25 Pair Jammed in Conduit 1

[marklouie]

Hi guys,

I have a serious problem on a project.

I have to remove a number of 25 oair cables from existing .75" EMT pipes that were run through the slab in the basement of a hotel.

Most of the pipes have had water in them (as evidenced by the rust on the cables that were removed).

BUT... three of the cables have broken off.

Any ideas as to what we might flood these pipes with in order to lubricate and free up the remaining cables?


Thanks,
Mark Louie

 

[franklin97355]

Hey, I have a bridge in New York I'll sell you cheap!
You are going to have major problems if these broke off while you were trying to remove them. Are they broken at both ends? If you have lots of lube you may be able to flood the conduit but your real problem will be getting ahold of the end of the cable tight enough to extract it. Let's see if anyone else has any ideas.

 

[toolman18]

Steeltoed boots and a jackhammer.

 

[marklouie]

Hi Guys,

We still have enough cable coming out of the floor to be able to get a grip on it, but these are getting short.

I can't afford to break them off again.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Sphoneman]

http://www.polywater.com/cablfree.html

Steve
tele-dataservices.com

 

[mikeydidit]

If you still have slack on both ends to be able to pull these, I would use the product above or at least some cable pulling gel or some dish detergent and see if you could work these back and forth before you loose one end. I think if you can get them to at least move, you may get them out without breaking them off in the conduit. You may want to get some mule tape or Chinese fingers type cable pullers to put on the ends of your cable too as a little extra precaution.


Mike Jones
LSUHSC

 

[MetroMan]

I agree with Steve, lots of that stuff, but the trifector is a good conduit rodder, run it through there with CableFree after it has soaked in a bit, and that should break it free. Use a proper long mesh grip and smooth, not jerking action to pull it out (maybe jerk it a little at first ;-) ) Good luck...

Trevor Farren
Metrotech Telecom Inc.

 

[Bobg1]

The real question here should be are you planning on reusing those conduits?
I would hope that you dont have to, they sound like they are not in good enough condition.
If you dont need them you might be better off to cut them off and plug them.

 

[bikechuck]

I agree with bobg1. There's obviously something majorly wrong with the conduit and even if you got the 25 pair out who knows if the conduit is usable. Before you get too much time and effort into the pipe investigate alternatives.

 

[marklouie]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all of your help.

I have some CableFree on order and have moved along to other parts of the project until it arrives.

Unfortunately the building is a hotel and it is constructed of concrete with drywall applied directly over it. The conduits in question may not be pretty, but they do represent the only available pathway to the upper floors.

Thanks again,
Mark


P.S. the cables appear to be stuck in the slab under the basrment floor, so I guess that plan "B" might involve a jackhammer.......

 

[hbiss]

the cables appear to be stuck in the slab under the basrment floor, so I guess that plan "B" might involve a jackhammer.......

Of course they are stuck in the portion under the basement floor, where else would water come from?

You do realize that there may not be anything left of the EMT if you ever do get your cable out?

-Hal

 

[MetroMan]

If you are quite patient, I would recommend pulling in some Carlon-flex flexible conduit into the existing conduit...check your local fire codes, and see what you might be able to pull within it, like innerduct for example, but you would be down to a 1/2" after that. It's a long shot, but a suggestion nonetheless....

Trevor Farren
Metrotech Telecom Inc.

 

[jlshelton]

Just wait a few years for the nano-technology robots to be available. They will be crawling inside conduit for us and performing other miracles.
;-)

 

[exverizon]

Is the lowest portion of the conduit (the last few vertical feet) also behind a concrete wall, or does it come down from above behind drywall only? If only drywall, I'd cut the wall out and chop out a couple feet of the conduit at knee height. The last few feet under the floor is apparently the issue, so perhaps that section would then pull out easily. Sounds like you're trying to pull the whole cable around two bends at the floor level, which would be a tough yank. If you can section it and isolate the last few feet, you'd have it hacked.

 

[butthead]

first of all

its conduit not pipe

second

reroute and hilti drill

tomcruz.net
electrician forman

 

[hbiss]

Butthead, since you are an "electrician forman programmer" you should know that the term "pipe" is a general term used in the trade for all types of conduit.

-Hal