Pulling large wire in conduit

Try posting this on the Eelectrical forum at

You have to be kidding.... "should you plan some pull boxes in this run?" ...... absolutely yes..... a pull box at each 90 deg elbow.

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I would use a fish tape to install a rope of at least 1/4inch or larger, first. If you train the wires through the loop at the end of the rope so that they are staggered and tape the head down all should go well.

Lay the wire out straight and somewhere it is dry, lube as you pull.

Only one 90 degree bend is ok. But can't you get inspection elbows. These have a removeable cover on the side of the elbow that allows cables to be pulled out then fed back in again.

You should have an electrician give you the proper specifications for the job. What you are proposing may not meet code.

I've never pulled wire. The only two knowledgeable people I ever heard speak about it both said to do a pull in the middle of a straight section, not at a ninety.

FWIW.

j

you have 4 X 90 deg bends? I think you should put a box between the two.. I'm not sure if a total of 360 deg is impossible to pull. between 50 feet... yikes.. lemme know how that goes..

With 4 90-degee turns, even with a lubricant the pull, while possible, may be probemlematic. You could possibly accomplish it using a hydraullic cable puller, but even then the outsome would be a bit of a risk.

Is there a reason why you can't employ mid-run pull boxes?

Harry C.

That sounds quite odd. The corners are what will give you all the friction, so they make special pull boxes, sort of an L-shaped cast box with a long removable cover that allow you to pull the wire out there and reinsert it for the next straight run.

Unless one of your straight runs was extremely long, I would not expect to have to install a pull box in the middle of a run.

# 1 wire is not all that big. This does not sound that hard.

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----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA

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Code in Canada is no more that 3 90 degree bends in a run without pull boxes. If you use 4 the pipe had better be very well fastened...something's probably going to let go.

No code book in front of me tonight but I think your conduit is too small for four # 1 wires for normal power feeds. It's not just wire size that counts you have to consider current in conductor and heating.

Four 90 degree bends (electricial sweeps) are the limit I think.

Do you need to use lubricant to pull, If I am helping you will use lubricant, if you pull it's your choice.

I would use a steel cable as a fish tape and a comealong to pull it.

Hugh

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Thus spake Hugh Prescott:

I ended up using 2 90 degree sweeps and two inspection boxes (90's as well). Used fish tape to pull nylon rope which was used to pull the wires. Man, is it hard work. It's not a big job, but no come-along, just two inexperienced guys huffing and puffing.

An inspection box is an asymmetric item. Pulling the wires into the box in the longitudinal direction was relatively easy; feeding them back into the "exit" that is 90 degrees to the body was problematic (especially the last 18 inches, or so). How does one do that last bit of wire so that you don't end up with a twisted knot of wires that won't fit in the box?

1-1/2 EMT is sufficient for four (one is ground) #1 conductors (NEC tables referenced).

Thanks for all your help, guys. Mission accomplished.

How long is the pull?

you shouldn't need lube and if it's that tight then your not using large enough EMT. also, you are allowed a total of 360 deg bends in the pipe. NE book states no more than 4 bends at 90 degree's each. if your going to use access elbows/pull elbows then you surely don't need lube.

it's no problem putting them back in , you simply have the Access Elbow loose, side the wires through and then in the other pipe. after that you just sit the elbow on the pipe ends and position the pipe with wires already inside.

other wise known as access elbows.

Oh come on! dealing with slack at four 90s is a MUCH bigger pain in the ass that the pull itself. To the OP...SQLit's recommendation is the right one.

John

Thus spake Igor The Terrible:

60 ft.

Thus spake Jamie:

For four #1 conductors the NEC requires 1-1/4 inch, minimum. I'm using 1-1/2 inch. Whether or not it's "large enough" is open do debate, I guess. I, too, kind of blanched when I looked at the bundle of wires and the conduit, but it seems to have worked.