Getting Fishtape Through 1/2" EMT

[Ravenvalor]

Thanks for all of the godd advice.

Thanks for all of the godd advice.

Good advice. I looked in my van and found an old fish tape leader. I will give it a try and let you all know. The conduit is buried in walls and ceilings. It is running from a switch box to a light location.

 

[Bbaird]

Slip stick the fish tape head

 

[ritelec]

Aviation cable.

steel cable with plastic outer jacket.

Did a job with lots and lots of 1/2 rigid. Ordinary snakes would not go. Got pretty scary. Tried the aviation cable.
Slid right in EVERY time.

 

[J.P.]

I use a tank of compressed air or CO2 from the local welding shop for blowing string through pipe.
A regular mouse or a plastic bag mouse works equally. The string/water/dirt/bugs really comes shooting out the other end in a hurry.

My tank is strapped to a two wheel dolly for ease of movement I use a ink pen body or something like it as a string guide and wrap the hose in a rag so it seals in the pipe.

 

[Fulthrotl]

Hello,
Can anyone make a suggestion for getting a fish tape through a 40' length of 1/2" EMT? We are coming behind another electrician and I assume that there are too many bends in the run.
I am going to make a home made mouse and will let you know how it goes.
Thanks,

greenlee stainless steel fish tape.

once you've used one.... nothing else comes close.
i've pushed one thru 80' of 3/4" emt with seven 90's and a kick.....

http://www.toolbarn.com/greenlee-06408.html?gclid=CNHV6vKCtL4CFQGTfgodJEgAZA

$70

 

[HackElectric]

What's the deal with stainless steel snakes? I've never used one, but everyone is saying it's better.

 

[infinity]

If you have a decent 1/8" steel fish tape add one of these on and it should go right through.

http://www.specialized.net/Specialized/Greenlee-4391-Flexible-Fish-Tape-Leader-Only-12-3326.aspx

 

[mjf]

If you have a decent 1/8" steel fish tape add one of these on and it should go right through.

http://www.specialized.net/Specialized/Greenlee-4391-Flexible-Fish-Tape-Leader-Only-12-3326.aspx

This is what I was referring to

 

[cowboyjwc]

Years ago, there was some really bad EMT our there. You couldn't hardly pull through a 10 ft run sometimes.

Could be a nail or drywall screw in it somewhere too, but usually with that you can get the fish through, but can't pull the wires.

 

[iwire]

No one likes fiberglass snakes for things like this?

 

[K8MHZ]

No one likes fiberglass snakes for things like this?

Probably a better choice, since they are round. With a steel tape, you have two choices of orientation and since they are 180 out from each other, there isn't much difference between the choices. If the flat side of the end is hanging up, flipping the tape won't help much.

With a round tape you get all 360 and have the ability to make a 90 degree turn in the tape which may be enough to turn the end from the flat side to the round side and thus be able to transverse the obstruction.

 

[Transportation Guy]

Did you get it?

Did you get it?

What did you find?

 

[sparkyrick]

There is an old saying I learned years ago. It makes sense to this day.

'You piped it, you pull it.'

I know that's not always possible, but it does make better pipe runners out of the sparkies.

Grrrrrr, our best bender can run miles of pipe, but he'll have 4 - 90?'s and 230' between pull boxes :rant:

 

[ActionDave]

Grrrrrr, our best bender can run miles of pipe, but he'll have 4 - 90?'s and 230' between pull boxes :rant:

Make sure you use a new fish tape, huh?

 

[sparkyrick]

Make sure you use a new fish tape, huh?

I take care my fish tapes, but sometimes WD-40 is your friend

 

[Besoeker]

I take care my fish tapes, but sometimes WD-40 is your friend

And half inch conduit isn't.

 

[hardworkingstiff]

No one likes fiberglass snakes for things like this?

That's what I was thinking, or Greenlee Lil Fisher, small string, plastic bag.

OP, what happened?

 

[jrannis]

greenlee stainless steel fish tape.

once you've used one.... nothing else comes close.
i've pushed one thru 80' of 3/4" emt with seven 90's and a kick.....

http://www.toolbarn.com/greenlee-06408.html?gclid=CNHV6vKCtL4CFQGTfgodJEgAZA

$70

I retired my steel fishtapes and only use stainless now. no more rusty greasy steel to worry with.
worth every penny.

 

[Ravenvalor]

Maybe a flexible head might help.

Hello Mike,

Your idea worked perfectly. The best part about it is that I found an old one on my truck.

Thanks,

 

[petersonra]

reminds me of a job I was on where the electricians were trying to get a tape through a 3/4" rigid pipe. it just would not go. not from either end.

the electricians screwed around with it all day trying to get a tape through. eventually they discovered that where the conduit went through a wall, it did not actually go through the wall. It just stopped right at the wall on both sides. There was a penetration of the wall someone had filled with this gray cement like product (fire stop of some sort maybe). It looked to me like whoever ran the conduit never actually ran the conduit through the wall, just up to the wall on both sides.