Pull wire/drag line material ?

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ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Hello.

What do you guys use for drag lines and pulling in pvc conduit for hand pulling?

I've used measuring tape, pulling tape, twine, rope etc.. which all seam to cut into the pvc at elbows especially.

The only things I've found which don't is #12 or 10 thhn, or a snake.

Thoughts?

Thank you
 

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Hint: Steel RMC elbows/90s. Ya don't gotta bond them if they are in the ground. 18" deep IIRC.

Thank you all

That's interesting.

The trench will be 18".

Is that 18" to the top of the 90 deep or a 90 in a 18" trench deep?




Mule tape.... I googled, and I vaguely think I have seen it in the past. Doesn't cut into the pvc??
 

ActionDave

Chief Moderator
Staff member
Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
Occupation
Licensed Electrician
Thank you all

That's interesting.

The trench will be 18".

Is that 18" to the top of the 90 deep or a 90 in a 18" trench deep?
They are supposed to be below grade 18". Inspectors here will cut some slack but they have to have some dirt over them.



Mule tape.... I googled, and I vaguely think I have seen it in the past. Doesn't cut into the pvc??
Just pulled 200' today with mule tape in and pvc 90's. Not a cut or a scuff to be found.
 

jumper

Senior Member
The trench will be 18".

Is that 18" to the top of the 90 deep or a 90 in a 18" trench deep?

250.86 Other Conductor Enclosures and Raceways. Except
as permitted by 250.112(I), metal enclosures and raceways
for other than service conductors shall be connected
to the equipment grounding conductor.

Exception No. 3: A metal elbow shall not be required to be
connected to the equipment grounding conductor where it
is installed in a run of nonmetallic raceway and is isolated
from possible contact by a minimum cover of 450 mm
(18 in.) to any part of the elbow or is encased in not less
than 50 mm (2 in.) of concrete.
 

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
If you are asking me, none. Not simpull either just plain old RHW.

Preferred over thhn/thwn ???

Don't think I've ever pulled anything other than that. Except a small length of I believe it was xhhw an engineered wanted to see.

250.86 Other Conductor Enclosures and Raceways. Except
as permitted by 250.112(I), metal enclosures and raceways
for other than service conductors shall be connected
to the equipment grounding conductor.

Exception No. 3: A metal elbow shall not be required to be
connected to the equipment grounding conductor where it
is installed in a run of nonmetallic raceway and is isolated
from possible contact by a minimum cover of 450 mm
(18 in.) to any part of the elbow or is encased in not less
than 50 mm (2 in.) of concrete.


Thank you


On a similar note: Remember, when you're burying 18" that refers to the TOP of your conduit so your trench really needs to be deeper than 18" to avoid a problem with a tape measure wielding inspector.:)


Thank you.


The trencher gentleman asked if I would be back filling with sand or putting in caution tape.

NOT code required right?

He said the electrician for his last trench for a service had to do it. I can only think the inspector wanted the caution tape because it was service entrance (no protection) and maybe the sand because the earth was rocky ??
 

jimdavis

Senior Member
The trencher gentleman asked if I would be back filling with sand or putting in caution tape.

NOT code required right?

He said the electrician for his last trench for a service had to do it. I can only think the inspector wanted the caution tape because it was service entrance (no protection) and maybe the sand because the earth was rocky ??

A warning ribbon (caution tape) is required for underground service conductors which are not encased in concrete- 300.5(D)(3).

Protection from backfill containing large rocks etc. is also required- 300.5(F). Sand is but one method permitted.
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
We had to do the same for the same and I learned the hardway about using pvc 90 s. The wire cut into one I got to dig it up. We used lots of lube on the rest and I learned rmc isnt just for stub ups
 
250.86 Other Conductor Enclosures and Raceways. Except
as permitted by 250.112(I), metal enclosures and raceways
for other than service conductors shall be connected
to the equipment grounding conductor.

Exception No. 3: A metal elbow shall not be required to be
connected to the equipment grounding conductor where it
is installed in a run of nonmetallic raceway and is isolated
from possible contact by a minimum cover of 450 mm
(18 in.) to any part of the elbow or is encased in not less
than 50 mm (2 in.) of concrete.

Just to clarify, this is stating minimum cover of 18" to ANY part of the elbow, not every part or the entire elbow. correct?
 

Bladnaster

Member
Location
CT.
Preferred over thhn/thwn ???



Thank you.


The trencher gentleman asked if I would be back filling with sand or putting in caution tape.

NOT code required right?

He said the electrician for his last trench for a service had to do it. I can only think the inspector wanted the caution tape because it was service entrance (no protection) and maybe the sand because the earth was rocky ??

Around here, at least on the jobs I've been on, we put in the pipes, they backfill a bit, then cover it with sand, then we put the tape. Thought it was something standard. Made sense to me. Someone happens to hit sand, they know something is up.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Just to clarify, this is stating minimum cover of 18" to ANY part of the elbow, not every part or the entire elbow. correct?
I read that as if any part of the elbow is shallower than 18", it fails.
Otherwise, with a large enough bend you could have more than half the elbow entirely above the ground in your interpretation.
 
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