Installation SKY+ question

[sandy10]

Hi Guys

I've not had SKY previously but am looking to order a standard package online.

I live in a central terraced house which is quite old and as a consequence don't want the dish on the front, but would prefer it on the chimney, with a wire coming down the roof, and discreetly along the line of the down pipe.

Would Sky installers do this as a standard installation, or would I need to pay an extra costing?

Thanks

[nig28]

Hi
I am sure you need to pay extra, at the very least it may cost an extra £40 for the bracket required.
Nigel

[johndon]

The installer will normally take the quickest route from the dish to the box. You'll probably need a 'special heights' installer as most installers won't install on a chimney so expect to pay extra.

John

[DRGL]

Sky are not supposed to install to a chimney.....

[Orson]

I've got a sky+ install booked for next week, and I'm currently having a 2 story extension built, and as far as I can tell, it's the side of the house where the dish will need to go . The builder is concerned that even if he gets the brickwork to a suitable height for a dish, he'll damage it doing the roof etc. and he suggested installation onto a chimney.

I've been in touch with Sky Installations, who were very helpful, and told me to that if I need to have an install on a chimney, it will attract a minimum charge of £40, although she said that it's very rare they charge more than this, and that the engineers keep the chimney install kits on their van as a standard item.
She also said that If I need cabling in excess of 20 metres, there is a 50p per metre charge, and the engineer will run the cabling where I ask him, (within reason etc).

So it sounds like if you make the guy a cuppa, and ask him nicely (and are prepared to pay a bit extra) you'll be able to get what you're after fairly easily.

I wonder if I'll be so optimistic after my installation

[DRGL]

Chimney install kit?? Not too sure what they mean by this-maybe they carry lashing kits now? We never used to,the standard brackets will go onto a chimney no problem at all. We were always told not to install on a chimney but we carried roof ladders Keep in mind the poor sod who does the install will have at least 4 to do that day and may have upto 10 service calls too!!

[nick270881]

if it is an old building, then its unlikely that you will be able to have it on your chimney as the strength of the chimney could be an issue! Dishes should only be drilled onto a chimney if it is 5 bricks by 3 bricks in size and the stack is structurally sound, a lashing kit can only be used if it is NOT a shared chimney, as if it was then the lashing would be trespassing on next doors roof (and before you ask, aerials are a different kettle of fish), also if the dish is going to be above the roofline then you should gain planning permission!

Having the dish on a chimney is likely to cause future problems as most people will be reluctant to go up there if you need anyone out to it in the future!

The dishes aren't that big anyway and i'm sure if it was tucked away under the gutter/eaves you wouldn't notice it anyway!

[Nick_UK]

I would never put a dish on a chimney unless it was a last resort ! People don't realise that cement is not like glue - it doesn't stick the bricks together. The strength in a brick wall is due to the weight of the bricks pushing down from above, and in a chimney there is precious little weight. I would certainly not put Rawlbolts in a chimney - they are destructive enough in a wall. I have taken advice from builders on this point, and they agree.

[Orson]

The builder I'm using for my extension (who I'm very pleased with) said pretty much the same thing, depending on the chimney, but he was advocating the use of some kind of strap system, which I presumed was the chimney install kit Sky talked about, which again is what I'm presuming you are calling the lashing kit.

What I would have against this is future access should the dish ever need re-positioning or whatever.
How often do folks need to adjust their dish on average? Do the dishes move in particularly bad wind?

[Nick_UK]

Dishes can and do move in strong winds, especially in exposed places. Aerials and dishes both exert a leverage effect, which magnifies the forces on the fixings.