cultch

I know there have been other threads but this different angle came up today on proper methods.

The question is...when pulling 'typical' branch circuits...should you use your fishtape to pull a string and a string to pull your wire or just use your fishtape to pull the wire?

I am willing to change my philosophy but pulling the string always seemed like a waste of time to me. The counter is it messes up the fishtape. To which I counter stop putting so many bends in the pipe so that it's so hard to pull. 360 is your guide..you don't have to wait to 360 to put a pull box...or go way over which is the crux of the problem imo.

The fishtapes are getting screwed up however..so like I said I'm willing to change my ways...but if I ran the pipe I'm sure it will pull fine with a fishtape. I don't run all the pipe tho so maybe string??? My lead man wants a string he'll get a string no doubt but I'm just bouncing this off you folks.

what do you do???

tkb

If you pull your fish tape straight out of the pipe you won't put a curl in the fish tape.

The problem comes from when you pull the fish tape so it rubs hard against the edge of the connector. Then it sets a curl in the tape.

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Tpg392

Try putting tape your couplings and vac,mouse and string.

running dummy

How is your tape getting messed up? There are ways to "unlearn" a fish tape

I usually use a tape for pulling and felt the string was unneeded, unless it was unusually long. I have been putting boxes no longer than 100' to help out with pushing. Those lengths usually get a string anyway though...

cultch

This is true tkb. What you describe is one of the ways it gets curled. I have seen the following.

"Go pull this wire from pt A to pt B."
"ok"

Go to make the pull and low and behold it's damned impossible. Come to find out the pipe is ran around and around with 450 degrees or whatever. Now the head is in the middle of the pipe somewhere. (these are the dynamics of the job. I don't have the authority to question and go walking the pipe run 1st) Wouldn't you know it the fishtape they gave me was already horrendus so yes I grabbed it with my side cutters or wrapped it around my back and got that sucker thru. I wouldn't handle a nice new fishtape in that manner. That is the extent of my own personal mishandling of the tape. Further destroying it. I don't accept anyones word now on the pipe runs. Believe me I don't usually have problems...here's the thing tho...

This is a different dynamic. I'm used to somewhat smaller companies where I run the pipe and I pull the wire or I know the people that ran the pipe and they wouldn't put a 90 right at the box or put way to many bends in a pipe. This co. is much bigger and there are tons of guys running pipe and pulling wire. Right now I'm under someone which is fine and I believe he 'may' be right about this but other times I have sizeable crews and you can't watch their every move or have a vac for every team of guys. You have to quote your 'system' of what you want done. Pulling the string could be a safer bet to lay out to some to ensure tapes don't get ruined.

You and I in our perfect domain...I don't think we need no string.

How lame is my life to go on and on about this this friday night???

cultch

Yeah there getting messed up by what I described and what tkb was saying. But guys are pulling at those angles cause guys aren't running smart pipe and the pulls are too hard. You can bang your head all day trying to get the ppe ran 1st or implement a pull string 'm/o' for the crew to sorta dummy it down since you can't be everywhere all the time. A lot of those guys are gone tho.

Sometimes I'm quite bullheaded and never saw the use of a string 1st... plus the guys I learned from said waste of time tie the wire on it instead!

nitro71

I prefer a vacuum and string. I've seen way to many guys screw around trying to get thier fish tape through a run with multiple bends. Easier to just start with the vac and string. Of course for easy runs I do just use a fish tape.

Jlarson

I use a tape up till like 8 guage. If you are damaging tapes you're doing it wrong.

Only time I mess with sucking in line for little wire is for control pulls were I have 20, 30, 40... wires staggered on small metal chain to be pulled at once.

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The best never stop learning.

tkb

Not so easy most of the time with an EMT run.
The couplings leak air and you don't get a very good vacuum.

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cultch

and it's impractical to have vac's for so many crews. and again...it's not me that's screwing them up. It's people that come and go from this job. It's more of what should you instruct 'newer' folks in the trade to do when you can't be there to watch over them.

CanadianSparky

I usually always pull in strings then pull wires with that. I find this way easier even if it takes extra time.

MDShunk

If the tape is long enough, I use it to pull up to about a full boat of #8. Bigger than that, longer than a tape, or more wires, I use string, mule tape, or rope.

__________________
One reason not to give DIY advice:
Catch a man a fish and you can sell it to him.
Teach a man to fish and you’ve ruined a good business opportunity.

kaboler

I was pulling a set of #3s through a pipe and I recruited some labourer to help me. I instructed him to use my linesman pliers when it starts to get hard, and not to smash himself in the face if it slips, and I went up. So 100 feet away, as the wire's going in, I wondered to myself if I instructed him not to kink the fish with the pliers. When it was all done, I got down, and went over to the other side.

Some miracle this labourer didn't kink the crap out of my fishtape. By some miracle. And more importantly, he didn't smash himself in the face with the linesmen.

MDShunk

I got one of those fish tape pullers with two big handles that stick out to the sides. I forget who makes it. Labor Saving Devices, maybe? That was a tool that never got much use. Always forgot I had it, or by the time I realized it was going to be a hard pull, "it was personal", and I wasn't going to the truck to get a special tool.

__________________
One reason not to give DIY advice:
Catch a man a fish and you can sell it to him.
Teach a man to fish and you’ve ruined a good business opportunity.

cguillas

As an apprentice, aren't you the labourer? Where was the electrician?

LightsOn81

If I'm pulling wire in a slab I prefer to get a string in first and then use the string to pull the fish tape in. There may be a break in the conduit or some pebbles and just pushing the fish tape can get tiresome and aggravating. I do the same if I'm changing over PVC to EMT. Anything EMT in walls or over head as long as it's run correctly will push every time so I don't add an unnecessary step.

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We don't have problems we only have solutions

socalelect

Its katroller in his mind he's the **** as an apprentice and does everything from quoting the job to heating it up. He's full of ****

kaboler

Hahahaha, hey now, I'm sorry I'm invading journeyman space and pushing wires down pipes myself. It takes at least 4 years of watching and school before I should be attempting to do such a thing!

About the thread, it's my theory to not minimum everything. Pipe is cheap. My time isn't. I will oversize my pipe and put junction boxes in if I feel it will pay off in the end.

Nothing worse than helping a guy trying to feed in wire with 3 90s maximum fill. Just deserves a smack on the head.

Nothing better than needing to pull in some wires and finding a spare pipe run for that express purpose. Be THAT electrician.

oldtimer

Just a question!

What is it like being SUPERMAN?

Please give us a hint!



We all bow to a Higher Authority!

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me , than a frontal lobotomy. ( Quote from Tom Waits. )

kaboler

I'm just too good to be humble.