Recently I was quite desperate to work out how to push the reticulation cables through about 15 metres of poly pipe. We had tried a few things, nothing worked and tempers began to flare. I turned to You Tube for inspiration and luckily saw this video before looking too far. When I suggested it to the males (husband and male neighbour), they accepted the idea with some skepticism but it worked beautifully and what we had tried for hours to do was completed within 10 minutes. So a very big thank you from me in Perth, Western Australia.
I had a short buried run to a hot tub (about 5m) and installed all the loose PVC fittings and conduit in the trench. I then pulled the cable through each piece the full distance, and then glued the fittings. It saved a bunch of pulling and pushing.
I am an electrical contractor and while over all you did a fine job I would like to leave a few comments for others that might be contemplating a similar project. Code is actually 18" of cover on top of the conduit not just a ditch 18" deep under a driveway 24" of cover is required which includes the thickness of your pavement. That is National Electric Code article 310.5. You passed your inspection so no harm no foul and it is highly unlikely anything will aver be an issue. PVC cement is a requirement not an option. A baggie tied like a balloon with a hole near the back works great with shop vac also. Conduit is typically completely installed before blowing or sucking the string and pulling the wire. Getting individual strands of XHHW AL is typically less expensive than twisted cable and easier to pull. I would also avoid the factory 45 in the middle of the run it makes the wire pull easier if you had cut the corner of the ditch off a little 2" PVC would wrap around it easily. We typically dig the ditch as strait as possible to avoid that kind of thing. When we have to wrap a curve like that we will glue several sections together and leave them in the sun for a couple of hours while digging to make it easier to wrap the curve.
Damn, can't just say nice job, if she were a contractor, all of that would have happened, family saved a shitload of money, not everyone likes the contractor police comments, sometimes we just appreciate when folks can just get it done on their own. Good job girls.
@@chuckkillawood8229 The reply seemed perfectly cordial and informative?? he even started saying they did a fine job and won't have any problems.... more information doesn't hurt.
Both the video and this comment were extremely informative. @chuck killawood- no reason to shit on a contractor offering good advice. BTW, he did say "fine job"
I appreciate the technical info to go along with the fine job they did. I'll make the observation that the 18" is frost line depth in some areas, but all in all, if someone is digging without getting the land flagged, they are going to hit that conduit even at 18". I found it intriguing and I like the concept that you would avoid curves. However, I'm not as keen on the idea that the conduit has to be in the hole before running the wires -- that seems more difficult. Finally, PVC cement that doesn't require primer seems like the way to go.
I read some of these comments and I think those clowns should just stay home and be quiet. Many others are correct, and very technical. In the end, the Inspector (AHJ), and the Power Company, have final, undisputed say, over what is acceptable. You had both of them on your side. Very nicely done. You, the Trench Digger, and the Helpers are 100%. I am an EE of 41 years, electrical contractor for 30 of those.
LOVE the vacuum/string/rope idea! Even I can do that! BTW, I'm envying your butter-soft dirt. I live on rocky-boulder terrain that necessitates a jackhammer just to dig a single hole. My shovel still looks brand new after 5 years because it's useless, lol! Thank you so much!
wow, you must have easy soil to dig, ours is full of soft ball and bowling ball sized river rocks embedded in clay, it would take two days to dig that trench for two people and then back surgery after. Nice job. I'm jealous of your soil.
As long as you limit the bends it won't matter much in PVC. It is incredibly resistant to sliding wire so it doesn't take a lot of conduit for it to become very hard to pull. With the size service entry wire they are using the difference between 2-1/2", 3", even 4" is virtually zero
a humble suggestion. put some ground pike along the trench to mark the locaton of the cable. just in case if there is any necessary to dig the ground for obvious reason, such as adding water pipe or cable repair. no one will hit the cable and get a nasty electric shock.
Good job. I was an electrician for 20+ yrs. We did it the same way. The small is called a pull string and tying it to a grocery store plastic bag works good. We used to call it "casper on a line" because people use the same idea to make Halloween decorations. A little more of a pointed serv (build a cone out of your where you tie it on ) will help and always pull into the bell of the conduit. All said, you did a great job.
The little girls, at the beginning, are super-cute... but what's beyond cute is that this is EXACTLY how to raise kids to become "can-do" adults!! Very nice!
You have a good man to hand dig that all alone. I had to do 50 ft in rocky soil with huge concrete chunks, im still not even 24inches deep yet.......serenity now! We had to do 250 ft too, we got a ditch witch for that and im glad we did.
@@bebo5558 Since this project was done in April, 2014, it probably was under the 2011 NEC, since not all jurisdictions automatically adopt the latest NEC the day it becomes "Code". In the 2011 NEC, Par. 300.18(A) "Complete Runs" requires a completed conduit run before installing the conductors. But, just in case, the 2014 NEC states exactly the same thing, word for word. And, if the jurisdiction had not yet adopted the 2011 NEC, the 2008 NEC reads the same. If you have to go to Court, that is what the your opposing Attorney and Expert Witness is going to tell the Judge and Jury.
