Pull lube- yes or no

[ixlr8]

I am about to pull 3 strands of #2AWG Southwire stranded AL SIMpull THHN thru 1-1/2" conduit. I have about 90' of straight conduit with a 90deg bend at each end. I have read that one should NOT use wire lube with this cable and I have read it will make my life easier if I use the lube.
What does the collective wisdom here have to say about this? Pull lube with this wire- Yes or no?

Thank you- Jim

​

 

[Firebrick43]

I am about to pull 3 strands of #2AWG Southwire stranded AL SIMpull THHN thru 1-1/2" conduit. I have about 90' of straight conduit with a 90deg bend at each end. I have read that one should NOT use wire lube with this cable and I have read it will make my life easier if I use the lube.
What does the collective wisdom here have to say about this? Pull lube with this wire- Yes or no?

Thank you- Jim

​

It will not hurt to use lube. The people who say you can’t use lube failed to read the entire sticker on the roll.



You absolutely can use lube and it’s required if there are other wires in the raceway.

 

[PCustoms]

Lube

 

[mm08822]

Lube it. Why make a tug of war?

 

[yatg]

I am about to pull 3 strands of #2AWG Southwire stranded AL SIMpull THHN thru 1-1/2" conduit. I have about 90' of straight conduit with a 90deg bend at each end. I have read that one should NOT use wire lube with this cable and I have read it will make my life easier if I use the lube.
What does the collective wisdom here have to say about this? Pull lube with this wire- Yes or no?

Thank you- Jim

​

How far? With 1-1/2 you shouldn't have any problem for 3 #2s unless its a really long run.

If this is for a panel in a detached building, then you need 4 wires (H-H-N-G) or a metal conduit grounded.

 

[Bert_]

I hate wire lube.

Two 90*s and less than a hundred feet of pipe. I see zero reason to use lube.

If you were maxing out with four bends then I might want to use it.

 

[Firebrick43]

How far? With 1-1/2 you shouldn't have any problem for 3 #2s unless its a really long run.

If this is for a panel in a detached building, then you need 4 wires (H-H-N-G) or a metal conduit grounded.

Ummm, 90’

 

[sparky 1971]

Three #2's in a 1-1/2 and only two 90's? I wouldn't bother, the mess made won't be worth it.

 

[yatg]

Ummm, 90’

ummm, yeah. read too fast. got the 90's at the end and the 90' length blended in.

Therefore, I vote no lube.

 

[mike93lx]

What's the application for just three conductors at that gauge?

 

[billconner]

What kind of conduit?

 

[ixlr8]

How far? With 1-1/2 you shouldn't have any problem for 3 #2s unless its a really long run.

If this is for a panel in a detached building, then you need 4 wires (H-H-N-G) or a metal conduit grounded.

Good call on the ground wire, I forgot about that. Yes this is a detached building, no metal conduit, conduit is PVC. In addition to the 3 #2's, I also have a 6-awg SIMpull wire to go in the conduit as well for the ground. The detached building is for boat storage, wood working shop and auto repair with a 4 post lift. Using 70 amp breaker to feed the building.
So far consensus is as long as all the wires are SIMpull, then there should not be a need for wire lube although using wire lube might make the job easier.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

I have pulled thousands of feet of wire when I was in the trade and I always used lube on long runs. YES! even on THHN

 

[Notgrownup]

I asked Mrs Notgrownup and she says yes, lube

 

[cvairwerks]

Hope you are using sweeps and not 90's....going to make a hard pull if you used 90's.

 

[ixlr8]

Hope you are using sweeps and not 90's....going to make a hard pull if you used 90's.

Yes they are sweeps

 

[Jim greengo]

Three #2's in a 1-1/2 and only two 90's? I wouldn't bother, the mess made won't be worth it.

You're young and ambitious! Hahaha

 

[mm08822]

The question is, are you doing this alone or is someone at each end?

