How do you pull larger wire through conduit ?

[Allen Davis]

What equipment or pulling rope do you use to pull heavier wire through conduit ?



Lets say you wanted to pull (3) #00 wires 500' to hook up an Air Compressor in a factory, how would you go about it ?



Thanks !

 

[Larry Phillips]

Wouldn't you use fishtape on a spool?

 

[Todd Z]

You need wire lube, basically liquid soap at the beginning, you need a pulling bushing on the end of the conduit that your pulling into to, and using a rope and a pulling cage or make a hook out of the wire and attach to the rope. At the pulling end you can use brute strength, but a pulley directly outside the conduit will allow you to pull the wire straight and you can stand 90 degrees to it....



Hope this helps....



We pull primary 1300V wire all the time like this..



Todd Z

 

[Allen Davis]

If the conduit was a solid run of 500' with no junction boxes anywhere between both ends, how would you get the pulling rope through the 500' in the first place to the other end of the conduit to attach the rope to the wire to pull back through ?

 

[Larry Phillips]

Ah, didn't read the whole thing...

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Ok, if you can break it into shorter pulls it will be MUCH easier. If not, you will need to either use a solid item like a fish tape just to get the tape through in order to start the pull.



Under ground pipe I have used both compressed air to push a small line through then hooked it up to a larger line, pulled it through then hooked onto my wire or cable.



I have also used water. Which works pretty good. You just feed the line in and the water carries it through for you.



Good luck...

 

[Sal Adinolfi]

there is a thing that was used when my base was being wired.



It was a fuzzy ball with a small string on it.



they used Vacum to suck the fuzzy ball though the conduit.



I believe it was called a wire mouse.



Hope this helps.

 

[CountyMounty]

We just discussed this here not long ago as I recall, not running such big wire and not quite as long but basically the same. As suggested you need to use something to suck or blow air through the conduit. Start with a very lightweight line/string and work up from there, you may have to do it a couple time something very very light then a little bigger then the pull rope. You attach the string to something that will just fit into the conduit, suggestions before included a ping pong ball, tennis ball, and many others. I think someone suggested you tie the string to a hampster and send it through...that just might work. 500' is a long ways to vacuum or blow it but if you get the right fit and right equipment it might work.

 

[Gavin Allan]

You need several junction boxes along the way to make the pull.

 

[Todd Z]

Actually 500 feet is the legal limit here in NY by code, BUT yes it would be easier..



You need a metal snake to get a string in there, OR of your 100% the conduit is not broken you can put a small plastic bag on a very light string and put a shop vac on the other and suck the small string in, then pull the larger rope in then pull the wire..



Todd Z

 

[Ron N]

lol, I guess I should have read down a couple of more postings,before I put my answer on the other post. Ya'll have covered what I said. Hahahaha _Ron

 

[Allen Davis]

Thanks everyone for all of your replies !



I think this is going to be an Interesting Task !



Have a Good Holiday !

 

[user 62851]

just tie some string on a mouse and leave some cheese on the other end of the 500', they will eventually make it, and if they don't, then u might be f'ed lol

 

[Bill Ellis]

In a factory you should be hiring licensed electricians to perform that type of work.