What's the cheapest ducting for underground cables ?

[wookie]

Hi

I'm after some form of ducting/pipe to run some cables underground so if I have to change anything in the future I can just pull cables through rather than digging it all up again.

What's the cheapest option, I'm after about 50mm internal and need around 50m in length. So far the cheapest I've found is on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391193777325 for £72 delivered.

So the challenge is ... Can any of you find something suitable cheaper ?

Thanks

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

No matter what you use in the end always pull a length of rope through.
So in the future you can easily add more cables.

Oh, yes.
I forgot to on one job and had a bitch of a job running a phone/alarm cable.

 

[brightspark]

and make sure your spare draw wire isn't wrapped round your electric cable or its not going anywhere when u come to use it

 

[colnerov]

And make it bigger than you think because it makes it easier to pull more through and you never know what else you might need to add.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Old fashioned drain pipe, with sealed joints is dirt cheep.

 

[colnerov]

That may depend how deep it is and what traffic is going over the top.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I bought a 50m coil of 4" corrugated land drain from the local drainage place (Burdens) recently for £32 including the vat.
It's harder to get a drawcord through corrugated but once it's in all ducts fill with water (or sewage if your on a certain Butlins site, don't ask!).

 

[Mee]

I put concrete cable ducts in as I was replacing my barns and did it all in one go.

 

[wookie]

and make sure your spare draw wire isn't wrapped round your electric cable or its not going anywhere when u come to use it

My job is working on electronics/electrics on boats, so I've plenty of practice of getting cables through conduit. My pet hate other than draw wires that are wrapped around the cables is where some "genius" has decided to tape all the cables together before pulling them into the conduit. It's great until you need to remove just one cable to make room for a new cable.... major pain in the rear.

I like Wendelspanswick's idea I'll be pricing up at the local Wynnstay in the morning, okay it's a lot bigger than I really need but it's buried so who cares.

 

[Robotstar5]

..My pet hate other than draw wires that are wrapped around the cables is where some "genius" has decided to tape all the cables together before pulling them into the conduit. It's great until you need to remove just one cable to make room for a new cable.... major pain in the rear...

I've been on a few jobs like that, I would cheerfully strangle the person that did it

 

[mpats]

Old fashioned drain pipe, with sealed joints is dirt cheep.

That's what I've done out to the garage. Normal 45mm drainage pipe using solvent cement for the joiners. Double length of rope through it so I can pull the cable through and leave the rope in there so it'll always be available for running another cable if needed.

 

[8ob]

If you are not going to use the proper cable duct that has electricity written on it at the very least buy some marker tape and run that on top prior to backfill. Some poor unsuspecting bod may happen across this pipe in years to come and cut into it thinking its something else.

Bob

 

[evobilly666]

And if in a year you decide to pull another cable through using your handy pull rope, remember to pull another rope through with the new cable

 

[winchman]

I used alcathene water pipe as it was free. and drain pipe in the front garden again it was free

 

[Welderpaul]

I used alcathene water pipe as it was free. and drain pipe in the front garden again it was free

Bad news. As long as the duct is black, it doesn't matter what you use.

I was once standing in a trench about 3 foot away from a lad who put the pipe shears through a 25mm mdpe pipe to cut in a new meter connection....there was a CNE house service cable shoved up it..... He ended up having skin grafts on his hand.

 

[armalites]

Belt and braces on the pull cord is to make it more than twice the length of the run and secure it at each end. Then all you have to do it pull it tight at the end you start at then attach cable and pull from the other end.

The guys running the cables next the motorway seem to use lengths with joins instead of continuous runs, I guess that would be much easier than trying to thread 50m. When I see complete pallets I wounder what kind of discount they get.

 

[wookie]

Got some today from our local Wynnstay, couple of quid dearer than the best I found on the internet but they had it in stock and I'm always happy to support local businesses so that they might be there in the future when I need something else.

And before anyone worries it's proper electric duct that's black.

 

[brightspark]

Bad news. As long as the duct is black, it doesn't matter what you use.

I was once standing in a trench about 3 foot away from a lad who put the pipe shears through a 25mm mdpe pipe to cut in a new meter connection....there was a CNE house service cable shoved up it..... He ended up having skin grafts on his hand.

I was working at the school and they took a portable building away. We couldn't find the armoured electric supply j ust the water pipe that was lagged on a closer look some pillock had lagged the armoured cable

 

[Welderpaul]

This photo doing the rounds

 

[brightspark]

This photo doing the rounds
View attachment 93639

oh dear