# 6 hr time limit pull



## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Looking at a job. not a yes or no yet. One catch. They don't want power down for more than 6 hrs. There is an existing conduit about 175 ft from CT to pole. About 25 years old. Currently 4" Rigid conduit, with 3-250's (225 amp service 120/240). They want 3 - 750's, 1 - 4/0 pulled through Cu. Converting to 3 phase. 

Heavy fine if not completed in 6 hrs total. 

Would you do ? Techniques?


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## Wireman191 (Aug 28, 2011)

Just make sure you have everything you need, new lugs, right length of wire (Supply houses tend to mess up only when time is a factor)
You should be able to pull it off. Pre set up everything possible the day before, get old out new in. Terminate get paid.:thumbup:


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*easy*

You make it sound soooo easy. 50% penalty if not completed and back on in 6hrs. What could go wrong right?


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Easy solution: Take your normal price and multiply by 200%. What could go wrong?

-John


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## Wireman191 (Aug 28, 2011)

Getting old wires out an new in old conduit can be a nightmare, plenty of things can go wrong, just have a plan A,B,C. If the tugger wont work, use a truck, if the truck wont work, get a damn D8 cat in there!:laughing:
We have done that. D8 cat, and a backhoe for a wire pull. Hells yeah!


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## rdr (Oct 25, 2009)

Wireman191 said:


> Getting old wires out an new in old conduit can be a nightmare, plenty of things can go wrong, just have a plan A,B,C. If the tugger wont work, use a truck, if the truck wont work, get a damn D8 cat in there!:laughing:
> We have done that. D8 cat, and a backhoe for a wire pull. Hells yeah!


Just bring the D8 and do it right the first time 

Makes you look like a real pro that's done it a time or two and also helps to justify the 200 percent :thumbsup:


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## stuiec (Sep 25, 2010)

Cletis said:


> You make it sound soooo easy. 50% penalty if not *completed and back on* in 6hrs. What could go wrong right?


 
does it need to be completed, or just back on? Can you set up a temp back-up plan that alows for return to power after 6hrs in case things go pear shaped?


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

I'd tell them no. If they want to be sure they are not down for more than 6 hours, the only way you can guarantee that would be to install new conduit and wire before the outage. There is no way to be sure you can remove the old conductors. Using more force does not always get the conductors out of the conduit. Sometimes the conductors break inside the conduit. Also if this is underground, are you sure of the condition of the conduit. If it is week from corrosion, you could pull the wire through the inside radius of a 90, just like the rope cutting through a PVC 90.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> I'd tell them no. If they want to be sure they are not down for more than 6 hours, the only way you can guarantee that would be to install new conduit and wire before the outage. There is no way to be sure you can remove the old conductors. Using more force does not always get the conductors out of the conduit. Sometimes the conductors break inside the conduit. Also if this is underground, are you sure of the condition of the conduit. If it is week from corrosion, you could pull the wire through the inside radius of a 90, just like the rope cutting through a PVC 90.





Cletis said:


> Looking at a job. not a yes or no yet. One catch. They don't want power down for more than 6 hrs. There is an existing conduit about 175 ft from CT to pole. About 25 years old. Currently 4" Rigid conduit, with 3-250's (225 amp service 120/240). They want 3 - 750's, 1 - 4/0 pulled through Cu. Converting to 3 phase.
> 
> Heavy fine if not completed in 6 hrs total.
> 
> Would you do ? Techniques?


I agree with what don said above even if everything went perfect 6 hours is an unrealistic time limit and we all know nothing goes perfectly .

What happens if one of your men gets hurt or gets an emergency call from home and has to leave on the spot.

When is the last time you pulled in 750's?

When is the last time you cut in 750's? just that alone is one hell of a bitch.

They are just setting someone up so they can get the work done at a 50% discount in my opinion.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Cletis said:


> Looking at a job. not a yes or no yet. One catch. They don't want power down for more than 6 hrs. There is an existing conduit about 175 ft from CT to pole. About 25 years old. Currently 4" Rigid conduit, with 3-250's (225 amp service 120/240). They want 3 - 750's, 1 - 4/0 pulled through Cu. Converting to 3 phase.
> 
> Heavy fine if not completed in 6 hrs total.
> 
> Would you do ? Techniques?


I would buy 10 gallons of 2-26 and pour 5 gallons down each end a few days before the pull.
If it came down to 6 hours and things were not going well, asked to be paid 100% in cash for the job or pack up and leave. :thumbsup:


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*job*

it's bizarre job and smells fishy so..

