Pulling electrical wire -

[Egon]

How would one tell if the conduit was assembled before or after pulling the wire?

Perhaps post assembly would twist wires causing unseen problems?

Egon

 

[DaveNay]

I would also suggest installing some of this:

Underground Warning Tape

(This was just the first one I found on the web, your elecric supplier will have it too.)

So that you can find the conduit in the future.

If it is metallic conduit, and near the surface, you may not need it though.

Dave

 

[Inspector507]

Have I ever done it?? I'll never tell /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
I would suppose there are too many opportunities to damage the cable insulation on sharp edges as you slide the conduit on the wire.

 

[8NTX]

Inspector - thanks for the heads-up on the soap. Will use the lube that Lazy suggested. And I plan on going with the rigid metal 90's and maybe even 45's.

Joe1 - I plan on building special stands or sawhorses to mount the spools on; total of 4 spools two abreast. Might use the tractor and boom pole to lift them if necessary, but at 155 pounds per 1000', 620 ft. each will only weigh 96 pounds plus the weight of the spool, so maybe two guys can handle it.

Bird - I've considered pulling wire as I assembled the conduit, but every electrician I've talked to thinks I'm nuts. If I do it one at a time, that will be 60 reconnections of the pull rope so time consuming, but that's one thing I have more than anything.

There will be 4 people doing the pull, maybe 5 if I get lucky. The electrician thinks that two men will be able to pull the whole thing in a single run without a pull box, but I don't know. May have to look into a rig to pull with. Wonder if a come-along might help? Too bad the tractor won't float, or I could use that. I'm going down tomorrow to look at the feasibility of straightening out the run through the woods. A day spent with a chain saw and brush hog might be worth it. Will still have to wind around some big trees, though. Should also save me 50-75 feet of wire if I do that.

Thanks for all the help so far, guys. You guys have given me more help and ideas than two other DIY and electrical forums combined. As usual...TBN is the best. Now I just wish more of you lived near Athens, TX.....we would have one heckuva TBN wire-pullin' Texas barbecue and beer bash. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Bird]

Steve, like I said, when I was putting the wire and conduit in new, I run the wire through as I assembled the conduit (the only problem I noticed was being time consuming because I was careful to not damage any insulation). However, when I pulled new wire through existing underground conduit to my barn, I attached the new wire to the old and pulled it with my Kubota while my brother fed it into the other end.

 

[Nasty135]

8ntx, Well this is a good one, I was thinking (sometimes this is dangerous ) this has been done before, using 1 1/2" gray underground pvc you can connect to panel out of your first 90 into the ground and one 10' length layout your cable for the whole distance and slide the pvc 10' lengths over your cable and glue to the first piece, continue til you get to the other end dropping in trench as you go keeping the section your currently working with above ground with a pole under it bridging it over the trench and slide it as you go, It's flexable enough to do this and when you get to the last 90 measure and put the right length on it and your in.. That how I when about it , then laid phone & ca tv on top for those rainy days... I hope this is understandable sometimes I have trouble explaining things /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Junkman]

that is how I did mine also, but I cheated and went with a larger diameter PVC pipe. Easier to work with and not much differance in cost.

 

[LWFrisk]

The last time I had to make a long pull with heavy wire, I laid out the PVC conduit for the long part of the run but kept it on top of the ground. I pulled the wire through the conduit, then dropped it in the trench, put the 90 degree sweeps on each end then into the boxes. The PVC is fairly flexible and the gentle curves around the trees was easy to do. I actually laid the wire and the conduit out on the street. wrapped the conduit with a rope tied to my truck and a pull rope tied to my tractor and pulled the wire through. I had a friend watch the wire as it pulled through to make sure the insulation was not damaged. Then I used my tractor to drag it (Conduit with wire in place) to the area where the trench had been dug. Backfilled the trench after the wire was connected. -- I always use much larger conduit than requried.

I am not an electrician, but it worked great for me

LWFrisk

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm confused.

First, I dig the trench.

Second, I unroll the wire along the length of the trench.

Third, I slide the conduit through the wire along the trench.

Fourth, I roll it into the trench.

Last, I bury the trench.

Seems simple, what am I missing?

 

[8NTX]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm confused.

First, I dig the trench.

Second, I unroll the wire along the length of the trench.

Third, I slide the conduit through the wire along the trench.

Fourth, I roll it into the trench.

Last, I bury the trench.

Seems simple, what am I missing? )</font>

Eddie - I agree with you, and that's how I was gonna do it before the electricians said that NEC code doesn't like that method for some reason. But I guess the 90 deg. and 45 deg. turns make it a little more difficult than it sounds.