ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Vacuums and Wire Pulls

OK, I'm sure we've all used some method to suck (or blow) a pull-string through a conduit run. I'd like to discuss that: what has worked best for you?

First, do you prefer to use a vacuum to pull the string towards you, or would you rather push it through the line?

If you use a vacuum, which one? Big or small? How have you modified it? What would be the 'ideal' vacuum to have on hand? (Or, should I ask, "two vacuums?")

How do you connect it to the conduit- especially when the pipe is behind a mud ring, off to the side?

Do you make it a practice to tape / caulk / or otherwise seal pipe connections in long runs?

I like that 3M "toner" vacuum. It is compact with a real good motor. There is enough taper in the hose to fit a lot of holes in the 1-1.5 range and if you have some transition fittings in the box you can get to just about anything.

Would that be the #m #497 HEPA vac? At about $250, price isn't impossible. Shoulder strap and toolbox shape (with internal storage) look like good ideas.

It does not look like you can use it to blow, though.

I have always pulled the mouse. It is hard to get a fitting on the pipe that will still let the string through.
If you are sucking from the far end, you just feed the string and listen for the mouse to go into the filter.

It depends on the compressor, but 100 psi from an industrial system with a big hose can't be beat by a vacuum.

Greenlee blower/vac system, older version of the current 690. Backup/helper was a Craftsman shop vac.

Push or vac? Sometimes both, most were a mouse and push, occasional 'pull' from the 'backup vac.

Didn't worry about sealing; all was UG PVC.

EMT, and RGC, was 90% fish tape/snake.

Jet Line makes a CO2 blowing system.
It has a rubber cone (that goes in the end of the conduit) attached to a hose with a hole in it to feed the string through.
The hose attaches on the other to a high pressure CO2 tank.
It doesn't use electricity and can be used anywhere

It works like a charm.

Sure sounds like it beats having a genset, etc. to drag around.

I wonder if it was 'around' before 2002??

If you're talking about the CO2 system, I used a well worn one in the mid '70s.

I guess JetLine is now a Gardner Bender product

http://www.gardnerbender.com/en/jo25

CO2 has become pretty expensive stuff. Maybe a tank of compressed air might be a better choice.