How To: Pulling Ethernet Cable Through Conduit (Full Walkthrough)

[@backupaddict1356]

Other than adding a new pull wire/rope when pulling the other it was good. Never know when you might have to pull a new one...

[@trueCABLE]

Thanks for sharing. Leaving a pull string inside the conduit is a great idea.

[@JasonsLabVideos]

If you don't stack the cables all together at one end this goes smoother, stagger the cables by about 12"..

[@trueCABLE]

Thanks for sharing Jason!

[@rickdeckard9810]

What would like to know was how to get the pull string through a long conduit with turns and kinks.

[@trueCABLE]

Hello Rick! That is a special ancient Chinese secret! HAHA! Not really. Many installers will use a powerful wet/dry vacuum and then attach a foam rubber ball that just fits the inside diameter of the conduit. They attach the full string to the ball and then suck the ball and string through. Of course, you can also install the string while assembling and putting up the conduit, too.

[@kristopherleslie8343]

@@trueCABLEneed to see a video of that

[@trueCABLE]

@@kristopherleslie8343 Hello Kristopher! That is on the "to do" list of videos to shoot.

[@electronicsonsite3276]

What you do if you encounter 90's ?

[@trueCABLE]

Hello! The best advice we can give you is to have a pull string pre-installed in the conduit prior to attempting to pull Ethernet or any communications cable through. There is little possibility of getting communications cable past a 90-degree conduit elbow without one. You should also use a lot of synthetic wax-based lubricant as the cable enters the conduit to reduce the coefficient of friction. Do not try this with conduit less than 3/4" diameter, and be aware of the max bend radius your cable can bend to without issues. In addition, there should never be more than 2 x 90-degree elbow bends in any one section of conduit you are pulling through.

[@Native722]

A conduit makes it easier to upgrade cables in the future right?

[@trueCABLE]

Hello! Yes, a conduit can make it much easier to pull and remove cable runs. Conduit can also serve as a shield from EMI, assuming the conduit is metallic and bonded to ground at both ends. You can skip shielded cable!

[@kckrol85]

Any tips on running a few new cat6 wires through an existing floor conduit with ethernet already in it? I just don't want to damage the existing wire.

[@trueCABLE]

Hello Kris! Well, that can certainly seem daunting. First, be sure you can get more cable into the conduit without over-filling it. We have a blog found in the trueCABLE Cable Academy titled "Conduit Fill Chart for Ethernet and Coaxial Cable" that you should check first. If all is good, and you don't exceed 60% fill ratio, then the next step is using a pull string. If there is not already a pull string in the conduit you have two options. The first option involves a wet-dry vac, a foam ball (or plastic saran wrap), and some pull string. Attach the pull string to the foam ball or balled-up saran wrap and suck it through the conduit with the wet-dry vac. Now you have a pull string. If that does not work, you might need to sacrifice one of your existing cable runs to pull the others through, using one of the existing runs as the pull string itself (I have had to do this). Needless to say, use plenty of synthetic wax based lubricant on the cable going into the pipe to minimize friction damage. Don't use a metal fish tape or other rigid objects to push the cable through. Good luck!

[@peterlohnes1]

I’ve done it. The solution is preferably someone at the other end. It’s kinda of 2 feet forward one foot back for snags. So you pull. You’ll hit a snag (usually a bend in the tube) so you go back and forth a bit to get it through. Sometimes you will have to pull both cables to assist the corners. Also make sure the existing lan is well anchored otherwise it can get pulled through

[@edbouhl3100]

Any suggestions on pulling cat6 through conduit from inside to outside where a 90 degree transition is needed (such as going up a wall)? Will a regular LB conduit outlet body work with a large enough conduit?

