# Stubborn underground pull



## the.rixter (Apr 23, 2010)

Hi!
I am working on a state park built by the CCC in the 30'S. There is an underground fault in the 200 amp 220V service running from the main disconnect located at the pole to the distribution box located in the pump room about 40' away. The service is #0000 copper in 4" welded steel pipe conduit and was probably installed in the late 40's. The conduit passes through a 2' thick foundation and into the basement of the pump room. No good way to pull shorted cable from pole. I'm tryiing to pull from a roof beam in the pump room with a come-along, but it won't budge. It appears that squirells got into the main disconnect from a missing cover at the pole conduit to the mast and traveled through the system to the underground and chewed through the insulation (darn squirrels). Any suggestions?


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

You are wasting your time trying to reuse or pull the wire out of that old conduit. It would be faster to run a new conduit.


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Are you a electrician?


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

william1978 said:


> Are you a electrician?



I vote no.



> What is your electrical related field/trade:
> commercial building and equipment repair


But you could always get a tugger and git-er-done.


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

480sparky said:


> I vote no.


 That make's 2 for no.


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

the.rixter said:


> The service is #0000 copper in 4" welded steel pipe


 I have never seen a wire that size.


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

william1978 said:


> I have never seen a wire that size.



Maybe you've seen 4/0.........


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

480sparky said:


> Maybe you've seen 4/0.........


 Yea, but what is up with 0000. Why not use a 3/0?


----------



## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

One time on an old school remodel I was working, we called a crane in to pull the old feeders out of a section of pipe run; the nearest tap can was located in a tiny bathroom only a few j/men could fit in and a tugger was out of the question. From a distance it looked like a fishing rod with a bunch of long worms hanging off it.
Same job, different scenario: thieves cut the service entrance wire at the panels and the GC suggested pulling out the single phase conductor that had been cut. You should have heard the laughter!


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

william1978 said:


> Yea, but what is up with 0000. Why not use a 3/0?


Voltage drop?
Aluminum?
Original installer had 4/0 in the shop?


----------



## the.rixter (Apr 23, 2010)

The reason for the #0000 is that there is another underground run in conduit from the distribution box in the pump house to the main lodge and then to the bath house totaling almost 2000'. The conduit appears to be in excellant condition as it is buried in high ground in a sand/gravel glacial morane. I am a retired electricial and haven't had a license in 15 years. I retired from a my comercial building and equipment repair business. I now lease the camp from the state and operate it as a youth camp. I know that the fault is in the run to the pump house as I have isolated that circuit and tested for continuity across the lines. All three lines are fused together.


----------



## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> All three lines are fused together


They are likely fused to the conduit also.

I'd try watering down some good wire lube and getting as much as I could in both ends.


----------



## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Cat 330.


----------



## JayH (Nov 13, 2009)

If trying to reuse the existing conduit is the priority and the pull cannot be accomplished from the pole, I'd add an UG pullbox outside.

From your description of the system and the apparent fault, the wires are very likely fused to the steel conduit and nothing less than a backhoe is going to extract the wire.

Even if you are successful in removing the wire, the raceway could be damaged enough from the event to cause new cables to be damaged during the re-pull.

Is the property insured? If so, I'd probably file a claim. This is exactly why we pay property insurance.


----------



## stars13bars2 (Jun 1, 2009)

If you get the wire out, you can get the plumber to run his camera down the pipe and see where and how much damage there is.


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

drsparky said:


> Cat 330.


:yes::yes:


----------

