/2".
If you are worried about cutting the cable, another way is to put it in a conduit that makes it harder to cut, or make it look like something else.
Put it inside some rigid conduit.
run it inside some PVC drain pipe.
Install a dummy cable that is easier to cut.
How simple is it to find the junction of the underground cable at the other end? Is there a cable junction box within sight? Does the cable run down a utility pole?
We have underground utilities, and they all have above-ground distribution point access to allow servicing.
Jim,
Rotary Hammer drill and corresponding bit big enough and long enough.
Not a hammer drill.
sds or sds+ bit and a rotary hammer. There isn't much better that I can think of. Bosch bulldog bit as mentioned above should work great.
Last I knew Comcast required a SDU box on the outside of the house with a ground block though this might have changed due to situations like this. If you go direct into the house you need to make sure the coax is grounded with a ground block otherwise it's dangerous.
Most techs that get sent to the house are contractors. Be sure you're talking to the right people at Comcast. In-house techs. It might be worth a trip to the local office to talk to the tech supervisor. Having spent 3 years with the company when I was younger that was the best way to get answers and proper service. My guess is if you talk to the right guy they will take care of it for you. Mentioning this just in case you aren't aware. Contractors are full of it and will just make stuff up.
Personally on this one I might consider disguising it as a gas pipe or other creative method.
If anyone needs some tips on the topic, I have something to add. When it comes to drilling through concrete, a hammer drill is definitely the way to go. However, if you're finding that it's not fast enough, you might want to try using a rotary hammer drill. These are specifically designed for drilling through tough materials like concrete and can make the job much easier and faster. You can check out some options on https://upet.com/ or at your local hardware store. Just be sure to use the right size bit for your cable wire and take proper safety precautions when using the drill.
Well, there’s a difference between a hammer drill and a rotary hammer drill.
Best to know before renting or purchase.
https://www.coates.com.au/whats-the-difference-between-a-rotary-hammer-and-a-hammer-drill
Drilling into or through concrete with the least amount of effort deserves more thought.