How to Pull a Cable Through a Conduit
Pulling cables through a conduit can be a difficult job, especially with stiff cables that need to travel around a bend. To make the process easier, a tool called a "fish tape" is used. A fish tape consists of a flat steel wire, coiled in a plastic holder so that it can be pulled out, fed through the conduit and then wound back in to pull an attached cable through with it. If the wire is particularly heavy, the fish tape can be used to pull through some nylon string or fishing line, which can then be used to pull through the cable itself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Cut the cable to be pulled through the conduit to the correct length, adding a couple of extra feet to give some extra cable to work with. Uncoil the cable so it is not kinked anywhere, and can slide smoothly through the conduit.
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Push the fish tape into the conduit at the end of the cable run, and feed it through the conduit to the point of entry.
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Strip six inches of insulation from the end of the cable to be pulled. Wrap the wire around the hook at the end of the fish tape, and then neatly secure with electrical insulating tape.
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Pull the fish tape smoothly back through the conduit. If the tape gets stuck at any point, push the fish tape back in a foot or so and retry.
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Pull a small amount of extra cable through the conduit when it reaches the end, to give you some slack to work with. You can then unhook the cable from the fish tape.
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Tips & Warnings
Using an assistant to feed the cable through from the other end, as you pull with the fish tape, makes the process quicker and easier.
Never use force to try and pull a kink in the cable through the conduit. This can damage the insulation on the cable, which could cause an electrical short and possible fire in the future. Back the cable through and retry the process instead.
