Electrical Conduit Question

BB_TX · Jul 1, 2005

Mine is the grey colored.

Freds · Jul 1, 2005

I believe the grey stuff is specifically for electric. It seems to be more flexible and less brittle plus you don't need to use couplings. It has a large and a small end.

On the weather head... that must be a little different where I live, too. It isn't code here and the inspector said it didn't make any difference if I used one or not. I didn't. The linemen said they didn't like them because they are excellent shelters for bees to build hives in.
My own opinion, and apparently that of Penelec, is that the amount of water that would enter a 3" opening would be minimal.

pekabu · Jul 1, 2005

I was talking to my cousin this past weekend and he was working a job where they were going to blow a plug through. Well the line was really long, about 1000'. Not sure what they used for the piping but it was fairly big. Anyway, the had a 5hp compressor and the line went in a bit, but no luck. So they then brought in a jackhammer compressor. Well after fighting with it for a half hour or so, the pipe is getting really hot and the leaking air. My other cousin jumped in the hole and the both worked on sealing the end. Well, all of a sudden a huge gusher of water comes flying out the other end. He said it was pretty funny watching the foreman running.

TonyReynolds · Jul 1, 2005

When pulling long runs of heavy cabling they lube it up with liquid dish soap or equivalent, poured into the conduit. Makes the job much easier.

8NTX · Jul 1, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( When pulling long runs of heavy cabling they lube it up with liquid dish soap or equivalent, poured into the conduit. Makes the job much easier. )</font>

No SOAP!! (Ask Inspector507). Use the wire lube made just for the job instead. Soap can damage the insulation over time, I'm told.

TonyReynolds · Jul 1, 2005

Could be, I'm not an expert. The guy doing it told me it was soap. Glad it wasn't my place if this is true. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

PineRidge · Jul 1, 2005

This is the lube that we have used in the past. It's readily available wire pulling lube.

Marine1 · Jul 1, 2005

Tractors4u,
First of all let me say that you should use the Grey Conduit. White is for Plumbing and Grey is for Electrical.

Do not use liquid soap. This WILL break down the insulation on the cable. There are products to ease the pull of cables and the lingo for these products is soap but it is not soap.

I would rent the Greenlee Vacuum. This machine will have the plugs and the rat. The plugs are specially designed to seal the end of the conduit as well as let the nylon string flow through the conduit. They are very quick and will blow out any water that gets in. We use duct tape to cover our stub ups to keep water out.

When laying out your pipe keep the bell ends of the pipe going the opposite direction that you are going to blow air in so the rat won't get stuck at the connection point. If it does get stuck just pull back on it a little and let her go.

When you get the nylon string through tie one end onto your rope then pull your rope through. Make sure you get the rope in the conduit before returning the Greenlee just in case you have to blow again.

Feed the wires in at the weather head so gravity will help your pull and pull from other end. Get a weatherhead just because the utilities guys don't like wasps is no reason to let the weather break down your equipment. If you install the right size weather head properly there shouldn't really be an insect problem. Besides, the weather will do far more damage faster than any insect.

Phase all ends before you pull so you will know which cable end is which at the and of the pull.

At the weatherhead, leave about 6' of cable for the utilities guys. They will need at least 3' to make a drip loop.

Get a sock, this is a wire basket with a cable loop on one end of it. It grips the cables like a Chinese finger puzzle, to tie to the rope.

Tape the ends of the wires together with duct tape, put the sock on, tie onto the rope, tape everything together with a lot of duct tape, tape about a foot past the sock, soap it up with wire-aide, and start pulling and feeding. One or more people will pull and one person will feed. I have used a truck or tractor to pull in wire but that was for a very large pulls and ONLY because it was the only way.

Any electrical supplier can get you the nylon string,the soap(Wire-aide),and the sock with no problems.

Hope this helps and happy pulling !!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

LarryD · Jul 1, 2005

While marking the conductors for phasing isn't a bad idea, it doesn't make much difference on a 220 circuit. This sounded like a residential install and I haven't seen too many 3Ø feeds in a rural setting. Doesn't mean you couldn't get one though.