Pull wire for main service wire

[KSever]

I'm in the process of running 2 1/2" grey pvc conduit with the pvc expansion coupling to my barn from the electrical pole so the electric company can run their service wire. This week I have to pick up the trencher and trench 140' and 30" deep so I can lay the conduit. When I got home I forgot when I was at the electric store to see what they recommend for a pull wire that the electric company wants me to supply in the conduit. Anybody here recommend what to use so they can pull their 4/0 wire approx. 160' ?

Thanks, Kris

[Speedy Petey]

You just need to provide a string so they can pull in their pulling rope.

Check your local requirements to be sure. It is most likely that they're available online.

[HayZee518]

depending on the power company, most will let you use conduit where their TRIPLEX exits and enters the ground such as at poles and the service meter. they will install a 4/0 with a reduced neutral size. TRIPLEX is meant for direct burial in a trench with sand as a base and sand as a cover. for a pulling string use some of that GREENLEE mouse line. It is nylon with foot markings every foot. For a 160 foot pull, use a greenlee mouse and a vacuum cleaner. you can pull the mouse the entire length in just under 20 seconds with a vacuum cleaner.

[KSever]

Hayzee,
Any idea what I can use or make, to use as a mouse in 2 1/2" conduit? This isn't a everyday thing for me or I would go buy the mouse kit. All 160' of conduit is trenched in approx. 30" deep and glued together, it was a long day but it sure looks good laying in there.

[HayZee518]

Mouse

A typical mouse looks like this - two rubber washers, a piece of foam and a wire running through the stack with two hooks on it. soft open cell foam is advisable to negotiate any sweeps or bends in the conduit.

[KSever]

Thanks Hayzee,
I'll see what I can come up with, it will be nice to have power and heat in the barn/workshop. All my tools are still packed in the moving boxes in the garage with no heat.

Kris

[Speedy Petey]

A plastic grocery bag tied into a balloon works just as well for sucking a line in.

[pushkins]

I just looked up a "Greenlee"....what a great idea, are they very expensive ?

[Speedy Petey]

About $10-$20 each depending on size.

[KSever]

Much easier to use the plastic shopping bag tied to the string. The shop vac sucked that string and bag through that 160' of conduit in about 3 seconds.

[Speedy Petey]

Much easier to use the plastic shopping bag tied to the string. The shop vac sucked that string and bag through that 160' of conduit in about 3 seconds.

Yup, that's how it works.

[KSever]

Well this whole string running was a pure waste of time and money. The code the county follows and gives you when you want to run a new service isn't even followed by their contractor. Per the papers they give you that they want you to follow states they want and need a pull string which by the way cost me $19 for the roll and gas money to find it.
When the wire installer got here to pull the wire through he went to one end and pulled the string right out and said we don't ever use these, then went to the service pole end and pushed the 4/0 wire right through without any problems.

So, so much for my running around and installing their needed pull string.

[HayZee518]

sometimes its best to contact the inspector or the company if you're not planning on doing the job yourself. stuff here on the forum is assuming you were doing the job yourself. 160 ft is a long way to push 4/0-3 even with a reduced neutral.

[KSever]

Hayzee,
I was in contact with the electrical engineer from our local electrical utilities, he came out and told me what the company wanted to run the service to my barn.

The lady in the utility office in charge of new construction service told me I could go over head with my service and she gave the overhead meter box to mount and I bought the 4/0 3 wire to go over head to meet their connection, then said she would send out the engineer to also look at the job he has to schedule so they could run the service wire from the pole. When he got here the next day I had all my install done, meter box mounted, wires ran from the inside panel to the meter box and from the meter box to the edge of the roof so all they had to do was run the wire to the building overhead. When the engineer got out of the truck he said no way that service wire has to go underground, so I went down and rented a trencher, trenced 160', bought and layed 160' of 2 1/2" conduit with a pvc expander and a pull string just like he told me they had to have.

So yes I was doing the work myself and this is why I asked questions. Isn't this what this forum was intended for?