# Vacuum



## Voltech (Nov 30, 2009)

Looking for a vacuum to pull string into many different size pipes. I have been using a shop vac and its about to crap out after 6 years. I have never used anything that was made for doing this.

Any suggestions?


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## administr8tor (Mar 6, 2010)

Metropolitan. and it's made in america:thumbup:

The third one http://www.metrovacworld.com/Vac 'N' Blo


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Greenlee, sucks and blows.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

drsparky said:


> Greenlee, sucks and blows.


Yes tghey do that quite well ..:laughing:


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## thegoldenboy (Aug 15, 2010)

I have to agree, the Greenlee sucks pretty good.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I bought a cheap, I mean cheap--$50 or so-- at home depot years ago and it does fine. Furthest pull I had was about 250 feet and it had no problem. Now I don't know how it would do with water in the lines.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

I have a 4" line that needs a pull rope installed. I suspect it is full of water. The run is over 250 feet. I expect that a normal shop vac won't be able to handle that one.

I figure I'll have to get one of those septic tank pumping trucks out here to deal with this one. Should take `em about 5 minutes to get all that water sucked out, and my rope/parachute sucked in ....


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## thegoldenboy (Aug 15, 2010)

kbsparky said:


> I have a 4" line that needs a pull rope installed. I suspect it is full of water. The run is over 250 feet. I expect that a normal shop vac won't be able to handle that one.
> 
> I figure I'll have to get one of those septic tank pumping trucks out here to deal with this one. Should take `em about 5 minutes to get all that water sucked out, and my rope/parachute sucked in ....


Do you have a leaf blower? Did that a couple of times in some ductbank. Also used a vac and a fiberglass snake.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

kbsparky said:


> I have a 4" line that needs a pull rope installed. I suspect it is full of water. The run is over 250 feet. I expect that a normal shop vac won't be able to handle that one.
> 
> I figure I'll have to get one of those septic tank pumping trucks out here to deal with this one. Should take `em about 5 minutes to get all that water sucked out, and my rope/parachute sucked in ....


Septic tank truck was all we used to use when pulling duct banks in a refinery.
We would securely tie a few rags on the string and that cleaned out the pipes really well.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Took `em less than 5 minutes to clear out all the water in the line. Rope sucked in very easily after that.

I suspect that the line will fill up with water again -- if it did once, it should do it again.

I have submitted a proposal/change order to substitute type USE/XLP cables for the original THWN, since it's likely to be submerged all the time once the feeders are installed.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

TIP: Only buy Shop Vacs that have an exhaust port you can hook a hose on. During tough pull string jobs, you can put two shop vacs in series for a 2-stage vacuum. It'll suck the toenails off an elephant.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

An air compressor works well too. Not the kind you keep in your garage for your home projects, or even the kind that carpenters use, but the kind they tow around to power jackhammers. :laughing:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Peter D said:


> An air compressor works well too. Not the kind you keep in your garage for your home projects, or even the kind that carpenters use, but the kind they tow around to power jackhammers. :laughing:


So does a nitrogen or argon bottle with the regulator cranked clean up.

Sent from my iPhone using the ElectricianTalk Forum app


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## oldschoolvdub (Jun 10, 2007)

We always use a tow around air compressor... works great... just don't stand right above the end where the water is going to shoot out... also what's the need in changing the wire type? Thhn should be ok shouldn't it?


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

I like the greenlee vacuum also. Never had any trouble out of it.


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## thegoldenboy (Aug 15, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> TIP: Only buy Shop Vacs that have an exhaust port you can hook a hose on. During tough pull string jobs, you can put two shop vacs in series for a 2-stage vacuum. It'll suck the toenails off an elephant.


You mean hooking the Exhaust from one vac to the Inlet to the other vac, and running them at the same time?


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