Debate: Should we run new lines or reuse existing conduit on residential retrofits?

I tried running new lines through existing conduit on a job in Phoenix last month and the cable got snagged three times, adding 90 minutes to the install. My partner says it's faster to just drill new paths, but I wonder if we're wasting time patching drywall. What's your rule of thumb for when to reuse versus pull fresh?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliotm571mo ago

Man I learned that lesson the hard way on a job last year, tried to "save time" by pulling through old flex and ended up cussing at it for 45 minutes while my apprentice filmed me for his Snapchat story. Now if it's got more than two 90s or any flexible stuff I just grab the hammer drill and accept I'm gonna be patching drywall later.

grant4781mo ago

Hang on a second - you said "running new lines through existing conduit" but that's not how it works. You can't run new lines through conduit if the old wires are still in there, you have to pull the old ones out first. If you're trying to shove new cable in alongside old wires, no wonder you got snagged for 90 minutes. Rule of thumb for me is if the conduit is PVC and under 50 feet with no more than two 90s, I'll reuse it every time. But if it's that old flex stuff or has more than two bends, I'm drilling new holes because the drywall patch is faster than fighting with stuck cables.

logan5611mo ago

Oh man I had almost the exact same nightmare last summer on a house out in Oakville. Was pulling three 12/2s through an old 3/4 inch EMT that looked fine from the outside but had like five 90s crammed in a wall cavity from some hack job remodel in the 80s. Spent two hours fighting it, cut my hand on a burr inside the pipe, and finally just gave up and ran new Smurf tube through the attic instead. That rule about two 90s max is dead on, anything past that and you're basically gambling with your whole afternoon. I'll still reuse PVC all day if it's a straight shot but that old flex stuff can rot in a dumpster for all I care.