Place a trailing pullstring inside conduit
Charles C. Lohrmann,
Lohrmann & Associates
Problem
When installers try to place a trailing pullstring inside a length of conduit during a cable pull, the string can twist around the cables as it makes its way through the conduit. When this happens, the trailing pullstring is useless.
Solution
When pulling cables and the trailing pullstring through the conduit, attach them to a 25-pound-rated fishing leader equipped with a swivel. You may also include a secondary line, with a 50- or 60-pound test rating, to retrieve the cable if the 25-pound leader breaks.
Procedure
1) Set up your cable pull as you normally would, using a cable tree or cable boxes.
2) Place the trailing pullstring with the cables you intend to pull.
3) Attach the cables and the trailing pullstring to a 25-pound-rated fishing leader. Using a 25-pound-rated leader will ensure that you do not exceed the 25-pound maximum pulling tension recommended for Category 5 cables.
4) Attach a secondary, 50- or 60-pound-rated line between the front and rear of the leader. This secondary line will come into play if the original fishing leader breaks.
5) Attach the free end of the fishing leader to the pullstring that is inside the conduit (not to the trailing pullstring).
6) Pull the cable as you normally would.
Attaching a trailing pullstring to a fishing leader will ensure that the string does not tangle with the cables when the string and the cables are pulled through conduit. The optional secondary line is recommended because it will allow you to complete the pull should the fishing leader break.
Charles C. Lohrmann owns Lohrmann & Associates (Ft. Worth, TX). He is a master instructor for bicsi`s (Tampa, FL) Cabling Installation Training Program. This tip was submitted for the Cabling Installer Tips Contest at Cabling Installation Expo `97, held in Charlotte, NC, last October.