Suppose we have a wall conduit for electrical, audio, telephone or internet cables. Trying to push cables through the conduits is frustrating. The only way to do it is to pull them. But how?
Steps
Step 1. Unroll a few meters of cord and insert one end of it at the end of the wireway
Step 2. Take the vacuum cleaner and connect it to the other end of the conduit
Try to seal the hole to increase the efficiency of the vacuum cleaner. You should be able to vacuum the lanyard.
- Check that the lanyard does not get caught in the conduit entry. It is important to know how much thread has entered, so that you know when it is about to exit the other side.
- Check continuously if the lanyard has come out, otherwise you risk that the vacuum cleaner will suck in several meters.
Step 3. Once the thin string has been pulled through, tie a thicker one and pull it again on the other side, this time by hand
Step 4. When you have also run the thickest string through the conduit, tie the electrical wires and run them through
If you have to run 2 or 3 cables, attach them to the lanyard in different places, so as to avoid creating a block that would make the passage difficult. Secure the cables at a distance of 15-20cm from each other by tying them to the cord. Use electrician's tape to secure the knots. The result will be more streamlined and easier to pass through the channel.
Step 5. Use an electrician's tube
If the conduit is long, has many curves or already has cables inside, it will be much easier to route the cables with the aid of a tube. Often the electric cable can be fixed directly to the probe, saving the passage with the lanyard. Fiberglass probes are preferable to metal ones because they do not conduct electricity.
Advice
- Tie a cotton ball to the end of the string to make it slide better.
- If you have to run heavy or tangled cables, you can use soap to lubricate them. Be careful, many lubricants can damage PVC-coated cables. Contact a professional to purchase the right lubricant. You can also find them in DIY stores, in the electrical items department. Liquid soaps and household cleaners, diluted in water in small quantities, are also fine.
- Sometimes you have to pull the cables back and forth to make them flow better. In these cases it is good to have a helper. Thinner cables are delicate and both the insulation and the copper inside can be damaged if you pull them too hard. The thicker ones, on the other hand, risk getting twisted, especially if there are several bends in the duct.
- If there is already a cable in the trench, you can disconnect it and use it to pull the new wire. In this case, insert two additional wires. One to replace the cable used for pulling and one to possibly use as a guide in the future for passing other cables. Check if the replaced cable is damaged or can be reused elsewhere.
- By mounting the cable on a wheel you will be able to make it pass much more easily.
