Hi folks, I have been on job where the boss don’t believe in pull boxes. He had apprentices pulling 10 - #12THHN stranded through 3/4” emt over 100’ long and well over 360 degrees of bends. These apprentices were struggling it was a very hard pull. My question is can this hurt or damage the wire from the tension of the pull? And compromise the outer sheathing?
Pulling wire too hard or through too many bends
- Thread starter Shawn4280
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- Lockport, IL
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- Retired Electrical Engineer
First, 360 degrees is the limit. So your boss is telling the workers to violate code. Secondly, yes, this can cause damage. The tension can cause the wires to snap. Also, rubbing the insulation against the inside of the conduit can scrape away some of the insulation.
Welcome to the forum.
Welcome to the forum.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
If asking your boss doesn't work, I would have a discussion his boss. Be sure to pose it as a question, not an accusation.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
10 stranded #12s in a 3/4 EMT isn't so bad if the nose is made properly and some pulling lube is used. Yes if there is more than 360° of bend it's a code violation but that doesn't mean that it will automatically damage the conductors.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
I agree because we have all done it at one time or the other and not turned into pumpkins and you will still see this in old building and still working just fine.
To be on the safe side it's cheaper to install a C-condulet as a pull point if needed and made things code compliant.
jmellc
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
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- Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I’ve worked with a few guys who won’t spend the few extra dollars for pull boxes, LB’s or C’s. Also didn’t want to buy box extensions. Why spend that money when you can beat wire in with a hammer? It doesn’t really need a cover anyway if it isn’t in plain sight. I hated working with such guys & don’t miss them a bit.
Greentagger
Senior Member
- Location
- Texas
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- Master Electrician, Electrical Inspector
Where there is soap, there is hope.
Cow
Senior Member
- Location
- Eastern Oregon
- Occupation
- Electrician
Running conduit with well over 360 can't be helped sometimes, but it usually takes very little effort to cut a pulling C in too when you need a pull point.
I never really understood why folks would run conduit like that, it usually only makes the pulling more difficult and sometimes the fishtape doesn't want to go through all the bends. Sets a bad example for the employees to follow too.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
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- Electrical Contractor
"Aren't you glad you use Dial? Don't you wish everybody did?"
flashlight
Senior Member
- Location
- NY, NY
- Occupation
- Electrician, semi-retired
The code is the minimum requirement. For longer pulls IMO one should go easy on the bends and the pipe fill.
As others have stated, we have all been there, but I prefer to sleep soundly and not wonder if everything was pulled too tight and/or damaged in that last install.
As others have stated, we have all been there, but I prefer to sleep soundly and not wonder if everything was pulled too tight and/or damaged in that last install.
Eddie702
Licensed Electrician
- Location
- Western Massachusetts
- Occupation
- Electrician
Not a code requirement but a lot of specs are written with a max of 3 90 deg bends
If that’s true, that’s kinda funny and I never thought about it. It makes you have the pull points there, but doesn’t mean you have to to use it...
The conduit run can be 300’ with no pull boxes and be code compliant, length has nothing to do with it. Some specs or company policies call for a pull point every100’, but it is not a NEC requirement
Some put the pull points in long strait runs (200’+) solely for the purpose of lubing the wire with soap (Pulling compound) as it passes by
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- Placerville, CA, USA
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- Retired PV System Designer
My understanding is that even though the code specifies a maximum of 360 degrees of bend between pull points there is no prohibition of pulling straight through one or more pull points as long as the allowed wire tension and sidewall pressure on the conduit are not exceeded.
Putting in a pull point is relatively cheap even if the extra time and effort to pull at an extra point are not.
Putting in a pull point is relatively cheap even if the extra time and effort to pull at an extra point are not.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
That's true. With the run mentioned in the OP even if it had a pull point in the middle I would first attempt to pull it in one shot from the end. If it were too difficult then I would pull from the center pull point.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
I agre this shouldn't be at all hard with stranded wire and About 360 of bends. Might depend on what exactly "well over 360" means.
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