Switched to a stub-up technique for pulling cable through conduit

For years I was fighting with pulling lube and fish tape on long runs. Then an old timer at a job in Tampa showed me how to stub up a short piece of conduit at the pull point and use a vacuum to suck the pull string through. First try worked perfectly on a 200 foot run and I haven't looked back. Anyone else use the vacuum trick or is there a better way?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt5137d ago

That vacuum trick is a lifesaver. Makes you wonder why we all fought with lube and fish tape for so long.

thea_knight4h ago

My first time using it was on a 200 foot run of 3/4 inch PVC that had been sitting in a muddy trench for three weeks. The fish tape kept binding up on the glue joints and I was ready to throw the whole tool bag in the creek. Took a shop vac, some electrical tape, and a plastic bag to seal the end and the string shot through like it was nothing. I still keep a fish tape around for short straight runs but anything over 50 feet gets the vacuum treatment now.

richard_west57d ago

And honestly once you start using the vacuum trick you start finding other uses for it too. I’ve used it to pull mouse lines through underground feeds where the conduit was already buried and full of water. Just blow it out first with compressed air, then hit it with the vacuum for the string. Saves so much time compared to wrestling with a fish tape that keeps getting stuck on every little bump in the pipe. The old timer who showed me swore by using a shop vac with a reducer fitting and a bit of duct tape to seal it up tight. Works every time.

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