Support of Vertical conductors

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Joe Villani

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Location
Westchester County NY
I was hoping for a suggestion on a situation I have at a on going job.

Senerio: 5 # 10 AWG stranded copper conductors going from the 1st floor to the 4th floor in 3/4" emt.

Total length of vertical conductors is less than 100 feet, but the conductors want to pull back down.

In hindsight I probably should have used solid conductors, but I didn't.

I looked for a grommet to support the cables, but only came up with devices for larger conductors.

The wires go into a 4" X 2-1/8 junction box, so I dont have alot of room.

In your experiences have you come across a similar problem?

And if so, how did you support the conductors, The inspector in the area is "by the book".

I thought about kellums grips, but was concerned that these were only rated for cables, not wire bundles.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

Joe Villani
 
Put one of those phone guy mushroom knobs (distribution spools) inside the top junction box and wrap them around that.

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Pull some "future use" circuits. That should clog it up a bit. Have an apprentice do it so it gets all tangled around itself on the way up.
 
Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand...

Sorry couldn't resist--- Can you put a 1/4-20 screw through the box and sleeve it with a piece of 1/2 pvc. If you can then you can wrap the wire around the pvc.

I am thinking a 1/4-20 screw over a piece of pvc the threads thru the box and a 1/4 nut on the outside.
 
Total length of vertical conductors is less than 100 feet, but the conductors want to pull back down.
Click to expand...

You could fix this upstairs or downstairs. Downstairs seems easier.


They couldn't fall far if they were terminated or ran 90 degrees thru a downstairs jb first, or if the conduit run made a 180 turn up, into the panel/JB. If you run them into the top of a panel/big jbox, they would have somewhere to go.

Otherwise, upstairs...????......tie them in a loose knot? Put a series of boxes, perhaps with offset nipples, and thread them around in a circle/half circle?
 
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I would stick with and idea like Marc install something in the box to wrap the wires around that wont damage them, Caddy seems like they might have something for this too.
 
Paul B said:
I have done the loose knot thing once or twice.
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Seems like I've seen it in books too, but for pendant fixtures and lamps. "Underwriter's knot", as if the insurance underwriters blessed some particular knot.
 
squirt some cheap pull lube down the pipe, once it drys up that #10 is going no where. :grin:
 
you could stuff some 'Mighty Putty' around the wires where they come out of the conduit at the top........ :roll: (if you havent seen that commercial look for it on youtube or something)
 
Joe Villani said:
I was hoping for a suggestion on a situation I have at a on going job.

Senerio: 5 # 10 AWG stranded copper conductors going from the 1st floor to the 4th floor in 3/4" emt.

Total length of vertical conductors is less than 100 feet, but the conductors want to pull back down.

In hindsight I probably should have used solid conductors, but I didn't.

I looked for a grommet to support the cables, but only came up with devices for larger conductors.

The wires go into a 4" X 2-1/8 junction box, so I dont have alot of room.

In your experiences have you come across a similar problem?

And if so, how did you support the conductors, The inspector in the area is "by the book".

I thought about kellums grips, but was concerned that these were only rated for cables, not wire bundles.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

Joe Villani
Click to expand...

Kellems grips will work. OZ-Gedney also makes cable support/stress releif fittings.
 
old guy

old guy

Back in the day we used to use wedges in the end of the conduit to hold the wires? You should be able to come up with something soft and make sure it does not get sucked down the pipe.
 
do you have room to fold the conductors in a loop, so the conductors come out of the pipe at the bottom, go up, then loop back down towards the bottom? then you could zip tie them together at the bottom, and use a second zip tie with screw hole, or a little clamp thing to secure the loop to the box.
 
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