sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Buried conduit packed with dirt...?

Please, please, hook up a camera. I can just imagine this one on funniest home videos!

Hey, I never said success didn't come without a few risks.

-Hal

Well...looks like the Minnesota farm boy showed the city-slicker once again how it's done... I used a small drain auger and pulled the dirt out little-by-little. Took awhile, but it worked. After I was done, I flushed with a hose from the "high end" to blow out any small rocks that might have been left behind. Thanks again for the assistance!

Here are pics of the layout to demonstrate the situation:

Conduit runs from Bldg. to Bldg. One end was identifiable, other end was buried.



Buried end (Bldg. 1) filled with dirt.



Dirt gone, box installed.



Conduit run the remaining distance to the demarc.



The canal behind the building. Anyone/everyone who saw me working back there had to remind me that an alligator lived in the canal and to be careful...one eye on my work, one eye on the canal.

My only other option was to dig a new trench and run new conduit. 120' through rocky, compacted soil (in 87 degree weather...with an alligator breathing down your neck) ain't my idea of fun. I'm using direct bury cable in the conduit. Direct bury by itself would have required a significant trench.

Electrical contractor? It's my job, why would I call an electrician? The only time I speak with electricians is to find out where the nearest liquor store or bar is.

This was one of those jobs that I didn't want, so I quoted an outrageous amount...outrageous enough to make the client balk (if you make an attorney swallow his gum, you know you're charging too much ). So yes, I am being compensated well for doing this, including digging out the dirt.

Well done!

-Hal

As Hal said " Well Done "

Cute. Well, if I drive about 20 miles, I might see a cow! :rofl: Sometimes we just get lucky but as professionals we just let the customer think we know exactly what we are doing!

Forgive me for typecasting, sorry. I just assumed that everyone from MN was raised on the farm! Thanks again for all your help. :toast:

I had a worse case of this a couple years ago. A conduit leading from a national chain restaurant to the reader board was filled with cement. Seems the pipe layer or, form maker made the cement form to hi, or the pipe to low. When the cement was pored guess where the cement went? you guessed it, right down the hole. I had driven three hours from Vancouver to wire and install all the Network equipment in the restaurant then, route the last two cables to the reader board.

My company called the PM for this chain to see what could be done. A plumber used a special heavy duty augur to remove concrete in a metal conduit.

The second time I went to do the cable install, the conduit was STILL not clear!! So, another 6 hours of driving wasted

Third try, the conduit was finally clear of cement and I routed and terminated the cable. Not sure who ate the 12 hours or round trip drive time but it sure was testing my patience.

Good job, Danny!

I am going to share a conduit experience that will "blow your mind".
Back in 68-69 time frame I was installing phones in a dept store. Keep in mind this was back in the day when it was common that jobs required the electrical contractor to provide a conduit for each phone.
Well, one of the conduits was stopped up about 75 feet into the run of a 150 foot conduit. I tried to force the fish tape but to no avail. I went to the electrician and told him his conduit was clogged. He poked around with it a few minutes and finally let loose with a few expletives. He then went to his truck and came back with a blasting cap and a roll of wire. He connected the blasting cap to the wire, taped it to the fish tape and inserted it into the conduit until it reached the blockage. He then set off the blasting cap and the blockage (pieces of concrete) came blowing out the other end. We then vacuumed the conduit to remove the residue and all was good.
When he inserted the blasting cap into the conduit I thought for sure we were going to have a blowout in the middle of the floor!

Bill