# Water in conduit



## deckman22 (Oct 20, 2007)

I made the mistake of not finishing the conduit on the main cables from the power pole to the house that is to be buried. We've had some serious flooding since then & the pvc conduit has filled up with water. It's about a 90' run with about a third already backfilled. I'd like to get the water out without digging up the pipe to drain the water. Any ideas how to do it? 

One son n law told me not to worry about cause it happens all the time. Not too sure about that tho.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

i would assume you would either need to suck or blow..being your a deck guy i would try to suck first..:whistling


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Any wires in it yet?


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## deckman22 (Oct 20, 2007)

Inner10 said:


> Any wires in it yet?


Yea there's 3 2/0 wires & a #6 ground all taped together. No luck trying to siphon. 

If I have to I'll get the two hill varmits I have working for me to dig it up, they's cheap!


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Blow it out. place an open air hose in one end, stuff a rag into the pipe to seal it up some. Set the regulator on the compressor at 20 pounds or so, let it run for a bit.

Your son in law is correct, condensation does cause water in the pipe. If you used a wet location cable don't worry about it.

Tom


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## CarpenterSFO (Dec 12, 2012)

Shop vac sucking at one end, another blowing (warm air after a minute or so) at the other. After the first bit gurgles and sloshes out you have to run for a long time to evaporate the rest, and you're still not certain. Done it a couple times, pretty sure it was not bone dry in there when we were done.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

CarpenterSFO said:


> Shop vac sucking at one end, another blowing (warm air after a minute or so) at the other. After the first bit gurgles and sloshes out you have to run for a long time to evaporate the rest, and you're still not certain. Done it a couple times, pretty sure it was not bone dry in there when we were done.


Two types of underground conduits, those that are full of water and those that are gonna be full of water.


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## ElectricianC-10 (May 28, 2016)

tjbnwi said:


> Blow it out. place an open air hose in one end, stuff a rag into the pipe to seal it up some. Set the regulator on the compressor at 20 pounds or so, let it run for a bit.
> 
> Your son in law is correct, condensation does cause water in the pipe. If you used a wet location cable don't worry about it.
> 
> Tom


That is what I would do! good luck


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

This is why I always install perforated conduit, so the water can weep out...


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## deckman22 (Oct 20, 2007)

m1911 said:


> This is why I always install perforated conduit, so the water can weep out...


Never saw any of that.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

deskman,

Did you install expansion joints in the run?

Tom


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Tom Struble said:


> i would assume you would either need to suck or blow..being your a deck guy i would try to suck first..:whistling


Uhhhhh... yeah. :laughing:


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

tom struble said:


> i would assume you would either need to suck or blow..being your a deck guy i would try to suck first..:whistling


wtf strub?


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> wtf strub?


You'd rather blow eh?


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> You'd rather blow eh?


What does "eh" mean?


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> What does "eh" mean?


Ascertaining comprehension.


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## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

I've been doing this close to 40 years and have never seen a underground pvc that didn't have water in it.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

TxElectrician said:


> I've been doing this close to 40 years and have never seen a underground pvc that didn't have water in it.


My electrician said the same thing. It's not unusual nor is it a big deal.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

TxElectrician said:


> I've been doing this close to 40 years and have never seen a underground pvc that didn't have water in it.


 that's because they didn't install perforated pipe:laughing:


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## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

m1911 said:


> that's because they didn't install perforated pipe:laughing:


I have installed drains


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

Californiadecks said:


> wtf strub?


..i was just trying to be funny..no disrespect intended..:sad:


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

m1911 said:


> that's because they didn't install perforated pipe:laughing:


We have to drill weep holes at the bottom of the LB if we install a mast.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Tom Struble said:


> ..i was just trying to be funny..no disrespect intended..:sad:


I thought it was funny. And I don't require respect. :laughing:


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

i would beg to differ..:notworthy


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Tom Struble said:


> i would beg to differ..:notworthy


LOL 
Your nose is getting brown...:laughing:


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## C'est Moi (Jun 6, 2015)

m1911 said:


> This is why I always install perforated conduit, so the water can weep out...


I hope you are joking...

It is almost impossible to keep water out of conduit. If you use the proper insulated conductors there should not be an issue


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## P42003 (Jun 15, 2016)

What if you fabricated a little "hot box" out of sheet metal into which you placed a tiny ceramic bathroom heater, then an inlet for the air hose and of course an outlet tube you could tape to the conduit (so you're box didn't have to be right on top of the conduit but could sit on the ground).


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## handreasonx (Jul 15, 2016)

So did you blow it or installed drainage? I'm actually like experiencing this...


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

You won't have to dig up the conduit but if you really want the water out, you'll have to pull the wire out and drag a rag through the pipe a few times using a pull string.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

handreasonx said:


> So did you blow it or installed drainage? I'm actually like experiencing this...


Don't sweat it.


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