# Wiring grease ?



## gstory (Sep 21, 2010)

Question is has anyone used the wire pulling lubricant called yellow 77 by Ideal? I read the label but am still not quit sure if I should use it or not. A friend uses this to pull computer networking cable (cat 6) and gave me some to use. I am pulling 12/2 undergroud wire and would like to know if I can use it on this type of wire? The caution at the bottom says,

"This product is electrically conductive when applied. Allow sufficient drying time before energizing the circuit. Do not allo wet product to come in contact with live electrical equipment.":help:
No where in the directions does it give the time needed to dry. Can I use this and how long is the dry time.



Thanks for any help.


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## speedy petey (Sep 21, 2010)

Just wipe it off and go to town. Don't worry about it. 

Question, WHY are you pulling cable into conduit?


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## gstory (Sep 22, 2010)

speedy petey said:


> Just wipe it off and go to town. Don't worry about it.
> 
> Question, WHY are you pulling cable into conduit?



I have a manufactured home with steel beams under it. I ran the conduit
1. to keep it neat 
2. to hang it from the beam under the house.
The inspector (I called) said it was considered a damp area and in need to use underground wire. There are 6 runs that I need coming from a sub panel to some outlets on the floor. 

Thanks


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## JoeD (Sep 22, 2010)

Pulling cable into conduit is a code vioaltion unles it is just a short run for protection. You can ue THWW wet rated wires in your conduits.


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## gstory (Sep 22, 2010)

JoeD said:


> Pulling cable into conduit is a code vioaltion unles it is just a short run for protection. You can ue THWW wet rated wires in your conduits.



Isn't that what underground wire is 'wet rated'? And yes it is a short run of about 35'. I also have lots of field mice in our area and did not want the rodents to chow down on the cable.

Thanks


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## kok328 (Sep 22, 2010)

I don't think NEC has defined what a "short run" is but, generally it's less than 10'.
Underground is "wet rated" but it also jacketed and that's where the problem lies.
THWW is not jacketed so you have pull that instead.


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## gstory (Sep 22, 2010)

Just for my curiosity can you tell me why there is a problem with running jacketed wire in conduit. Seams to me that would just be doubly safe.


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## hornetd (Oct 6, 2010)

gstory said:


> Just for my curiosity can you tell me why there is a problem with running jacketed wire in conduit. Seams to me that would just be doubly safe.



The problem is the heat build up in the conduit.  The number of current carrying conductors in the conduit governs what percentage of the conductors original ampacity is safe to use in that conductor under those conditions but those figures are based on individual wires in the conduit rather than cable assemblies.  The heat may build up in the conduit beyond what the insulation on the conductors can withstand.  Also the total fill in the conduit may not exceed forty percent of it's internal cross sectional area.  To allow for the twisting of the cable assemblies that occurs during installation you are required to use the largest cross sectional measurement as the diameter of a circle to calculate the cross sectional area of the cable and when you add up all of the calculated cross sectional areas they may not exceed forty percent of the internal cross sectional area of the conduit.  So there is a heavy fill penalty that comes into play when you pull cable assemblies into conduit.  With six cables in the conduit you have at least twelve current carrying conductors in the one conduit.  That reduces the ampacity of the conductors to half of their originally rated capacity.  You now have to run #12 in place of #14 American Wire Gauge (AWG) copper and #10 in place of #12 AWG copper.  Your probably over your conductor ampacity and your percentage of wire fill in the conduit.  

If you run multi wire branch circuits you can knock the number of current carrying conductors back to six.  You would still have ten of the original eighteen conductors but multiwire branch circuits would keep the number that are carrying current down to six.  That would allow you to use the conductors at their nominal ampacity under the code which is fifteen amperes for #14 AWG and twenty amperes for #12 AWG.  The only problem with that is that if you are required to use AFCI breakers for these circuits you cannot use multiwire branch circuits because those breakers are not available for shared neutral circuits.  

Your best remedy may well be to run these circuits in metal clad cable that is run through the holes that the building manufacturer left in the steel joists.  Spread the cables out so that there are not more than nine current carrying conductors in any one group of cables.  That will allow you to run the cables directly to each box you are trying to serve and the metal clad jacket will resist rodent attack.   Most metal clad cable has conductors that are listed for wet locations.  You wire it exactly as you do Romex except that you must use metallic boxes or plastic boxes that are fitted with an internal bonding means to bond all of the cable jackets together.  Do not use type AC or armored cable as it is not listed for damp locations.  
--
Tom Horne


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