Tracing empty PVC route.

[mdshunk]

We've used compressed air or CO2 in the past. First load the pipe with baby powder and then blast the air into it. You'll find the powder on the other end either in a JB or a panel if the conduit is actually terminated.

That would work if I vacuumed the water out first. One of the tenants in this building is a local office of my state's Department of Health. I can just picture them thinking it's an Anthrax attack or something. Naturally, 10 people will go home due to baby powder sensitivities, and 5 more will end up in the ER just because they can. I think the whole world is full of nutty people, and I sorta have to plan that way. Working for farmers is much more satisfying. They're a heartier, more down-to-earth breed. Just do what you gotta do and don't apologize. :grin:

I'm going to try the vacuum idea since so many people seem to be on board with it, and others claim its successful use. I have a regular string-sucking vac that has something like a 3 stage vacuum assembly on it. That ought to do the trick. Much more powerful than any Shop Vac I've ever used.

 

[peter d]

I'm going to try the vacuum idea since so many people seem to be on board with it...

And there won't be any "crispy Marc" should this mystery pipe just happen to stub up into some 13.8 kV switchgear.

 

[480sparky]

That would work if I vacuumed the water out first. One of the tenants in this building is a local office of my state's Department of Health. I can just picture them thinking it's an Anthrax attack or something. Naturally, 10 people will go home due to baby powder sensitivities, and 5 more will end up in the ER just because they can. I think the whole world is full of nutty people, and I sorta have to plan that way. Working for farmers is much more satisfying. They're a heartier, more down-to-earth breed. Just do what you gotta do and don't apologize. :grin:

I'm going to try the vacuum idea since so many people seem to be on board with it, and others claim its successful use. I have a regular string-sucking vac that has something like a 3 stage vacuum assembly on it. That ought to do the trick. Much more powerful than any Shop Vac I've ever used.

You mean the G-B job?

And there won't be any "crispy Marc" should this mystery pipe just happen to stub up into some 13.8 kV switchgear.

Something I've done. Trust me. It ain't pretty.

 

[mdshunk]

You mean the G-B job?

No, it's made by Ideal. Mostly white in color, and about a foot in diameter by 3-1/2 feet tall. Mounted on a bag wagon. I'm not even sure if they make it anymore.

 

[hillbilly1]

I would definitly use vacuum instead of pressure, I installed a pull string in a conduit for the second phase contractor who decided he could pull his wire with the string. of course he broke it, and tried to blow a rat through a 3" conduit. when he took the vacuum off, about 10 gallons of dirty water came back through the pipe and dumped out on a fiber optic cabinet that routed the payroll for about 3000 employees. Head computer geek was not very happy!

 

[mdshunk]

I would definitly use vacuum instead of pressure, I installed a pull string in a conduit for the second phase contractor who decided he could pull his wire with the string. of course he broke it,...

That's one of the few dumb things I seem to constantly do. Talk myself into thinking the pull string will do the job. It saves what, 5 minutes to not pull in a rope? Anyhow, there's a confession.

 

[iwire]

Naturally, 10 people will go home due to baby powder sensitivities, and 5 more will end up in the ER just because they can. I think the whole world is full of nutty people, and I sorta have to plan that way.

We rewired an IRS office one day while using a rope to pull a number of 10-6 MCs across the ceiling the head caught a ceiling tie wire causing a large section to lift about 6" and drop back down. This shook down some dust, more then 50% (about 100 people) of the people went home due to 'illness' from the dust, :roll: :roll: of course our crew was unaffected.

 

[massfd]

I did the vac trick just the other day. We purchased a building about 15 years ago and renovated it, last year we purchased a building across the street from the first building it originaly had the same owner as the first building.

While doing the demo on the recently purchased building I found a 2" conduit marked "ACROSS THE STREET". Since we where thinking of having a directional bore done to connect the 2 buildings anyway I said lets see where this goes. The conduit had about 25 #12ga wires in it so I attempted to pull 1 out to see if the length was long enough to make it across the street.

The first wire I got to move was a green and it came out as only 50' and was burned thru. The second I got to move came out at 119', that's long enough to make it into the building across the street.

I shoved a shop vac hose into the conduit and sealed it up with duct seal, after pulling about 10 gal of water out I had good air flow. I went across the street and started walking inside the building. I could hear the sucking behind a sheetrock wall so I punched a few holes with a 1/2" condiit and listened to the noise. When I found the loud noise I opened the wall and found the 2" in a can that contained an abandoned telephone service.

Went back to the other end and winched the other wires out pulling in a drag line with them. That's where I left off last week, will be going back this week to see if I can pull a brush thru it. If I can I am going to try to pull some inerduct thru it and we will be all set to run our phone and data cables across the street.

The end to this long story is if I had blown compressed air into it I would have put 10 gal of dirty water behind the wall into a finished space. If this works out we just saved opening a parking lot and an expensive directional boring job. The vac worked great.

 

[quogueelectric]

We rewired an IRS office one day while using a rope to pull a number of 10-6 MCs across the ceiling the head caught a ceiling tie wire causing a large section to lift about 6" and drop back down. This shook down some dust, more then 50% (about 100 people) of the people went home due to 'illness' from the dust, :roll: :roll: of course our crew was unaffected.

Are you saying that all IRS employees are less than honest when it comes to sick time ???

 

[iwire]

Are you saying that all IRS employees are less than honest when it comes to sick time ???

The laziest office I have ever worked in.

 

[quogueelectric]

The laziest office I have ever worked in.

Are you sure? Dont hold back now. I know how you like to hold things in. LOL.

 

[quogueelectric]

Got any good ideas on tracing the route of an empty PVC conduit? I've got one stubbed up in the grass that I'd like to use, but I can't find it in the building. I'm considering taping a piece of insulated #12 to the end of a non-metallic fish tape, pushing the tape through to where ever, and putting a signal on the #12. This seems like the safest way to me. Any other ideas or other approaches known to work?

Buy 50 -6 foot extensions for the rigid see snake. Vacuum is also a good way. :wink:

 

[TOOL_5150]

Buy 50 -6 foot extensions for the rigid see snake. Vacuum is also a good way. :wink:

hahaha clevar idea.... but I dont know if its the best idea for this situation. :grin:

~Matt

 

[480sparky]

hahaha clevar idea.... but I dont know if its the best idea for this situation. :grin:

~Matt

He's not too far from a great idea. Run a plumbers drain inspection camera into the pipe. Pricey, but safe!

 

[jrdsg]

a little late in the thread

a little late in the thread

i was on a site in the mid '90's where a guy [i think it was a telephone company guy] did send a steel tape into an unidentified emt and fused the tape to the conduit when it went into the main vault at the other end. the whole site was cleared by the workers compensation inspectors for a day while they did their investigation. hundreds of guys off work for the day. don't know the outcome for the perpetrator.

 

[brian john]

Compressed air and blow the sucker out. NOT, I was called to a job were the electricians did just that and blew water, gunk and SCUZZ? on the insulators and bus, that it did not blow is pure luck.