Warning tape is often not required if the wire is contained in conduit, but 18" is not very deep so I would agree in this instance. I am currently installing a new service at 36" deep with PVC conduit and we are not using warning tape.
For those watching the conduit will actually bend. You don’t need those bends usually. Sometimes a little heat might be needed. It much easier to pull through.
The vacuum trick to pull leader string is good, but on an open trench situation like this where you are putting cable inside the conduit and then burying it, I found it to be a whole lot simpler to lay out the cable and then just fit the Sch40 PVC over the cable one segment at a time.
I think that's against code. And you don't know if the conduit allows for future pulling. Might as well direct bury the cable at that point. Pull cables through entire conduit run (or to pull boxes) to ensure the run is actually pull-able.
1:16...what code book are you using that says you don't have to glue them? 110 says you must install according to manufacture's instructions.Also, don't forget the layer of sand above and below the pipes to protect them.
Where is your ground wire. I see two blacks which will be your hot conductors that will be fed by a 2 pole breaker from the primary panel and a black conductor with a stripe which identifies that wire as your neutral. Where's your ground wire? You should have had 1 pulled in with the tri-plex. Your ground rods, if you drive 3 of them at the building, are not acceptable for grounding panel.They are called grounding electrodes for protection from lightning.
You need 4 wires (2 hot + neutral + ground) not 3 like in this video, $400 was 8 years ago now is about $2,200 material only. 2 1/2 conduit $65 each + 4/0 wires $1,500
The trick with the vacuum is something professionals do all the time when running underground, it'll go around corners and everything. Small plastic bags work very well for it. Another tip, the strength of electrical tape is not from the adhesive but from it's elasticity. When taping wire on to your pull cord/rope it's best to stretch the tape as much as possible with out snapping it. For that reason electrical tape is best applied warm not cold. It also is helpful to stagger the wires when taping them so that the 'head' is more tapered rather than blunt. And don't tie a knot in your rope, you'll thank me later. One final quip: When you use a full roll of electrical tape on a single pull then you can say you've used a lot of electrical tape. :D
Pulling the tape tight is fine for short term applications. However, when it is applied as an insulator, it should never be tighter than what it takes to pull if off the roll. The PVC is elastic, and will gradually pull back to its original size. As it pulls back, it releases and falls off. (Don't use it as a primary insulator, as it eventually dries out. Codes require mechanical connection.)
On a warm day the PVC tape would just pull off so you need to loop the pull rope at least 3 times around the cable end with 10 times the cable diameter distance between each loop. That will NEVER let go. otherwise well done that lady, you did better than a lot of the men I've seen trying to pull cables.
18 inches to top of conduit, so 2 inch pipe should be dug at least 20 Inches. Also I use a hot box instead of 45s and sometimes 90s depending on size of pipe. It eliminates coupling spots where your pull may hesitate. Looks good though
@@MobWithGuns It is a large (usually electric) heater. The pvc is feed through it inside. After a few minutes, the pipe will soften allowing you to bend it. Just have to be careful not to overbend, or get it too hot because the pvc can collapse or even catch fire. For smaller pvc conduit like 1/2" or 3/4", they make heating blankets that wrap around the conduit and warm it the same way.
Add air conditioning, water heater, welder, and suddenly 200 amps do not look as much as before. I agree work was well done and it passed inspection. Putting underground feed inside conduit is safety and durability. Surprisingly shallow trench, no warning tape, no ground wire (?), no sand (a tip off conduit is there, or as some homeowners do it, a pressure treated board on top of the top layer of sand. The point it is it functional. Ground wire surprises me...that it passed inspection.
In some places, you are required to run a layer of tape ( think " Police line, do not cross" ) about 6 inches below the surface and above the buried lines. This is in case anyone digs there; they are warned by the tape that something is directly below.
Dear viewers, the conduit would be substandard in some locations. Too small, usually 3" or 4" conduits are required with 36" sweeps at the riser and turns and 24" of cover over the pipe. Consult your local power company for their service trench specs. Some companies require a mandrel test with an empty conduit.
Howdy. Totally great. In my mind. Another way would be to first unroll the wires along the trench. Then run the pipe segments on. Connect the segments and drop the completed piping into the trench. And also in my mind. Always pull in another string or rope alongside the wires for possible future need. Finally in my mind. I would have used 4 inch piping. Way easier to pull the wires through. Also room for future needs. High regards.
Way to raise the girls! I wish I would have instilled physical work in my 2. Great job. But the next time glue all the joints first and bury the conduit. The pipe seals better and it's easier to pull. But still great job!
