pulling in my feeder

[Kaizen]

Just picked up my 2/0 aluminum for my feeder. So 2/0 black,white, red and a green #4 alum for ground.
I asked for them to be on reels which i thought were plastic or wood things the wire is wrapped around. What i got is nicely wound wire only in separate coils.
I have 2 different runs of only 50 feet each without many bends. I installed 2.5 inch so it won't be a fight. Any suggestions for installing from these reels? should i try and find something like a concrete form to put all of them on? Do i bend one conductor to make a round head like a pulling eye? Seems like it would be hard with this size wire.
I do have lube and the only other issue i foresee is when i get to the basement i have an entrance L thing as it turns down and goes under the floor until coming up at the panel. Should i come out and loop it in a circle before going down or keep it straight? worried if i make a loop that i won't be able to flatten the cable enough after.

 

[PugetDude]

Support the coils on a piece of PVC pipe clamped to something sturdy, have a helper guide them while you pull them through.

 

[mike93lx]

A helper for sure.

I would probably stagger the pieces a little and use a pull rop attached with cloth tape.

 

[sparky 1971]

Just unroll the coils into the ground all the way. As far as the pulling head, strip about a foot or so of insulation off of all the wires. Then cut off about 1/2 to 2/3 of the strands of the exposed wire. This way, when the wires are bent around 180 degrees, you won't have a massive head that won't fit in the pipe. Use the modified ends to loop through the rope that you are going to put in the conduit. Tape it up real good so it doesn't open up half way through. Have someone lube it up while feeding it into the conduit and someone else pulls. At the L thing (LB?) Pull out enough wire to reach the destination. Then feed it through straight. Do not let it loop into a circle before going in.

Edit. When the wires come out the other end and you have enough, pull the wires one at a time to snug them up in the LB.

 

[sparky 1971]

Support the coils on a piece of PVC pipe clamped to something sturdy, have a helper guide them while you pull them through.

I doubt this will work. I don't think there are spools. Open coils on an axle are going to do nothing but make a hell of a tangled up mess.

 

[Kaizen]

I doubt this will work. I don't think there are spools. Open coils on an axle are going to do nothing but make a hell of a tangled up mess.

Going to find the beginning loop and tape it together. The area is about a foot. Only thing I can think of is a concrete form. Maybe that over the pvc.


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[Kaizen]

Just unroll the coils into the ground all the way. As far as the pulling head, strip about a foot or so of insulation off of all the wires. Then cut off about 1/2 to 2/3 of the strands of the exposed wire. This way, when the wires are bent around 180 degrees, you won't have a massive head that won't fit in the pipe. Use the modified ends to loop through the rope that you are going to put in the conduit. Tape it up real good so it doesn't open up half way through. Have someone lube it up while feeding it into the conduit and someone else pulls. At the L thing (LB?) Pull out enough wire to reach the destination. Then feed it through straight. Do not let it loop into a circle before going in.

Edit. When the wires come out the other end and you have enough, pull the wires one at a time to snug them up in the LB.

Yes LB. that’s what I was thinking. Straight in no loop if possible and then pull to get out the slack. This is why I got all different colors.


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[Bert_]

Just unroll them out on the ground. If you don't have a head for pulling just strip out two or three of the wires, cut off half the strands, and then bend the remaining ones through the eye of the rope. Wrap some duct tape on it to keep it together.

 

[sparky 1971]

Yes LB. that’s what I was thinking. Straight in no loop if possible and then pull to get out the slack. This is why I got all different colors.


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Not straight in no loop if possible. Straight in with no loop. Period. If you have a loop with even one wire in the LB, not only will you never get the loop out, you will never get the cover on.

 

[Kaizen]

Just unroll them out on the ground. If you don't have a head for pulling just strip out two or three of the wires, cut off half the strands, and then bend the remaining ones through the eye of the rope. Wrap some duct tape on it to keep it together.

It’s a muddy mess up here so I want to try and keep clean. Thinking due to short runs I will be able to just tape three of these


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[Kaizen]

Figured out a reel. Going to screw two five gallon buckets together and stick a pipe through them.


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[Kaizen]

Thanks for all the help. Got it in myself today in an hour or so. Had to keep taking breaks to warm my toes. Dang cold. Worst part as expected was getting rid of the loop at the LB in basement. Even with this mess it unwound fine. No tangles.




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[PugetDude]

Good idea, Kaizen!
Glad it went well; I spent the day running conduit in my garage for a subpanel; pulling wire tomorrow.

 

[Innovate1]

You could have also cut a couple disks from OSB/plywood and put several short pieces of lumber between them to make a reel. Did that for larger coils of pex when doing floor heat. Used a steel pipe for axle. Easy to adjust for whatever diameter the coil is.

 

[Kaizen]

You could have also cut a couple disks from OSB/plywood and put several short pieces of lumber between them to make a reel. Did that for larger coils of pex when doing floor heat. Used a steel pipe for axle. Easy to adjust for whatever diameter the coil is.

That was my first thought as I have plenty of ply and 2x but just seemed like so much work [emoji23].


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[Kaizen]

Good idea, Kaizen!
Glad it went well; I spent the day running conduit in my garage for a subpanel; pulling wire tomorrow.

Thanks. I ran all emt in mine and it came out good. Easy to push wire. Like the look of it exposed as well.


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