We are putting in a shed approximately 110 feet from the house. I am using 1 1/2" conduit and have already managed to get a pull rope through the conduit. There are 2 bends in the conduit (gradual 90 degree bends on each end where it will come up out of the ground). We will be running 6 gauge THHN/THWN through the conduit---a total of 4 wires--(green, red, white, black). What would be the easiest way to pull these wires through the conduit? Should I tape all of them together to the tow rope and then have a friend feed them through while I pull from the other end? Or is there some trick to make it easier? We don't have a winch. Thanks.

 

If I were you I would increase the wire size to # 4 copper. This would give you much more future growth potential for very little cost. The 1 1/4" conduit is fine for both sizes.

There is an electrical product usually called slickum. This is a lubricant that comes in a bottle and found at most electrical supply houses. There is also a product called a pull finger. This is a chinese finger type product that has a loop at the other end. The harder you pull the harder it grips the wire or rope. Cheap too. Buy two, one for the rope and one for the wires.

Interloop the two chinese fingers. Then tape the ends of the wires together with electrical tape, slide a chinese finger onto the group of wires, then tape the end of the chinese finger to the wires for gripping power. Then do the same with your rope. Take the slicum and smear the rope and fingers, and wires. Continue to slick the wires as you pull them into the conduit.

Have someone push the wire in as you pull the wires through the conduit to the other end. Shoud have no trouble doint it. If you run out of power the following is a few red neck methods of adding power of the pull.

Use a pulley chained to the building about 2' or more straight out from the conduit. Run the rope through that pulley and tie to a garden tractor, car etc. Now you have TOOL TIME POWER !

If in an area where there is no way to get tool time power then use a couple of 2 x 4s bolted together making a lever system and tie the rope to the lever of the one 2 x 4 using the second 2x4 as a post down to the floor. Now you have JR. TOOL TIME POWER!

Really doubt you will need tool time power if you are strong.

Hope this helps

Wg

 

wg;
some work, some end up as one-liners for Jeff Foxworthy, but there is nothing like redneck ingenuity!!

 

What about this?

Would it be ok to run the wire through the various bits
of conduit, then glue the conduit together?

 

Gary whats the matter don't you like my red neck variety of getting the job done. Where is your sense of adventure?

Gosh your way is too logical and may be too easy for the normal man.

If done as you suggest where is the challenge.

Gosh if done right you could rev up that old garden tractor and peal out leaving black marks on the concrete, and smoke coming out of the conduits !

What else would ya want?

Just kidding! You had a good idea I forgot to mention.

Wg

 

The smalllest tractor we have around here is 50 HP
or so. We are hopefully going to do a service upgrade
here at the ranch soon, but I think we'll go overhead anyways (we have miles of triplex around, waiting to be used up).

 

Gary, I suppose if you hooked two of those 50 hp tractors in tandem it probably would either pull those wires through that conduit or the building may follow you down the road !

Can you tell I was born a farmer ?

Ha Ha

Wg

 

Gary and WG,
What about 300-18(a)?

 

OOPS ! Ya got me there. That Code article says you can't install the wiring until the conduit has been installed completly and sucured. Who'da of thunk it.

Sorry I don't even remember ever reading that one.

Guess we'll have to get the tractor back out or utilize the other redneck methods of pulling that wire. Doubt though he will have any trouble pulling the size wires, number of wires through the size he is saying no more distance than he is going.

Boy the only easy way of doing it and we have to find out it doen't meet code. Can see the possiblility of damage to the wires if pulled as the conduits are installed though. Sort of makes sense but still question the value or probability of problems arising.

Huh;

Wg

 

With a good feed and some wire pulling "soap" this should be a very easy pull. Four #6s will fit in a 3/4" conduit. The guy on the feed end pushes the wire into the conduit at the same time as the guy on the rope pulls. If you are using wire pulling lube (soap) you need to cover 100% of the surface of the wires.
Don(resqcapt19)