Reel Sizes and Conductor Length

When doing conductor installation, the conduit through which the conductors are laid is a key factor to look into. A reel is the structure for carrying conductors in an installation site. They are majorly made of wood and can be rolled on a flat ground. The length of the conductor should be related to the size of the reels. These reel sizes are supposed to be appropriate according to the standard practices approved. 

Conduit Sizing 
There are many factors which dictate the size of the conduit to use. The number of conductors in a conduit is one of the major factors. When determining the number of cables in a conduit, you should also consider the fill ratio. These information about fill ratio is always provided by the Industrial standards, manufacturer’s codes or applicable codes which can be compliable. The more cables in a conduit the larger the size should be.

How the conductors are supposed to be laid in the conduit will guide you towards choosing the right conduit size. A simple conductor configuration will require smaller conduits. The triangular configuration or the complex will need to be installed in a larger conduit.

Reels can be really difficult to handle in the installation filed dues to their sizes and weight. Therefore there are necessary considerations which are needed in order to choose the correct reel sizes for your installation:

a) Conductor length 
Long conductors need bigger reels so that they can be accommodated into the reels for ease in shipping. Therefore short cables will need smaller reels for convenience.

b) Size of the conductor 
The bigger conductors need bigger reels for ease in transportation. The reel has to be able to accommodate the conductor coil. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the size of your conductor verses the size of the reel.

c) Type of installation 
Industrial installation deal with bigger and longer conductors and therefore the reel used has to be big in size. For domestic installation big reels will be causing inconvenience therefore smaller and lighter reels can be used. There are instances where installation in firms may also require small reels especially for electric installation in the apartments.

d) Conductor type 
There are some conductors that even if they are small in size, they need to be kept in larger reels. While others could have larger sizes yet they still be kept in smaller reels. Aluminum conductor is prone to oxidation and therefore should be kept in larger reels where they are not exposed to air.

e) The Pulling device  
The type of pulling device also determines the size of your reel. If you have heavy pulling device then the reel should be a little larger. Smaller reels should be pulled by lighter devices so that they are not overwhelmed by the pull tension.

This article should open your mind so that you get to know what is needed when working with reels. The National Electric codes should also guide you on the reel sizes because violation of these standards may make your installation really cumbersome. For more information on cables and cable handling, check out the Nassau Blog and you’ll be glad you did.