Scoping and cleaning fiber optic connections during test and turn-up are continually stressed to contractors...and for good reason.
Many of us Application Engineers at Clearfield® deal with issues created from not having an established company cleaning procedure, resulting in numerous customer visits and lost time for the company doing the install.
Recently, I had the experience of working with contractors who understood from their own struggles that scoping and cleaning are invaluable when it comes to fiber installations. One contractor in particular established a scoping and cleaning procedure to be followed company wide. As they progressed through the install, the scoping of the ports in our Clearfield FieldSmart® panel proved to be very successful—reinforcing the high-quality product reputation consistent throughout Clearfield. When it came time for the contractor to scope and clean the fiber jumpers, the precautions identified by the procedure paid off. Contamination was indeed discovered on the connector face…but after several good cleans, the scope showed a clean connector ready to use.
Based on this experience, this crew of contractors expressed that their company policy justified the reducing the cost of poor quality installs by emphasizing why workers should not bypass cleaning. Having clean, reliable products out of the box helps contractors do their work faster, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
At Clearfield, we know it’s vital to the integrity of the network for contractors to first inspect, then connect! We’ve got some great resources to help you with this, including cleaning instructions, videos and cleaning kits.
If you want to know more, please reach out to Clearfield. We’re happy to help.
By Kevin Brennan
Kevin Brennan is an Application Engineer who has over 20 years in the telecommunications industry, with 3 years at Clearfield. His vast fiber optic experience includes 16 years at Cincinnati Bell and 6 years as a military contractor. Kevin has Certified Fiber Optic Technician and Journeyman Electrician certification. Kevin provides Clearfield customers with technical assistance for their FTTx deployments.