val323•1mo ago

Vent: I always thought those wire-pulling lubricant gels were a messy gimmick until I had to pull four 4/0 THHN runs through 150 feet of 2-inch rigid conduit last week.

My foreman insisted we try the green Ideal brand gel, and it cut our pull time from what would have been a brutal three-man fight down to a smooth two-person job in under an hour, so what other old-school tricks have you guys been wrong about?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowanjenkins1mo ago

Honestly though, is it that big of a deal? Sounds like a one-time thing for a really big pull... most residential guys will never touch 4/0. For regular pipe work, a little soap or even just pulling dry gets it done. That gel stuff is just extra cleanup.

miles_campbell391mo ago

Wait, pulling dry? You can't be serious. I've seen guys burn up brand new wire doing that on a simple 3/4 inch run with just three 12-2s. The jacket gets all chewed up and you're begging for a hot spot later. That gel might be messy but it's way cheaper than replacing a whole run of cable.

noah3261mo ago

Seen plenty of pulls done dry with no issues. A three wire pull in 3/4 inch isn't exactly a monster job. If the pipe is straight and you're not forcing it, the jacket holds up fine. Calling it a guaranteed hot spot seems like a stretch. Most of the time the extra mess just isn't worth it.