how to get thin rope down a pipe

shugy

I had a string attached to 2 bits of timber and tied at both ends in a pipe run on my site for a phone line since 2006. Over the years ive noticed its always been there until today. Checked both ends and no timber, no rope The pipe is on a hill thats about 20m from top to bottom. top has a slight bend but the bottom has a sharp bend and another run of pipe thats 15m long.

How am i going to get a new piece of string down this pipe for a new phone line i was wanting to install

Luckysasha

What size is the pipe ?

gctest50

loads of ways :

shugy

Luckysasha wrote: »

What size is the pipe ?

THink its 2 inch pipe. Its black phoneline pipe

colm_mcm

Maybe push some coaxial cable or some other pretty rigid cable through it first?

shugy

gctest50 wrote: »

loads of ways :

Looks so simple but im skeptical itll work on my pipe

drdidlittle

Know any electrician? They should have a thin metal strip (can't remember it's name) for pulling cable through conduit

Luckysasha

You could try a fish tape. It's basically a thin plastic line that electricians use to get wires through conduit. I have used it in pipe up to 30m in length with no hassles. Another option is to blow a thin string line in with a compressor. Simple enough once you get it set up right. I have done this on duct runs up to 300m long. Trick is to tie a bit of sponge on to the start of the string to form an air tight seal so the air can't get past the sponge. So the air pressure has nowhere to go but forward thus pushing the string along with it.

my3cents

Make up a pipe fitting that allows you to attach a hose pipe to your ducting and then tie a carrier bag or something plastic that will just take up the diameter of the ducting to your new string them use the water from the hose to push the plastic stopper through the pipe.

The trick is to allow the string through without getting too wet.

You can also use an airline.

If you have to, use drain rods with a worm end to pick up the plastic bag and string from the corner if it get stuck but done right with a thin string with the right sized piece of plastic tied to it in an empty pipe water will easily take it the 20m you need, I've done 150m before

Ronin247

Thin plastic bag tied to light twine, stuff it in the high end of the pipe. Put a hoover to the other end....... seen it done once and it was very impressive how quick it went through. When you get the twine through you can pull a rope through .

Edit.
Just watched the video. Same principle but a plastic bag instead of the pipe mouse.

The Diddakoi

The way we did it was to put the string in one end of the pipe, and attach a Hoover tube to the other end. Bit of duct tape to seal tube to pipe. Turn on hoover, and wait til you hear the string going into the hoover.

Works a treat.

Oh yes, dont forget to anchor the string the other end, or you will have to do it again.....so I'm told

shugy

alf66 wrote: »

The way we did it was to put the string in one end of the pipe, and attach a Hoover tube to the other end. Bit of duct tape to seal tube to pipe. Turn on hoover, and wait til you hear the string going into the hoover.

Works a treat.

Oh yes, dont forget to anchor the string the other end, or you will have to do it again.....so I'm told

i think you wtached that video first lol

massey265

If you use a hoover be careful there no water in pipe or you will damage a ordinary hoover.

The Diddakoi

Ha...should have watched the video. On a mobile with bad signal

Method was demonstrated to me by my father in law. (twice)

meercat

your local hire company can provide this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ECO-Fish-Tape-Fiberglass-Wire-Cable-Running-Rod-Duct-Rodder-Puller-6mm-130m-/361375591272

gctest50

if it's a bit bigger you could use a ferret

so good and speedy at it, the unions complained

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,799464,00.html