You cannot use a 90-degree water fitting for electrical you need to use a inch-and-a-half 90° sweep for electrical wiring how the heck do you expect to pull the wire through that tight fitting
Depends on where it is being run and the amount of traffic over it. 18" is usually sufficient for foot traffic. Size and amount of vehicular traffic would require deeper depths. See your local electrical code for requirements. Also, sand bedding (mentioned by others), pressure treated cover board (usually immediately above conduit / cable), and trace tape (usually halfway between cover board & top of ground).
I looked for some buriable electrical at my local Home Depot but I couldn’t find any. How does one pull buriable electrical? Do you mean cables?...conductors?...wires?
I have read Yes and No on Primer use on conduit. Since it's not holding water or any pressure, primer may not need to be used. But nothing wrong in an extra step. And Five Stars on that trick with the Shop Vac. I am running 2" PVC conduit from my radio tower to the radio shack (90') and now I know how I'm going to get that pull string through the conduit to pull the rope and coax with. Thanks so much for that.
I'm doing my house and 40 feet at 22 inches allowed me a slight leveling bed of sand then conduit with 18" of actual cover which is code where I am in California. 40 feet " kicked me arse" but I am almost 60. I spent 5 hours digging and since it's a joint trench with 3 runs about 2 hours installing by my self by center loading the trench so I could pull. The next two hours were a mixture of beer and ice packs. 100 feet is mighty impressive. But was it inspected? I fear I've been out done by the little ones 😊
How.many feet is that and did you connect it to the metter box? I have my meter at the corner of my property and I want to move it in atleast 300 in to the center of the land. Will it push all the power 300 ft.?
Tips: 1) Before sucking string through freshly glued PVC, use shop vac to blow air through the conduit for a minute or so to evacuate the fumes from the glue. Can tell you from experience that the shop vac can explode within seconds after sucking fumes into canister and hitting motor. Quite a boom. 2) Avoid using factory sweeps when possible. The conduit is flexible enough to "cold bend" around turns up around 45 degrees. Avoid using factory couplings whenever possible. They are the weak link in the conduit system. 3) When pulling heavy pulls through 90 degree PVC sweeps, be sure not to use twisted rope. It can cut through the inside bend of the 90 (think of each twisted rope segment like a sawblade, then add heat from friction and pressure). Use woven rope or install galvanized rigid sweeps with PVC female adapters both ends.
Very cool... implementing the string/rope/wire pull today. But you must live in another world... I was at $400 just for the wire to deliver 60A service to my shed!
I'm seeing you pull the wire through the conduit now and I don't see a ground wire with that you are required to pull a ground wire then put a ground rod at the barn according to code or don't you use codes in your state
carultch we did, but I forgot to shoot picture of it. I didnt use one on the previous setup I did to a meter on a outdoor power pole for my other barn and the frost pushed the PVC up and tipped the box forward on me years ago so I learned, I wish I had shot that on the video but I forgot=(
I didn't see a ground wire(green), the pipe has to be completed, glued first, inspected and buried (usually) not griping just saying as an electrical contractor I have to do all this.
The neutral is your grounding conductor on this 3 wire 200 amp feeder. Their coming from a pedestal. If it was a panel then they would need the 4 wires. I agree too we have to have trench inspected then we can lay pipe in the ground never can do without approval
A text book pull, and a very neat job. One little tidbit of advice is when the pulling gets really hard on long runs, or lots of turns, use dish detergent ( like Dawn). Use full strength. Just rub it on the wire as you feed it through and it makes the job a lot easier. Good video.
cdnbacon2001 is right. I have every only used proper pull lube, but an electrician told me that dish detergent eventually dries out and glues the cable into the conduit
Great instructional video. Its great to see women/family as DIYers. Gender and age does not matter regarding the will and desire to become proficient with a learned skill. Its a gratification that is both rewarding and satisfying of your endless possibilities. Being self-sustaining has its advantages. Thanks for the video.
Where is the caution tape .by the code have to be place at 1 foot deep at top of the buried conduit, and have to provide a sand bed to the conduit and cover a little to avoid accidental damage by sharp rocks
There’s a reason you shouldn’t use pvc glue. It damages the conduit, also never glue with wire already inside. The glue will eventually eat through the protected insulation on the triplex and cause a burn out. I am a lineman for a co/op lol not just a opinionated keyboarder haha. Hopefully that will help in the future. Also if you ever have to push wire cut your two hot legs approximately 5 feet behind, leaving 5ft of only neutral as a tail... this makes it much easier as your neutral tail will come through the 90 before your got legs jam. Then you can pull the neutral tail as someone else pushes from other end. Tape the hot legs to together to the neutral and it should slide right through. Make sure that all fittings are pushed all the way on. Any that are not will be more likely to cause a jam or bump. Hope these tips help. Excellent video. Very impressive to see a customer knock this all out by hand with zero machinery. Props to you and hubby for excellent work ethic and the lil ones for operating the “manual excavator” 😂.
