Pulling Wires Through Conduit

[crokett™]

really only works with a pull string (or in my case a fish tape) if you have either

a) the wires on spools or some other mechanical mechanism to keep them relatively taught and kink-free at the end they are going into
b) a helper to straighten out loose wire before it goes into the conduit
c) ideally both

The electricians working around my job campus over the last several months have option C. I have neither. After gluing up 67' of 1" conduit and not being able to pull 4 #6 wires through it I ended up laying out 75' x 4 of wire on the driveway, straightening them out and taping them together every few feet or so, then pulling the bundle through. I know the reason you are supposed to assemble the conduit and then pull the wires is to avoid damaging the wires. I suppose if I had a or b that would be possible but I had to keep checking the wires to make sure I hadn't damaged them on the driveway, plus it cost me a lot of extra time, and of course I then had to get all that into the trench without breaking the glue bonds.

[blackhat]

Sometimes 2 men are 3 times as fast as 1.

[MarkSingleton]

I pulled wire through the usual gray plastic conduit when I wired the wood shop and the patio. Used
inch and a quarter conduit IIRC.  It was still no fun.  If I ever do a job like that again, I will 
spring for two inch conduit. The price difference can't be more than the convenience/ease 
factor...

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

This is why we use wire lubricant even with THHN wire. Also not a good idea to keep the tape on the wire in the pipe either for 2 reasons. If you have to replace a wire you now have to pull them all out and for heat. When wires are bound tightly they do get more heated than if they are laying loose or at lease loser.

[blackhat]

BTW, a stepladder and a broom handle makes a pretty good reel rack.

[crokett™]

BTW, a stepladder and a broom handle makes a pretty good reel rack.

If the wire is on spools I can see that working. This was bought by the foot so it was just rolled up. I did try a broom handle across the handles of my wheelbarrow, that didn't work at all. The wire just pulled tight to the broom handle and the handle wouldn't spin. Maybe it would have worked better on a ladder.

[R Clark]

This is a job I have to do today.  Pulling 120 feet of 12-2 UF through 1" poly pipe that a friend and I buried with a cable puller night before last.  I hoping this will go quickly, though I am working by myself.  No joints or sharp bends in the main run before it gets to the boxes on the ends.  I'll get the routing into the terminal ends after I pull the cable through the main piece of the pipe (conduit).

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

This is a job I have to do today.  Pulling 120 feet of 12-2 UF through 1" poly pipe that a friend and I buried with a cable puller night before last.  I hoping this will go quickly, though I am working by myself.  No joints or sharp bends in the main run before it gets to the boxes on the ends.  I'll get the routing into the terminal ends after I pull the cable through the main piece of the pipe (conduit).


Use some dish washing soap on the head and in the pipe and taper the head. If you have to wrap a piece of cardboard on it to make it a cone shape but not too large. Stop half way and apply some more soap in the pipe. It will make a world of difference.  

[R Clark]

Already pulled it through.  I used nylon masonry string to pull it through.  While I was doing that, I thought I should have lubed it with dish soap.  If the string broke, that's what I was going to do on the second attempt if needed.  Fortunately, it wasn't.  

Took about two hours start to finish.  I'm slow when working alone.  Hardest part was getting the first string in.  I used 20lb test fishing line.  Didn't realize it would be that hard to push 120 feet of that line through the tube.

[blackhat]

A small bit of rag tied to the lead end of the string and a shop vac will suck it through in a heartbeat.