If you’re working a job with an existing conduit for electrical wires, speaker wires, or phone/internet cables, you know you have to get those wires through the channel. Unless the line is very short and perfectly straight, pushing it through can be tricky and frustrating. The situation may be even more difficult if you’re dealing with dry, bare wiring and a PVC conduit. Pulling is the only answer. But which method should you use to pull wires through that conduit?

Depending on your experience feeding wires, you may know of the string method, the fishing weight or fishing tape methods, and the conduit mouse method. You need many tools for those techniques, and they aren’t always foolproof. Instead of struggling, why not use your wet/dry vac? New to this method? Find out how it works.

How to Pull Wire Through Conduit with Your Shop-Vac Vacuum

Pulling cable through old conduit can be difficult for several reasons. The pull rope may no longer be in place, and the line may already contain cabling. Either of these situations can make pulling new cable through the conduit challenging. Fortunately, your wet/dry vacuum can make easy work of this often-challenging job. All you’ll need is your vac and some string. Here is the 5-step-by-step process:

1. Start by unwinding several feet of string so you have enough to make it through the section of pipe you’re working with.
2. Feed the string into the end of the pipe. You might consider tying a small ball of paper to the string for added surface area.
3. On the opposite end of the pipe, attach the hose and create the best seal possible.
4. Turn on your vac to begin pulling the string through. Carefully watch the end and check for the string as you go – you’ll want to avoid pulling too much string into the drum.
5. Once the string is through, tie it to the wire with electrical tape and slowly pull the wire through the pipe.

While just about any Shop-Vac vacuum can help you with wire feeding, you may want to consider using one with a powerful motor. The Shop-Vac® 16 Gallon* 6.5 Peak HP** Stainless Steel Contractor Series Wet/Dry Vacuum with SVX2 Motor Technology is one of the best industrial vacs for job sites, compatible with a number of Shop-Vac accessories.

Need a more compact vacuum for smaller job sites? Take a look at the Shop-Vac® 10 Gallon* 6.5 Peak HP** Contractor Series Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum with SVX2 Motor Technology.

When you’re finished wiring, don’t forget to use your wet/dry vac to clean up your job site.

Keeping your job site orderly ensures a safe working environment for you and everyone on the job so you can get up and get back at it again tomorrow.

Shop All Wet/Dry Vacs