Need Help w/Conduit & Pulling Cable

[RedNeckGeek]

A couple years ago I buried about 50' of 1" PVC conduit using sprinkler system type 45 and 90 degree elbows to get an RG6 coax cable between the pump house and my home. It was part of a cell phone booster installation. Now I'd like to run CAT5 cable through that same conduit, but I'm having trouble getting an electrician's tape past the 90 degree elbows. It's one of those flat steel tapes and is very stiff. I tried to hook up a shop vac to one end using duct tape, but didn't get any air being pulled from the other end, probably because the exposed end I taped to was short and there were air leaks around the RG6 cable. Are there any other techniques I could use to fish the wire? Maybe a different kind of fish tape? Short of that, I'll end up digging up the ends of the conduit, which will make a mess of the landscaping at each end.

 

[reb]

I'd probably use the existing cable to pull a new one and the Cat5 cable. Or use the old one to pull a wire to use to pull both at the same time.

 

[k0ua]

Get a spring nose to put on your fish tape. Halfway down this page Or you can make a facsimile with an old timey screen door spring. You want something that can guide you around the bends easier. Or use a fiberglass fish tape.

 

[k0ua]

I'd probably use the existing cable to pull a new one and the Cat5 cable. Or use the old one to pull a wire to use to pull both at the same time.

That can work too, and has the added advantage of no chance of getting your second wire wound up in your first wire. Which can sometimes happen when pulling in a second wire with an existing wire already in the conduit.

 

[prichard]

What's a sprinkler 90? Is that like a plumbing 90? If so good luck. There's a reason electical 90s are sweeps.

 

[davesl708]

I'd probably use the existing cable to pull a new one and the Cat5 cable. Or use the old one to pull a wire to use to pull both at the same time.

I would go with reb's suggestion with plenty of lub on the cable. Include a pull line to leave in the conduit for the next future pull.

 

[Industrial Toys]

There are media adapters that convert 75 ohm coax to eithernet, well beyond the speed most people have service levels at. I use Verocity High Wire Units to go about 500 feet, to get my Internet. They are a bit pricey and are active units, but there are passive, much cheaper units that I have never tried. They still claim good speed.

I have a access to wholesale veracity stuff, but bought mine even cheaper on E-Bay.

 

[Billrog]

Put a small piece or rag on the end of a good nylon string and stick your vacuum cleaner at the other end it will pull it through in 1/2 a sec. flat. then you can pull your wire threw with the string. Soap or grease your wire.

 

[beowulf]

How many 90s and 45s and what kind? PVC or electrical sweeps? Many of the suggestions here should work. I have navigated a fish tape for about 60 feet in 3/4 inch pvc with two 90s but both were sweeps. I don't think I could have managed that if the 90s were the abrupt turns in sprinkler type pvc.

 

[MossRoad]

As others have mentioned, a problem with pulling a second wire through a small tube with existing wire is it may get tangled around the existing wire, or burn the insulation with friction as you pull it in.

If it were me, again, as others have mentioned, I'd tie a clump of cotton or a plastic baggie to a piece of strong fishing line and suck it through the conduit with a vacuum. It should pop through in an instant. Crazy fast. Then use the fishing line to pull in a heavier cord, then the cord to pull the new wire.

If that doesn't work, then there's probably a blockage in the conduit. Next bet is to use the old wire as the pull cable. Cut it off at one end, tie the new wire onto it(run another pull cord with it this time for future use), and pull it through.

Either way you do it, use plenty of pulling lube. It makes a HUGE difference and helps prevent friction burn-through.

And it's cheap!!!

Shop IDEAL 32-fl oz Yellow Wire Pulling Lubricant at Lowes.com