 

[dogdog]

I am about to pull 3 strands of #2AWG Southwire stranded AL SIMpull THHN thru 1-1/2" conduit. I have about 90' of straight conduit with a 90deg bend at each end. I have read that one should NOT use wire lube with this cable and I have read it will make my life easier if I use the lube.
What does the collective wisdom here have to say about this? Pull lube with this wire- Yes or no?

Thank you- Jim

​

if you are within the conduit fill and not having bend degree total over 360 deg on a run (not LB but sweeps), you can easily do it without a sweat, as long as you don't twist and tangle your wires. Had a run that have 5x 90 degs and less than 50% fill.. that was fun. as weird as it is, it won't pull.

if your wires are in a spool, make sure it is on a roll and on some sort of spool contraptions that doesn't tangle your wires.. you will be fine.
I hang my spool of wires on two ladders and boom stick and some one at the other end to watch and make sure it doesn't tangle up.

Conduit Fill Calculator | Southwire

Get accurate conduit fill percentages with Southwire's Conduit Fill Calculator. Perfect for electricians, engineers, and contractors.

www.southwire.com

 

[nadogail]

A little lube makes many jobs easier.

 

[Metal-Marc]

A little lube makes many jobs easier.

This.

Also, we don't kink shame around here.

 

[ixlr8]

if you are within the conduit fill and not having bend degree total over 360 deg on a run (not LB but sweeps), you can easily do it without a sweat, as long as you don't twist and tangle your wires. Had a run that have 5x 90 degs and less than 50% fill.. that was fun. as weird as it is, it won't pull.

if your wires are in a spool, make sure it is on a roll and on some sort of spool contraptions that doesn't tangle your wires.. you will be fine.
I hang my spool of wires on two ladders and boom stick and some one at the other end to watch and make sure it doesn't tangle up.

Conduit Fill Calculator | Southwire

Get accurate conduit fill percentages with Southwire's Conduit Fill Calculator. Perfect for electricians, engineers, and contractors.

www.southwire.com

Thank you for the conduit fill calculator, I hadn't seen that before. Plugging in the numbers I come up with 18% fill and a 4.5% chance of a jam. Looks like this is going to work out fine.
I just have 4 loose loops of the wire, not on a spool. Still, two ladders and a pole will make feeding easier than trying to untangle each loop as I am feeding it. Thanks for that idea as well.
Now to bury the conduit and pull the wire.

 

[mike93lx]

Thank you for the conduit fill calculator, I hadn't seen that before. Plugging in the numbers I come up with 18% fill and a 4.5% chance of a jam. Looks like this is going to work out fine.
I just have 4 loose loops of the wire, not on a spool. Still, two ladders and a pole will make feeding easier than trying to untangle each loop as I am feeding it. Thanks for that idea as well.
Now to bury the conduit and pull the wire.

Make sure you keep all the conduit bells facing the same way and pull into them.

Also, get the conduit fully glued up before pulling any wire

 

[hobie18]

Can you pull before burying?

 

[hobie18]

The question is, are you doing this alone or is someone at each end?

 

[hobie18]

I asked Mrs Notgrownup and she says yes, lube

Pull not push...

 

[mike93lx]

Can you pull before burying?

Conduit has to be complete. Buried or exposed doesn't matter

 

[dogdog]

Buy more tools. A 12v or 24v winch with poly rope… they do sell one specific for electrical work. My googlefoo sucked can’t find it now. But it does exist.

 

[hobie18]

Conduit has to be complete. Buried or exposed doesn't matter

It does if there is an issue.... hah

 

[mike93lx]

It does if there is an issue.... hah

Use a vacuum to **** a string through before you cover, then use that to pull in your actual pull rope. If that goes fine, cover the conduit

 

[mm08822]

I'll clarify so it remains within the context of this thread.......

The question to the OP is.... Are you pulling the conductors by yourself or is there help available to feed the conductors into the conduit while someone is on the other end pulling simultaneously?

 

[mike93lx]

Pull not push...

