# Distance between box?



## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

I spoke with my instructor about this last week because I was looking for the 100' code as well. He told me that a code does not exist.


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

distance- 
Once you have hit the magic 360 deg of bends,you need a box/conduit body.


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## sparlks741 (Feb 26, 2011)

I know about the 360deg, but I thought there was a distance limit as well.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

I have used compressed air to push the mouse thru when the vac don't work. 
Them squishy ear plugs with spider wire fishing string thru the center always worked for me. 
I have found that the mouse likes to get hung up on pipe that wasn't reamed.


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## JohnR (Apr 12, 2010)

They do sell 200' fish tapes, and more recently I have been seeing 240' fish tapes. 
Do you have two of your hundred footers? then lightly tape a knotted string on the end of one, have a small hook on the other, put one fish tape in as far as it will go, then send the other with the string in till they pass one another. 
when you remove the hooked tape, it should/will catch the string knots and pull the string out of the tape and through the conduit.
Doesn't take much longer than if you were using one long tape. 


Vac/blowing in a 140' conduit? only if you used compression fittings or it's air tight my friend.


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## sparlks741 (Feb 26, 2011)

We used T&B couplings, they are not very air tight apparently and the vac wouldn't move the mouse an inch. Never tried the ear plug trick. I usually use a piece of plastic bag tied to a jet line, that always works for me, just not this time.


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## sparlks741 (Feb 26, 2011)

Our 200' tape disappeared, we ended up cutting the pipe and setting a box half way, just easier if it was done that way in the first place. Wanted to come up with a code to back up my beliefs, looks like I will be eating crow on Monday.


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

sparlks741 said:


> Our 200' tape disappeared, we ended up cutting the pipe and setting a box half way, just easier if it was done that way in the first place. Wanted to come up with a code to back up my beliefs, looks like I will be eating crow on Monday.




found it.

Urban myth,
page 498,sec.2 paragraph 6 line 4.:thumbsup:

Your off the hook.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

sparlks741 said:


> We used T&B couplings, they are not very air tight apparently and the vac wouldn't move the mouse an inch. Never tried the ear plug trick. I usually use a piece of plastic bag tied to a jet line, that always works for me, just not this time.


I've heard about the plastic bag trick. But never tried it. 
The Greenlee mouse would get stuck on us at times. Even when using the blower attachment. The plastic ends of the mouse would hit the unreamed pipe or coupling were the screw was driven to far in crushing it slightly, and the mouse stops. 
The ear plug goes thru that section. Put a small plastic stopper on the front of the plug to help hold the string. I keep an old fishing spool in my truck and I like the green spider wire because It looks good on my wind chimes when I rebuild them. 
I use an old 30# freon bottle charges to 80 psi of air. 
It also gets marbles out of 1/2 pipe when kids drop them in.


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## sparlks741 (Feb 26, 2011)

Urban myth,
page 498,sec.2 paragraph 6 line 4????
What article number?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

The length of a raceway is limited to how long you can get conductors.


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## sparlks741 (Feb 26, 2011)

The bag trick is cool, it goes around any obstruction in a oipe, and best of all, one size fits most.


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

I have used a 2.5 gallon H20 extinguisher,(less the water)filled to 120 psI.
home made adapter for the hose.
These are easily refilled via the valve stem. and portable.

however,if it not a tight run,they empty quickly.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Wirenuting said:


> I've heard about the plastic bag trick. But never tried it.


It's all I have ever really used. I don't even know if we have any mouses laying around. 

I know there is no way in hell I'd pay money for some pieces of foam in a green plastic box now. :laughing:


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

Plastic bag is the only way to go. 
1/2" thru 4".

Jason Sent from my iPhone using ET Forum


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## TheRightTrade (Feb 26, 2011)

When a snake isn't long enough, just tie a bow of string on the end and send a second snake in from the other end with a hook on it to grab the string. Then pull the whole snake through with a drag line tied to the end.


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## Rockyd (Apr 22, 2007)

sparlks741 said:


> Our 200' tape disappeared, we ended up cutting the pipe and setting a box half way, just easier if it was done that way in the first place. Wanted to come up with a code to back up my beliefs, looks like I will be eating crow on Monday.


No harm, No fowl!!

Crow only has an after-taste of a day or two:laughing::laughing::laughing:

Knowledge learned is priceless:jester::thumbsup:


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

200' greenlee silver slick , best snake for long runs, got two of them.


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## vos (Apr 1, 2010)

Why not just push the mouse in 100ft with the fish tape then vac?


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Jlarson said:


> It's all I have ever really used. I don't even know if we have any mouses laying around.
> 
> I know there is no way in hell I'd pay money for some pieces of foam in a green plastic box now. :laughing:


I don't think I've ever used a mouse either. I always use the plastic bag thing; works awesome. We had a job recently where we had installed a couple miles worth of underground conduit. We made a couple plastic bag mice for each pipe size and brought the air compressor and blasted string through them all. On some of the longer runs I actually calculated that the plastic bag mouse was going well over 100 feet per second  The bag and string would shoot up 20 feet into the air at the end :laughing:



vos said:


> Why not just push the mouse in 100ft with the fish tape then vac?


If you've got some bends or turns in that run there's a pretty good chance that your string would be wrapped or otherwise tangled up around your fish tape and wouldn't want to get sucked very easily.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

vos said:


> Why not just push the mouse in 100ft with the fish tape then vac?


 That would work great all you need is a strong enough string


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## cabletie (Feb 12, 2011)

Keep a bucket of string on both sides and you can blow and suck the bag back and forth and save the trips walking back to get the mouse. also stuff the bag with a rag or wad of string to help keep it's shape. I always wanted to try a bottle rocket on large underground runs just for kicks but never have


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## Smoke (Feb 25, 2011)

sparlks741 said:


> Is anyone aware of an article in the NEC that limits the distance a 1/2" EMT pipe run in a suspended ceiling between boxes? I came across a situation yesterday where a coworker ran 140' of pipe with no boxes and was unable to vac a mouse and didn't have a fish tape longer than 100'. I always set a box for convenience in case in the future there is a need for another takeoff and have been told that such a rule exists but can't find it. HELP


as previously stated there is no code, as long as you can get the wire and fish the pipe.
using the vac on screw couplings is usually a loose loose situation. if thats the only option, running a piece of tape around each side of the fitting will fix the problem.
put the mouse in and vac on and tape starting at the vac until the mouse starts moving. i dont recall ever having to tape all the way.

just under 1000' is longest i have seen, limited by wire availability.
i have 2 800' and 2 600' where im at now.


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