[@trueCABLE]

Hello Ed! Well, your question is a bit tough to answer. You will want to be using, at a minimum, 3/4" conduit and a 90 degree bend is fine but you should not have more than two 90 degree bends total in the conduit segment. Also, the number of cables going through the conduit plays a factor and may demand an increase in the trade size of the conduit. If it is 4 cables of 6.00mm jacket diameter or less, then 3/4" conduit is fine. Don't use LB conduit body connections as there are too many ways the cable can rip or hang up. Use a 90 degree elbow. Also, don't forget to use a lot of synthetic wax based cable lubricant on the cable going into the conduit. Be sure there is a pull string in the conduit in order to pull the cable through. If there is not a pull string installed, an easy way is to suck a string through the conduit with a powerful vacuum and foam ball. This is a two person job, with one person lubricating the cable going into the conduit (also watching for kinks and making the sure the cable jacket does not get scuffed as it feeds in) while the person on the far end is pulling. You might want to take a look at a blog I wrote about this, which provides some handy conduit loading charts. truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/conduit-fill-chart-for-ethernet-and-coaxial-cable

[@GameCyborgCh]

@@trueCABLE "You will want to be using, at a minimum, 3/4" conduit and a 90 degree bend is fine but you should not have more than two 90 degree bends total in the conduit segment." That seems like a bit of a problem for me. I have an existing coax run that is quite long and has at least 2 bends in it which I would like to pull out and replace it with ethernet. ID of the conduit is about 12mm (~1/2 in). When the coax was pulled through it, it was apparently really tough to pull it through (I guess no lube was used)

[@trueCABLE]

@@GameCyborgCh Given that the coax was tough to pull through, don't use it as a "pull string" to pull through the Ethernet. You will want to make use of copious amounts of synthetic wax-based lubricants (which we sell on our website) but avoid the water-based ones. As to the number of bends in your end-to-end conduit path, you may need to disconnect the conduit at the 90-degree bend points and use them as intermediate pull points (if possible). That is the best advice I can give you. Ethernet is quite a bit more fragile than coaxial and easily damaged if you yank and tug to get it going or apply quite a bit of force. Obviously, this could be a three-person job! Please let us know if you have any further questions!

[@ThriftDiving]

@@trueCABLE This is the exact question that I had, as well, about pulling through a cat6 ethernet through my 1" conduit from my "she shed" interior to my main house. There is a 90 degree bend on the outside of my shed and trying to push it through, it's not budging. I'll have to wait until hubby gets home to see if we can feed it through with him pulling on the other end. It's just one wire. Do I still need the lubricant?

[@trueCABLE]

@@ThriftDiving Hello! Yup, you should use lubricant. You should also find a way to get a pull string through that conduit, as pushing a cable through conduit is nearly impossible to do. A thin kite string tied to a light foam ball and a strong wet-dry vac should help suck the kite string through. That is an old installer trick. Then attach the cable to the kite string (securely!) and use the kite string to pull the cable through. Use plenty of lubricant on the cable entering the conduit, and be sure to have two people do this. One to pull, and the other to guide the cable into the conduit while lubricating it and preventing kinking or scraping against the end of the conduit. FYI--that cable end that you are trying to feed through is likely getting hung up on the ledge where you have the 90 degree elbow attached to the straight conduit.

[@peterlohnes1]

What can you do if the string is out and the conduit isn’t straight

[@trueCABLE]

Good question! Easy fix. Attach a pull string to a foam ball that nearly fits the diameter of the conduit. I have seen people also use plastic bags, too. Basically, something light that can be sucked through the conduit is what you want. Insert at one end of the conduit. At the OTHER end of the conduit, use a vacuum to pull the string through. Hope this help!

[@peterlohnes1]

@@trueCABLE awesome thanks

[@trueCABLE]

@@peterlohnes1 You know we got your back!

[@morejelloplease]

interesting, i'm trying to come up with idea in how i can pass about 30 ethernet cables out of one of those structured wiring panels and into the wall cavity in the next bay over, i made a video about this, extremely frustrated. the builder cluttered the walls with a ton of wires and there's electrical all over the place, not to mention you can't get in the attic and access anything from the top. the smurf tube is useless, my video shows what i'm talking about.

[@trueCABLE]

Hello! That sounds like a challenging situation you are in! Smurf tube is not helpful as it moves around too much. We suggest metallic conduit or PVC (PVC if residential, not commercial). As for the routing situation, it sounds like you will have to relocate your structured wiring enclosure closer to where the cable is at, as opposed to bringing the cable to the enclosure.

[@morejelloplease]

@@trueCABLE all of the cables for the whole house are dumped into this structured wire enclosure, I'm trying to separate the Ethernet from that but I'm stuck due to how this house was wired. I think I've come up with a plan.

[@kristopherleslie8343]

Pull 24 for one pipe 6 on another pipe . 24 cords go to one patch panel