PSA: stop using those push-on connectors for outdoor RG-6

I keep seeing new guys using the compression fittings you can just push on by hand for exterior runs. They blew off after the first freeze last winter and I had to redo 12 house drops for a whole neighborhood.

3 comments

3 Comments

ryanm601mo ago

MAN I HATE those push-on fittings. I had a buddy who used them on a run down his driveway and when the ground thawed in spring, the cable was just laying there like a dead snake with the fitting still on the connector. He ended up having to trench the whole thing and use proper compression style after that. It's amazing people still trust those things for anything outside.

shane_park921mo agoMost Upvoted

Hold up, @ryanm60, the fitting literally just slipped off the connector when the ground thawed? That's wild. I've seen push-ons get brittle in the sun or crack in cold weather, but losing grip from just a freeze-thaw cycle is a new one for me. I always figured the spring clip inside would at least hang on for a while if the cable moved.

the_fiona1mo ago

My neighbor used push-ons for his outdoor run about 3 years ago and they're still going strong through all seasons... he's in Minnesota so we get real freeze-thaw cycles too. I think a lot depends on how well you seat them and maybe the cable quality. Not saying they're perfect but they're not all bad.