Pulling a 150' conduit run

[W-Cummins]

Hello I have a new toy that needs wired and I'm going to need about 140' of run, with 3, 90 degree bends and I'm a cheep sob! So anyway I have a bunch of 3/4" conduit and connectors and hangers and I would like to use it. I need to pull 3 #6 and 1 #10 thhn. The fill calculator says it's a go, but..... I'm I going to hate my self for not just getting some 1"??

Thanks
William.....

 

[Jim greengo]

Yeah I'd tend to lean towards the 1' and a bunch of lube myself.
Are there any j boxes in that 3/4" to pull from,is it ran along a wall or on a ceiling?

 

[Innovate1]

That's not going to be easy. I did a shorter pull with only 2 90s with same size wire and conduit and it was difficult - although IIRC I didn't use much lube. I generally like to go up one size from minimum unless it's a really simple run - a straight shot or maybe 1 bend. If you are really stuck on doing this with 3/4 some long sweep bends will help. Even with 1" longer sweeps will help. You can bend them yourself with steam or some other source of heat. I like to use steam through a larger pipe as it gives a nice even bend. And if you can put a junction box somewhere to reduce the number of bends on each pull that helps too.

 

[cvairwerks]

Need to use sweeps and not bends if you want a reasonable chance to get thru there.

 

[dogdog]

Waste some wires and stack them about 6”-12” apart and your pull would be a lot easier.
Lube helps
A second person on the other end make sure the wires are not twisting helps

The spool on rack or what ever those are call helps the wires not getting twisted while pulling. I just stick a broom stick through and Hang across the ladders. Too cheap to make or buy one for non pro use.

 

[mike93lx]

That pull is going to ****. Are you putting a sub in or is this direct to a piece of equipment? If the latter the neutral might be able to be eliminated.

 

[sjvicker]

Are you pulling through metal or pvc? If its metal I'd try to do it in stages instead of one long pull. If its plastic, eat the cost, upsize and use lots of lube.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

What is this for?

 

[alfredeneuman]

If its metal I'd try to do it in stages instead of one long pull.

How would you do it in stages?

 

[mike93lx]

How would you do it in stages?

Stage 1 consists of getting the string through and feeling like it was easy, so how bad could the pull be?

Stages 2 through 5 are swearing and cleaning spilled lube off your floor, hands and pants.

Stage 6 is ripping it all out and using the right size, or deciding to relocate the equipment.

Or is that just me?

 

[sparky 1971]

It won't be as bad as the naysayers make it sound. I wouldn't use a ground wire, the EMT is fine as long as everything is tight. I've put three 6's in a 3/4 a few times. And...make sure whoever is on the feeding end understands that the wires cannot, under any circumstances, cross over each other before they go in the end of the pipe. I screwed myself a couple of years ago by not paying attention and wound up putting four #6 in a 100+' long run of 3/4 with three 90's. That was a *****, but I was able to do it by myself. Another time about 25 years ago at another employer we had to increase the size of a feeder and did the impossible (and not code compliant) by putting three #4's in a 3/4. That one took four people with two of us pulling.

 

[sjvicker]

How would you do it in stages?

Put up 50' of conduit and pull the wire through that. Leave the next section of conduit unconnected and fish the wires through that. Connect 2nd conduit to the first. Repeat as necessary.

Because of the risk of getting PVC glue on the wires I dont think you're supposed to do it this way with the plastic conduit.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Put up 50' of conduit and pull the wire through that. Leave the next section of conduit unconnected and fish the wires through that. Connect 2nd conduit to the first. Repeat as necessary.

Because of the risk of getting PVC glue on the wires I dont think you're supposed to do it this way with the plastic conduit.

not code compliant.

 

[eejack]

Make a perfect pulling nose, use lube, and expect it to be difficult. The real question, is the self hate worth the money?

 

[alfredeneuman]

Put up 50' of conduit and pull the wire through that. Leave the next section of conduit unconnected and fish the wires through that. Connect 2nd conduit to the first.

Besides having to have the conduit continuous from pull point to pull point (which is Code)
The only approved metal conduits for underground use are galvanized rigid conduit (RMC) and intermediate metal conduit (IMC) which are both threaded. Try complicating that with three 90s

 

[W-Cummins]

Well I guess I forgot to say it's going to be EMT for the run, if I was going for PVC the replacement cost would be less. Price here is about $16 per 10' so about $300 for the run with good connectors and hangers. As for pull boxes, that could be an option. The run is longer than the conduit distance and will extend off the end of the Hoffman drop in wire way. I guess that I could pull it into the first 70 or so feet a 90 sweep and 50' more, then feed another sweep 10' and the last 90 by sliding it over the wire (BTW I don't know how the code police would know you did that unless they watched you do it).

The run is for a machine, but I still want a ground wire. Its also too large to move closer.

Thanks
William.....

 

[alfredeneuman]

Is the run overhead or underground?
I just ASSumed that it was underground.

 

[sjvicker]

not code compliant.

Interesting. I figured the OP was running metal conduit above ground so doing it this way wouldn’t matter. Learn something new every day

 

[W-Cummins]

Is the run overhead or underground?
I just ASSumed that it was underground.

Yes the run will be along the wall on the first wall girt and will run outside of the main red iron frames. Unfortunately its going to behind the pallet racking on the left, Another thought is for the last 2, 90's and the short section I could switch to 1 "

 

[micromind]

not code compliant.

The code reference is 300.18(A). Complete raceways. Raceways, other than busways or exposed raceways having hinged or removable covers, shall be installed complete between outlet, junction or splicing points prior to the installation of conductors.

A raceway is any type of conduit designed to hold wires.