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PREVENTING CABLE FAULT

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Preventing Cable Faults During Installation

How Can I Prevent Cable Faults During Installation?

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HOW TO PREVENT CABLE DAMAGE

You can reduce the risk of cable faults by selecting prefab solutions like ServicePLEX^®. This cable construction features:

XLPE Insulation
Unified Outer Diameter
Lower Required Pulling Tension

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Prefab solutions made of XLPE (thermoset) insulation are designed to better withstand the tugging and pulling required during installation.

Unified Outer Diameter Icon

Twisted cables with a unified OD reduce pulling friction and tension (less surface area touches the conduit's inner wall) and eliminate jamming.

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Twisted cable alternatives also allow contractors to pull multiple conductors at a time—resulting in an easier, faster pull, and cost savings.

SUBMIT A QUESTION

COST OF A FAULTY WIRE PULL

Any contractor who has been on the jobsite during a difficult wire pull can attest to the frustration of a cable fault.

You’ve spent hours pulling multiple parallels only for the Megger to show a faulty reading, resulting in overtime to replace and repull the damaged cable. This can have significant financial implications on your bottom line, putting you over budget and behind schedule.

Unfortunately, this is a common problem for installations that use cables with subpar insulation. Even the smallest nick in a cable during the pull can lead to outer sheath damage and a short circuit fault.

CABLE FAULT CAUSES

Cable fault occurs when the insulation of a cable has been deteriorated or damaged in some way that prevents it from being able to contain the electrical current. This can be caused by damage during installation and handling, environmental conditions (such as excess moisture, grit, or other contamination), or accelerated aging or corrosion of the cable's insulation or inner conductors.

QUALITY CABLE INSULATION IS KEY

To prevent cable faults, it is important to select cables insulated with materials that are built to last. XHHW-2 (RW90), for example, is made of crosslinked polyethene (XLPE), a thermoset insulation. XHHW-2 (RW90) is tougher and more resistant to environmental breakdown and abrasions than cables like THHN/THWN (TW75N or TW90N) that are made of thermoplastic PVC insulation.

INSTALLATION MATTERS

When installing multiple single conductors, the higher pulling tension required and possible jamming in conduit bends can lead to insulation damage that adversely affects the conductors. Cabled conductors that limit contact between the cable's insulation surface and the conduit can reduce damage during a pull.

Contractors should take advantage of prefab, twisted cable solutions made of XLPE insulation to prevent cable faults. This construction is designed to better withstand the tugging and pulling required during cable installation.

White Quotations We were able to pull six miles of wire through 31,000 feet of pipe in one month with only one day of overtime.

White Quotations ServicePlex^® is ten times more efficient than paralleled wire, from set up through installation.

PREFAB CABLE SOLUTION

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ServicePLEX^® multiconductor cable has the engineered advantages you need to prevent damage during installation.

Each conductor is insulated with XLPE thermoset insulation, twisted together to form a consistent assembly that functions as a single cable.
The cable's uniform length of lay reduces total surface area in contact with the conduit, allowing for easier, faster, fault-free installation.