How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit

   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #41  
When I run my TV coax and network cables from our house to the shop I buried two (second for redundancy or future use) low pressure 1" black sprinkler pipes between buildings. Then I put small piece of styrofoam on a poly line and used vacuum cleaner to blow it through. The pipes are cheap, tougher than PVC conduit and there are no connections. If you have a subsoiler then you can easily hook the pipe behind it and pull it under the ground.
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #42  
I haven't calculated conduit fill or looked it up in years. Usaually go big, with room for a spare and easy pulling.

I wasn't worried about adding on, but voltage drop. If it is just one light take a few amps should be a problem. Don't use much THHN for pulls either, all multi conductor cable. THHN is used mostly for point to point panel wiring.
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #43  
When I run my TV coax and network cables from our house to the shop I buried two (second for redundancy or future use) low pressure 1" black sprinkler pipes between buildings. Then I put small piece of styrofoam on a poly line and used vacuum cleaner to blow it through. The pipes are cheap, tougher than PVC conduit and there are no connections. If you have a subsoiler then you can easily hook the pipe behind it and pull it under the ground.

I have a two story vacation home.
When built, I put five 1-1/4" empty EMT sleeves in various locations, from the basement to the 2nd floor.
Future use unknown, but there will not be an issue when/if needed.
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #44  
I have a two story vacation home.
When built, I put five 1-1/4" empty EMT sleeves in various locations, from the basement to the 2nd floor.
Future use unknown, but there will not be an issue when/if needed.

Excellent idea, I did that on any new house I wired in years past, as conditions would allow.
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #45  
The answer to the question is YES. In 1/2" schedule 40 PVC conduit you can run eight 12 gauge wires or five 10 gauge wires and be within the 40% fill limit.

For a single light in a run of 150' of conduit, 12 gauge will work just fine. For peace of mind you could run #10 wire should there be an occasion to add more to the circuit.

I would just abandon the conduit and trench in 10 gauge UF.
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #46  
I would just abandon the conduit and trench in 10 gauge UF.
I would avoid that...
I had to replace a run of 10/3UF this winter, much better in the long run to bury a 1" conduit and pull four 10ga THWN wires through it.

Aaron Z
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #47  
If you are trenching, I'd look at conduit. But it is easy to spend out other peoples money. When it is your own and you need to decide about 100 here or there, it is different.


Lots of direct buried cable out there.


If it was shop or building, I would feel stronger about conduit. Both my barns are direct bury cable. One is 240 40amp, fine for most, other is just 120 20 amp I kick that out once in awhile.

Chances are a yard light will always be a yard light. Conduit is great, but I wouldn't fault him for burying cable. Time to glue 15 sticks, and buy it, then pull, when he could drop it in the hole and be done with it.

If it was a detached building, I would most likely do conduit. But lots of stuff isn't.
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit
  • Thread Starter
#48  
Well hooked tractor to it this afternoon. Tightened it very slowly it pulled right out. Pulled new wire in with old wire.Thank each one.

Some thing I saw a friend do years ago and thought good, he would run like 1 inch conduit from top of breaker box into attic for future use. I thought that was good idea but don't think fire caulking would work with that.
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #49  
Thing is, if he hit it with a tractor and damaged it, then the conduit is damaged. No wire should go in there, unless direct buried. The conduit technically is useless.

But I got the feeling this will be farmers light. Will work. Just don't call the utility about you cows.
 
   / How do you remove stuck wire from within conduit #50  
You know I did ask for help and do appreciate those who offered suggestions and yes my asking opened it up to tell me what I did wrong...some I disagree with, the one I totally agree with is I knew Romex was not the wire to run in conduit but also KNOW it will work and hold up, which it did. It was not moisture, it was not the 1/2 conduit that caused the fail, it was not the tree roots that pulled out the ground, it was an excavator bucket. It is amazing how many things that are not per code or local or even federal regulations that have proven to work very well. That conduit has been there for I think 17 years but certain it has for 16 years and the 10 plus feet I see looks as good as the day installed. The conduit was used to protect it from moisture and it did. I realize paper does not hold up to water but for that to be an issue the conduit had to fail as would the outside insulation of the romex itself.

I have seen Romex used in the air with no protection for what ever reason (no idea who installed it just knew what I saw) and it held up for many years. Was that smart, was that per code when done? I have no idea what the code was like in the 60's when the romex was run between two post in the air. I WAS NOT WHO RAN THAT WIRE.

Mine run was very with about 150 basically straight and buried as it should have been with a 90% elbow up out the dirt at each end of the run. I did remove the damaged conduit first before trying to pull the damaged wire out.

Oh on the light side came up with a simple fix...buy the solar power lights as shown on tv...no pulling, no wiring, no conduit and little light. lol

Great post. I totally agree. Congrats on getting the wire out and new in.
 

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