Long underground pull advice

[JoeNorm]

A customer drilled a well about 800' from the nearest power source so we have been asked to do the job of getting a line out there.

It's though a level field and I could make it so there are no bends besides the general shape of the overall length which will be a giant crescent. So not perfectly straight but a very gradual arc.

The well guy hasn't done his final calc for wire size but says likely 2-2-4 AL+ground will be right. So I figure I'll lay 2" PVC to give myself some room.

I have read a lot of the past threads on longs pulls and it sounds like I can do this in one shot? I originally thought I'd use a couple ground boxes for pull points but if I can do it without a splice or box that seems the best. I would pull both ends of the conduit out of the trench for the pull and go straight in. I can likely borrow a tugger.

Does this sound like it will work? It's the longest pull I will have done but reading here I see people have done much longer without issue.

thanks for your ideas

 

[Hv&Lv]

That wire in 2” pipe? You can simply grab the mule tape and walk… that should be a simple pull, even at that length.

 

[LarryFine]

I'd price horizontal boring as an alternative.

 

[Little Bill]

I'd price horizontal boring as an alternative.

OP didn't say he had any obstacles, so why the boring? That is expensive compared to digging a trench.

 

[VirutalElectrician]

That wire in 2” pipe? You can simply grab the mule tape and walk… that should be a simple pull, even at that length.

That stuff weighs 370# per 1000', I don't think you're going to go much past a few hundred feet walking.

 

[VirutalElectrician]

A customer drilled a well about 800' from the nearest power source so we have been asked to do the job of getting a line out there.

It's though a level field and I could make it so there are no bends besides the general shape of the overall length which will be a giant crescent. So not perfectly straight but a very gradual arc.

The well guy hasn't done his final calc for wire size but says likely 2-2-4 AL+ground will be right. So I figure I'll lay 2" PVC to give myself some room.

Normally I'm all for sleeving, but that's $2400 in conduit....

 

[Dzboyce]

Check into cable-in-conduit. Very common here in eastern Washington in agricultural areas.

 

[ptonsparky]

I have cheated and put the 90s on after we pull. My cable pullers have been Ford, Nissan, Chevy, Tacoma, and Dodge.

Don't use a rope, it can burn through a PVC 90. Steel cable works fine.

 

[tom baker]

mule tape is the best for pulling

 

[Hv&Lv]

That stuff weighs 370# per 1000', I don't think you're going to go much past a few hundred feet walking.

You are not holding suspended weight… its in conduit. Put some lube in it.
Put his numbers in a pulling calculator, see what you come up with.

Thats an easy pull for me.

 

[Hv&Lv]

Normally I'm all for sleeving, but that's $2400 in conduit....

Cheap money compared to finding a break with a fault finder and repairing it later.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

That stuff weighs 370# per 1000', I don't think you're going to go much past a few hundred feet walking.

I didn't do the math.
It's safe to say that he'll need some assistance with the pull

 

[growler]

Put some lube in it.

I'm all for the lube idea.

I also like to make sure that all joints are made properly. And make sure there is no dirt or gravel in the conduit. And make the head of the pull so there are no sharp edges that can hang up.

I agree it should be easy enough if you take your time and do it right.

 

[Todd0x1]

I'm all for the lube idea.

Polywater J is what you want

Polywater® J Lubricant - Polywater

Polywater J is a high-performance, clean, slow-drying, water-based lubricant. Reduces tension in all types of cable pulling.

www.polywater.com

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

I agree that’s not a bad pull.

Just to be sure everything went well, I’d want 2 guys pulling and 2 guys feeding.

Lots of yellow lube.

Or, trencher and direct burial cable. Go deep in ag country. Like 42”+. Bed it in sand, and run warning tape 12” below the surface.

 

[ptonsparky]

12" below the surface might be ok, but I don't think it would last long here. 12" above the raceway might be better.

 

[VirutalElectrician]

Or, trencher and direct burial cable. Go deep in ag country. Like 42”+. Bed it in sand, and run warning tape 12” below the surface.

10 row plows tend not to pay too much attention to marking tape.

 

[VirutalElectrician]

Cheap money compared to finding a break with a fault finder and repairing it later.

I'd invest the money in going deep. A 150hp farm tractor isn't going to notice whether or not it's in PVC.

 

[VirutalElectrician]

I have cheated and put the 90s on after we pull. My cable pullers have been Ford, Nissan, Chevy, Tacoma, and Dodge.

Don't use a rope, it can burn through a PVC 90. Steel cable works fine.

I prefer Case, Bobcat or John Deere, but whatever is available is what counts!

 

[Dzboyce]

I worked for an irrigation company back in the 1990's. We were a Zimmatic center pivot dealer. We installed about 50 center pivot irrigation machines every year. Typical machine is 1300 ft long. So very common to do 1300-1500 ft pulls for a 10 hp 460 volt load. Every thing got put in conduit. Even direct bury wire. For rodent protection. Everything got buried 5 feet deep. Never know when a farmer is going to run a subsoiler 36" deep.