# What’s the best wire type for underground conduit



## SteveBayshore (Apr 7, 2013)

All we use for any underground, even in duct banks,is labeled USE-2 or RHH or RHW-2 or XLP. The short that I have from the most recent project was from Southwire.


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

SteveBayshore said:


> All we use for any underground, even in duct banks,is labeled USE-2 or RHH or RHW-2 or XLP. The short that I have from the most recent project was from Southwire.


Thanks


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Can you use any type of insulated wire? It is just a tracer and it is installed in PVC. I see the gas company use regular THHN #14 for short runs 100 / 200 feet.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

When I worked for traffic, we would run a tracer for fiber if no other metallic conductors were run.
Always a #14 THHN. Never had an issue with it.

Unless they already have the fiber, you can get the fiber with a tracer wire built in


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

Signal units on both ends of a 30 mile run. They’ve had insulation breaks with THHN/THWN. RHH/RHW-2 is more robust. 


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

VELOCI3 said:


> Signal units on both ends of a 30 mile run. They’ve had insulation breaks with THHN/THWN. RHH/RHW-2 is more robust.


So why didja ask ?


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## HertzHound (Jan 22, 2019)

Every job I have been on in the last five years, has spec’d XHHW for anything underground. Sometimes in in the specs. Sometimes it’s in the notes.


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## SWDweller (Dec 9, 2020)

I always found XHHW pretty bullet proof over the long haul. Expensive in the smaller diameter wires.


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

SWDweller said:


> I always found XHHW pretty bullet proof over the long haul. Expensive in the smaller diameter wires.


That’s what I’m curious about. RHH has more insulation but looking at the spec from Southwire it says XHHW is “snag resistant”. No idea what that means in relation to the performance of RHH. 


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

Just noticed that there are specific tracer wires that are available and are color coded. They come in various gauges and can be built for 30V or 600V. Also they make a copper coated steel insulated tracer for high strength pulling. 

It looks like the solid #10 orange tracer is about 30% cheaper than RHH. 

Big savings considering the amount I need. 


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## VELOCI3 (Aug 15, 2019)

After speaking with the AT&T engineers and an engineer from kristech wire it has been decided that #12 CCS PF45 high strength copper clad steel is the correct wire for either direct burial or NM conduit or duct bank. Turns out it’s Verizon’s spec also. Boy I got an education here. 

Looks like glorified weed wacker string


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