Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

110.11 Deteriorating Agents.
Unless identified for use in the operating environment, no conductors or equipment shall be located in damp or wet locations; where exposed to gases, fumes, vapors, liquids, or other agents that have a deteriorating effect on the conductors or equipment; or where exposed to excessive temperatures.
FPN No. 1: See 300.6 for protection against corrosion.
FPN No. 2: Some cleaning and lubricating compounds can cause severe deterioration of many plastic materials used for insulating and structural applications in equipment.
Equipment identified only as ?dry locations,? ?Type 1,? or ?indoor use only? shall be protected against permanent damage from the weather during building construction.
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Originally posted by aelectricalman:
I like dishwashing liquid or yellow 77.
I do not like yellow 77, IMO it turns to glue after sometime.

I like Aqua-Gel?, it's a blue gel that evaporates away.

Stay away from dish washing liquid. Dish washing liquids are fairly powerful solvents.
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

I use the clearish-blue stuff, whatever it's called. It's probably the slickest stuff I've used (similar to K-Y jelly), and it evaporates if you get it on your pants and shirt. It doesn't harden and leave dried crumbles in the pipe like the yellow seems to. If cost is a great concern, and I'm using buckets full at a time, I sometimes still pick yellow since it's about the cheapest.

Dishwashing liquid? I thought the word has been out for decades that it's bad news for certain insulation types. I must admit that in a pinch I once did rob the hand soap dispenser in the restroom on one job.
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Originally posted by aelectricalman:
I like dishwashing liquid or yellow 77.
Both turn to glue when left out...try it and see.

I like the blue poly...but my fav is this white stuff that almost has small beads in it...I cannot remember the name of it....this stuff is so slick one cannot soap and feed at the same time.
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

I've only ever used the yellow-77. :(

Do any of you put a little into the pipe as you run the pipe?

Dave
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Ideal makes that clear stuff, I think that's what you guys are talking about.
I watched the Ideal rep put some in his hands and then rub it in his hair. Talk about a salesman who believes in his product. He also informed us that it has an ingredient in common with a product similar to KY jelly. I'd mention the product by name, but my post would be deleted.
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Originally posted by davedottcom:
Do any of you put a little into the pipe as you run the pipe?
No I have never done that, putting lube in ahead of time means who, or what is doing the pulling has to deal with a slippery snake or rope.

Sometimes once the snake or rope is in place I will dump some in the pipe just before the head goes in.

In my opinion the best way is to assign a 'luber' who spreads a consistent coating of lube along the entire length of the conductors as they go in the pipe.
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Originally posted by davedottcom:
Do any of you put a little into the pipe as you run the pipe?
Never as pipe is being run. Sometimes it may take months before we get to that point (underground in switchgear), or mere minutes (overhead BCs in a mall/retail).

A good pipe layout allows for soaping/feeding to get the pull done efficiently.
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Originally posted by sandsnow:
Ideal makes that clear stuff, I think that's what you guys are talking about.
Yes, i have some of that too. Thats good stuff. There are some dishwashing liquids that are OK. Just use the ones which have biodegradable surfactants.
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Originally posted by sandsnow:
Ideal makes that clear stuff, I think that's what you guys are talking about.
I watched the Ideal rep put some in his hands and then rub it in his hair. Talk about a salesman who believes in his product. He also informed us that it has an ingredient in common with a product similar to KY jelly. I'd mention the product by name, but my post would be deleted.
You can't say KY Jelly in here. It is calling out a product by name. Joking. :D
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

I thought about making my own lubricant called, "Clear blue easy" but someone already coined that name. :D
 
Re: Whats your favorite type of wire lube?

Ideal can have the clear crap back. It dries out too quickly and then does more harm than good. I will use blue for for smaller pulls, but it's hard to beat the yellow 77. I get it in the buckets for a big pull. Gotta love scooping it out and greasing the wire with it. It leaves my hands soft and silky when I'm done. :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top