Electrical Conduit Question

[Junkman]

Good advise on getting the rope through the pipe. Almost any method will work, but pick the one that is easiest for you to do. When I installed my underground service, the Utility company wanted a stub at the bottom of the pole and they were going to install a metal pipe up the pole. They said that they wanted metal since it could get hit by a car and the metal wouldn't damage as easily as plastic. I explained that that pole is on the edge of the woods where there is no automobile traffic. They used plastic instead of the steel. The one thing that I learned from someone else is that you should supply them with a weather head for the top of the pipe. If not, they just pack the open end with clay and in time the clay will dry and allow water to get into the pipe. If that water freezes, it will crack the pipe and eventually the wire will deteriorate. I supplied the weather head and the guys installing the wire used it. They said that the Utility should require one on ever install, but they don't. I also ran 2 additional pipes in the trench.... one for telephone and one for cable. Those also have weather heads on them. At the other end, I have a PVC joint that allows for movement between the underground pipe and the meter socket. Don't remember the correct term for this, but it is also required. My utility company also required a meter socket that had an internal bypass switch inside of it. That way, if the meter had to be removed and replace, they could do it without disturbing the electrical connection and shutting down your appliances or computers. A costly expense that will probably never get used. If you haven't closed the trench, consider one additional 3" PVC line to install a water bib at that end of the lawn for future use. It is easy to do while it is open and not very expensive. I pulled a 3/4" black plastic water line through mine.....

[EddieWalker]

Did they specify what size sweeping 90 that you had to use? I'm doing something similar and have to use two 36 inch long by 3inch sweeps. My supplier gave me 24 inch ones originally but thats too tight a turn for the size of the wire.

Eddie

[hobbyfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Would this technique work well on 1/2" diameter conduit? )</font>

Anything less than say, 1"conduit use a different technique! Use a fish tape to pull with. This is especially true with metal conduit. Lots of edges inside that can catch the cable. PVC is much smoother.
When running new conduit, try not to make any more 90's than you have to. When you have (in the total conduit run) 360 or more degrees, that's a very hard pull without special tools, and that's with cable-pulling lube (BTW, liquid hand soap works great, so no special product is needed).
If while pulling, you get stuck, don't yank on the cable. Usually all this accomplishes is it pulls the string off the cable. Just pull the line back a foot or so, and give it a quick pull, repeat if necessary.
There's all sorts of stuff that they'll sell you to put on the end of a pull string, but for small cable like telephone/security/Ethernet cables, the best attachment method is the remove the outer jacket 8" or so and split the conductors in half and then twist them together to form a loop and tie to the loop. The more twists the better. Discard this loop when done pulling. Do I have to say - if you are pulling from a box or reel DO NOT CUT until the cable is like 90 percent installed. Sometimes you may need another few feet and splices suck. Just always remember to be generous with your cable and try not to be King Kong while pulling, steady pulling is the key.
If I sound experienced, well, for the last ten years, in a typical year I pull say, 12 miles of various types of telephone/fiber cable.

[hobbyfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Did they specify what size sweeping 90 that you had to use? I'm doing something similar and have to use two 36 inch long by 3inch sweeps. My supplier gave me 24 inch ones originally but thats too tight a turn for the size of the wire.
)</font>

EddieWalker,
If you can't get the right size ell, you can get by using a junction box by the pole.

[hobbyfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The one thing that I learned from someone else is that you should supply them with a weather head for the top of the pipe. If not, they just pack the open end with clay and in time the clay will dry and allow water to get into the pipe. )</font>

Junkman,
I believe that using the "Darth Vader" weather hat is code. Most utilities won't splice to your cables until it meets code. Utilities are only responsible up to their splice, anything after that is customer premise.

[DMF]

This is no problem. I did it at our house many times. We have poles and over head for the first 900' then I went underground for the last 600'. The Electric company required a pull box along that line so the elctrical pull wasn't so far but I recently pulled a phone cord through a 3" conduit (I know, they don't call me Captain Overkill for nothing! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]) and that was a full pull of 600'. The shop vac will work; first I suggest blowing down the conduit to blow any water out that may have entered the pipe. Then use a Wally World bag tied to your pull string and suck it up the conduit. Try to get line that is light, strong and uncoils fast! Good luck!

[Junkman]

Where I live in CT, the utility is responsible for the cable up to the meter socket on underground. Homeowner is responsible for the underground piping from the pole to the meter socket. If using a overhead mast, then you are responsible to putting the cable up the mast to the weather head.

[Tractors4u]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Did they specify what size sweeping 90 that you had to use? I'm doing something similar and have to use two 36 inch long by 3inch sweeps. My supplier gave me 24 inch ones originally but thats too tight a turn for the size of the wire.

Eddie
)</font>


Yes they specified 36".

[8NTX]

I did a 650' pull through buried conduit last year, and got a lot of great advice here. Here's a link (I'm sure someone can shorten this for me):

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/s...l/fpart/1/vc/1

[jhb]

When burying conduit, can I use the grey colored pvc or do I need the white sch40 stuff?