Teamwork makes the dream work

 

[BreeStephany]

Lube never hurts, just make sure to CLEAN up after pulling. Wipe down the conductors with a rag to remove excess lube and to clean up any that may be in the enclosures you are pulling from / to.

With that said, pulling lube does somewhat solidify into a residue, so don't fill the conduit with lube when pulling.

As others have said, use a vacuum to **** in pull string, but DO NOT use the pull string to pull your conductors. Pull string will cut into the 90s and get stuck in place, as well as compromise the conduit when you put some force behind it.

Tie on a small piece corner of a grocery bag to make a balloon in the conduit and vacuum it in, then use mule tape or a similar, larger softer pull rope to pull in your conductors.

Spend a couple of extra dollars, get yourself a roll of 3M Super33+, strip out about a 1' of each of the conductors, cut off 1/2~2/3 of the conductor strands, tie a strong loop in your pull rope, loop your stripped conductors through the loop, use a pair of pump pliers to make the pulling head as small as possible and then wrap the head in Super33+. Super33+ is STRONG and really stretches, so do tight wraps. Wrap the head so that it has a smooth, gradual transition from the pull rope diameter to the diameter of your combined conductors.

3x #2's and a #6 in a 1-1/2" conduit should be a pretty easy pull at around ~20% conduit fill, especially at only 90', but still make your life easy and spend a few minutes making up the pulling head correctly.

Early on in my electrical career, I lost too many conductors midway through a pull and/or had MISERABLE pulls due to cheap tape and poorly made heads.

Just my two cents!

 

[sparky 1971]

Lube never hurts, just make sure to CLEAN up after pulling. Wipe down the conductors with a rag to remove excess lube and to clean up any that may be in the enclosures you are pulling from / to.

With that said, pulling lube does somewhat solidify into a residue, so don't fill the conduit with lube when pulling.

As others have said, use a vacuum to **** in pull string, but DO NOT use the pull string to pull your conductors. Pull string will cut into the 90s and get stuck in place, as well as compromise the conduit when you put some force behind it.

Tie on a small piece corner of a grocery bag to make a balloon in the conduit and vacuum it in, then use mule tape or a similar, larger softer pull rope to pull in your conductors.

Spend a couple of extra dollars, get yourself a roll of 3M Super33+, strip out about a 1' of each of the conductors, cut off 1/2~2/3 of the conductor strands, tie a strong loop in your pull rope, loop your stripped conductors through the loop, use a pair of pump pliers to make the pulling head as small as possible and then wrap the head in Super33+. Super33+ is STRONG and really stretches, so do tight wraps. Wrap the head so that it has a smooth, gradual transition from the pull rope diameter to the diameter of your combined conductors.

3x #2's and a #6 in a 1-1/2" conduit should be a pretty easy pull at around ~20% conduit fill, especially at only 90', but still make your life easy and spend a few minutes making up the pulling head correctly.

Early on in my electrical career, I lost too many conductors midway through a pull and/or had MISERABLE pulls due to cheap tape and poorly made heads.

Just my two cents!

That's the best advice so far. Make a decent pulling head and the wire will almost pull itself in with the assistanceof two guys. Make a monstrosity of a head and it will take 12 people, five gallons of lube, three monkeys, a forklift, some dynamite, and every cuss word ever uttered.

 

[hobie18]

Orchestra conductors and condoms
More fun without
Safer with

 

[My Old Tools]

2" conduit will make more difference than lube.

 

[sparky 1971]

2" conduit will make more difference than lube.

2" won't make much of a difference since it's already buried and nine #2 THHN/THWN will fit in a 1-1/2". I would have probably used 1-1/4, but 1" would work.

 

[ybnormal]

35 posts and no one has said "ask our resident lube expert @PelicanPines "

 

[PelicanPines]

35 posts and no one has said "ask our resident lube expert @PelicanPines "

I always use lube... mostly because it smells nice.

 

[mm08822]

Edible?