[joe cool]

I need to get four 500s pulled through 30' of PVC with two 90*s and one 45*(to get around an obstacle). I would like to use 3" because that is what the factory ko's in the gear are. I have no tugger, have not found a rental. Is this reasonable? I could go 4" if I had to but would rather not.
Small pull for some of you but a big deal for little me. Advice please?

 

[five.five-six]

5X500"s? go 4". Do you know how to operate a tugger? If not hire someone that does, those things are dangerous.

 

[Switched]

Would one of those Maxis tuggers work? They are only a couple grand, it's an investment!:whistling2:

 

[five.five-six]

Would one of those Maxis tuggers work? They are only a couple grand, it's an investment!:whistling2:

I apprenticed for a guy that had a hand crank wench tugger :no:

 

[farlsincharge]

How many men do you have? Can you use utility 90's, much larger sweep.

 

[joe cool]

No men, just me. I can get some labor help.
Only four 500s, not five. Would 4" make a big difference? NEC allows 3" for this.
Won't be buying a tugger as I seldom do services over 200amp. I would rent one if I could find one.
I will look into utility 90*s. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the advice, keep it coming.

 

[BT Electric]

Cut the 500's to length and straighten the coils from the spool out as much as possible. With plenty of yellow 77 and a helper feeding them into the conduit it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[220/221]

You can do a LOT with body weight and leverage. 30' is nothing. The pusher will be doing as much or more work than the puller.

And, yeah, use 36" sweeps if you can.

 

[piperunner]

Well heres what you do roll it out on the ground take 6 hand fulls of soap chuck it down the pipe before you put the head in .You add more soap on the head before you shove in down the pipe you must put the head in before you start to pull. If you don't have wire soap pour ivory liquid dish washing down two bottles with a little water .
Stagger the wire when you make up the head more then normally the more you stagger the smoother it will be. Duct tape the head so edges of the wire don't hit the pvc couplings inside .

If you don't have a tugger or help zig zag the wire on the ground make sure your feed pipe doesn't cut into the wire put a bell or a bushing on this end duct tape it so the wire doesn't get cut .

If its 30 foot a your big enough to pull rig up a tri pad over or in front of what ever your pulling from panel disconnect use a chain above anything solid . If you don't have a pulley or sheave to put on the pulling end .

Cut some rigid 2 " slide it over a chain and hang it directly above the pull pipe point that's your sheave or pulley . Heres a tip one I used a lot take a 6 foot piece of 1 1/2 rigid conduit and rap the rope around it three or four times on the pull side shove one end into the ground or wedge it into a wall or what ever you want pull down it will increase your pull force release re rap and pull release re rap and pull down its like 5 guys helping you trust me .

The 2 inch rigid above is your sheave above roll the rope over that first wrap over that rigid 2 " this will give you 5 times your strength .

Have fun and don't stop once you start but it would be nice to have someone feeding it if not can you rig up the wire higher than the ground level get some rope tie it up to what ever is around you raise the wire up above the level of the feed end pipe . Or get a job site scaffold or rig or suspend it up that's the spool above the pipe feed side this way it will roll in for you . Or roll it out and hang it high above the feed end with rope this should take all day so have fun setting this up.

I dont know why you don't have help but have fun and don't give up ever .:laughing::laughing: Get two bottles of ripple look for a sterno bumb or get two Mexicans standing in front of home depo

 

[Bootss]

Go four inch if you can make it easy on yourself.

 

[Southeast Power]

I had a 300' run of 3" and pulled a run like that just fine. With a tugger.
It's not impossible.
I would invest in a hole saw and go with 4" if I were you.
Can you use aluminum? It will save you a lot of money and would make the pull very manageable.

Is it an overhead pull or underground?

 

[eejack]

Very doable pull. If you can put a pulley at the pull end so you are pulling away instead of pulling up it will be easier. Arranging the bell ends of the conduit to minimize potential snags would help.

At least around here it is easy to rent a tugger, but I wager if you ask at your local supply house you can find another contractor who has one you could borrow ( or who can give you a hand pulling ).

 

[daveEM]

We used a winch in the old days. It was mounted on a 2" square piece of tubing about 4' long.

The winch was one of those used to hand crank up a boat. Worked well. Had a lever for two settings.

So head to your local boat place see if they still have such a manual device. Now days I might be inclined to set up an electric winch which I'm sure are at every auto store.

 

[Switched]

Did you check the supply houses? Some of them have rentals available.

Lots of lube, lots.....and a really big guy on the other end pulling or pushing. My BIL is available, he is almost 300 lbs. of brute force!:thumbsup:

 

[joe cool]

The pulley idea sounds like a winner, I have one somewhere. I have a couple come-alongs I can throw at the problem now I can direct the rope with the pulley. Also decided I will go 4", probably worth the extra money and effort to set things up in my favor.
Thank you for all the suggestions.

 

[macmikeman]

Dish soap is a no no.:no::no::no:
Otherwise , not bad advice given.

 

[Switched]

Dish soap is a no no.:no::no::no:
Otherwise , not bad advice given.

I think he was referring to pulling soap!

 

[macmikeman]

I think he was referring to pulling soap!

I think he specifically said Ivory Soap. Breaks down components in the plastic of the insulation given enough time. Piperunner knows mountains about electrical work. He is that good. However he doesn't know about Ivory Soap.

 

[Awg-Dawg]

The pulley idea sounds like a winner, I have one somewhere. I have a couple come-alongs I can throw at the problem now I can direct the rope with the pulley. Also decided I will go 4", probably worth the extra money and effort to set things up in my favor.
Thank you for all the suggestions.

If it is only 30, you might try pushing one a time.

It is considerably easier than you would think.

 

[oldtimer]

I think he was referring to pulling soap!

This is the OPs direct quote !

( If you don't have wire soap pour ivory liquid dish washing down two bottles with a little water ) .