Conduit question

For quad shielded RG6 and RJ45 wires can I use any material as a conduit? After reading through this site I confused myself and though that I read that PVC was not advisable. But then later I thought I read that it didn't matter.

 

it really dosnt matter that I can see. I would use gray pvc

 

You can use anything that you want. Low voltage cables do not need to be in conduit, so there are no requirements for any specific type.

One question. Where are you using conduit? If you are using conduit for physical protection inside a building, such as in the basement or in the garage, then use whatever you want. If you are using the conduit underground to go between buildings, then make sure that the cable you use is rated for a wet location. Conduit underground is not waterproof and will fill with water. The cable you use MUST be waterproof.

One other comment. Configure the conduit first, and glue it together (if plastic). Don't pull the cable until the glue is dry. The glue will damage the cable if it touches it before it's dry.

 

I am looking at my unfinished ceiling right now at all of the white PVC that I used.

I worked, but I had the devil of the time making all the turns. I ended up buying a fiberglass fish tape with a bullet end. It turned better than the steel.

I still had to cut holes in certain elbows. I used all long turn stuff, and it still did not work well.

If you use gray, you will have access to longer sweeps.

BTW, I fished strings in with the cables and a couple of times the string wadded up inside the conduit causing a holy mess.

I have yet to test all the ends.

I have about 40 cable pulls inside 2" conduit.

Wouldn't want to do it again!

 

well had you used conduit (the gray stuff ) rather than water pipe you could/should have put pull boxs before the curves (makes life a lot easier )

for 40 cables you really should have used 3" min to stay within recommende fill ratios (as you can see now )

 

Its been years since I ran cable but we sometimes used a vacumn to suck the pull string tied to a piece of rubber.Can't remember the details but someone here would know.

Are there any fire resticitons with PVC pipe? Just curious

 

shop vacuum and a "mouse" still commonly used to get a pull string in .

I think what he is talking about is trying to get pull after cables in place , with 40 runs I'm betting he didn't pull 40 cables at once . so he was losing his pull string and bought a fiberglass (ouch $$$ ) fish tape to get though.

would have been far easier with proper conduit size , pull box's where needed and soap.

PVC conduit is fine fire-wise in most installs , white schedule 40 water pipe like I assume he used probably not (cant say because I wouldn't think of using it )

 

The trouble is plumbing pipe is not approved for housing elecrical wires, even low voltage.

Now, whe you do install the PVC, the sum of the bends between pull boxes cannot exceed 360 degrees.

 

Well, we live & learn.

The inspectors passed it, so I don't have to remove it.

Correct, I pulled sections at a time. I worked from the longest pull towards the shortest.

Never thought about the vacuum thing, but i had so many ends and joints I don't think it would of worked.

Acutally, I got a good deal on the fiberglass fish tape. Cost me barely more than steel.

I was like this for a long time in that project:

Better now, or at least until I need to use one of the strings that I left in there. I am sure that they are wrapped around some Cat6 and will cut it if I pull too hard...

 

Of course it passed inspection. Low voltage lines are not part of an electrical inspection (as long as they aren't run with line voltage wires or something similar).

Now for the bad news. If you used PVC glue to connect the sections of pipe, and if you applied it with wires inside, then the wires will fail. PVC glue eats through wire insulation. All the glue that you got on the wires (and you did get glue on the wires) will eat through the wires, and you will have failed lines. You may as well replace them now.

 

inspector probably though they where water pipes

 

racraft

you noted:
and you also said in an earlier post:
In my case, the pipes had been up for at least 2 weeks before I started pulling cable. Am I ok?

Thanks

 

Yes, you are okay.

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

I was in the laundry room of a large chain motel today and they had pulled the electric drops in white shdle 40 pvc

running right into the double gang wall mount boxs

 

And you decided to air your dirty laundry stories with us?
(sorry)

 

RD,

You should have studied recommended conduit fill ratios, minimum cable bend radius and max pull tension (lbs).... i suspect if you test for network, it will not meet 100Mhz spec..

P2E