For one thing. They insist on 1 set of 750Cu. I aksed them why not parallel 4/0's if they are setting a 400 amp main breaker panel? No response yet. Secondly, they have someone else changing their main panels inside?? 

I think the only way I would even do this now would be 50% cash upfront of $16,500. So, 8,250.00 upfront before even starting the purchase order and I'm betting they will back out of that anyway so it's probably a complete waste of time. 

Oh. I aksed them about a new trench. They said absolutely no way. I'll report back later on how they respond to my proposal.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*Waste*

Well, that was a big waste. I got ahold of head cheese. He basically laughed without laughing. Nothing up front. Pay 30 days after complete. Same rules as before. He said I was around 8,000.00 higher than other bid. 

I opted out.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

How much are you paying for cable? Just the 750 would cost me $13,000


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*cost*

I had material cost around $ 6,800.00 for 1,200 ft of 4/0 Plus misc new lugs for CT. (planned on parallel). 

I think he said other guy was around 9k total  F That!


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## troublemaker1701 (Aug 11, 2011)

Rent a generator just in case you go over
about $250-$300 a day









56KW DIESEL GENERATOR


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

*2 sets*

I'd of rather pull 2 sets of 250MCM of this anyhow

http://www.southwire.com/products/ALRW90.htm


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

You must be less that 175 feet, I would be at 1365 feet of cable if my measurement was 175ft CT to building. If I don't have to go up a pole or more than thru the wall, I add 10 feet to each end and have not come up short. My cost of 4/0 CU is $4.71. Lugs are about $5.50 ea.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

Wireman191 said:


> Getting old wires out an new in old conduit can be a nightmare, plenty of things can go wrong, just have a plan A,B,C. If the tugger wont work, use a truck, if the truck wont work, get a damn D8 cat in there!:laughing:
> We have done that. D8 cat, and a backhoe for a wire pull. Hells yeah!


Used a crane with 185 foot boom for 1 pull. Looked weird as can be but it worked!


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## Bulldog1 (Oct 21, 2011)

Wireman191 said:


> Just make sure you have everything you need, new lugs, right length of wire (Supply houses tend to mess up only when time is a factor)
> You should be able to pull it off. Pre set up everything possible the day before, get old out new in. Terminate get paid.:thumbup:



Anything is possible if Cletis is involved in it. :whistling2:


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

What type of insulation is on the existing wire? Might be hard to pull out if its been there 25yrs. Are you sure the entire conduit run is steel? Are you going to pull anything through the conduit for cleaning?


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## sarness (Sep 14, 2010)

I think I would get a lawnchair and some popcorn and watch the other guys lose 50% of their invoice.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

sarness said:


> I think I would get a lawnchair and some popcorn and watch the other guys lose 50% of their invoice.


I think thats the best advise i ever got on this site


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

sarness said:


> I think I would get a lawnchair and some popcorn and watch the other guys lose 50% of their invoice.


:laughing::laughing::thumbup:


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

sarness said:


> I think I would get a lawnchair and some popcorn and watch the other guys lose 50% of their invoice.


If for some crazy reason they do make the deadline, I'd take some notes.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

sparky970 said:


> What type of insulation is on the existing wire? Might be hard to pull out if its been there 25yrs. Are you sure the entire conduit run is steel? Are you going to pull anything through the conduit for cleaning?


 I agree. pulling old wire out can really blow ...


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## sarness (Sep 14, 2010)

sparky970 said:


> If for some crazy reason they do make the deadline, I'd take some notes.


Yeah, I'd be taking notes too, PVC would be one thing, but 25 years in ridgid underground? You better have a backup plan and the customer needs to understand they'll be paying for that.


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## Control Freak (Mar 8, 2008)

Stay away from this one dude. It's not worth it.


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## sparky=t (Jan 1, 2011)

captkirk said:


> I agree. pulling old wire out can really blow ...


 
YELLOW 77 any one :whistling2:


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

I'd tell them to suck my shlong.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

It's Cletis he is lying.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

sbrn33 said:


> It's Cletis he is lying.


That is redundant. :laughing:


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## Wireman191 (Aug 28, 2011)

I truly wish when dead lines seamed impossible we could just tuck tail and run.
Some how we manage to pull it off though.


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## Meadow (Jan 14, 2011)

Do what I do, rent a generator, bug it to the service gear and spend as much time as you want on the other:thumbsup:


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