For many years, cable pulling was the only reasonable way to install cable in ducts and other conduits. Pull lines had to be used, and ducts and conduits ideally had as few bends and turns as possible. The process was imperfect, to say the least. Today, cable jetting has made installing cable in a conduit much easier to do. Professionals like CLP regularly use cable jetting in order to be more efficient. Learn more about cable jetting below.

How it Works

With cable jetting, a cable is blown through a duct with compressed air. At the same time, it is pushed into a duct mechanically. Special lubricants are used to make the process more effective. On one end of a duct, compressed air is injected at a very high rate of speed. It then flows through the duct and alongside the cable, propelling it through a combination of drag forces and pressure drop.

Since airflow is evenly distributed around the cable, friction is kept to a minimum. The special lubricants that are also used further reduce the friction, making the process unfold more smoothly and quickly. At the same time, damages to the cable are very unlikely. Thanks to the force of the air, the pushing and the low friction, cable jetting can be effectively used even in situations where ducts and conduits have many bends and turns. Since air force can be quite high at the exhaust end of a conduit, jetting equipment applies pushing force to the cable at the same time.

The Benefits of Cable Jetting

Cable jetting brings many prime benefits to the table. They include:

> Lower forces are exerted on the cable that's being installed. This reduces the likelihood of damages, keeping costs low. This is especially important in the case of very sensitive cables.

> Longer installation distances can be achieved. This can significantly reduce the amount of time that any given project takes, which can save money in the long run. Furthermore, it simplifies the logistics of the job and generally requires fewer workers.

> A winch rope is not needed when cable jetting is used. Less equipment means less hassle for everybody.

> Equipment only needs to be used at one end of a duct route. This makes preparation times much shorter, allowing the job to be underway in a shorter period of time.

> Cable can be installed in conduits that have several bends and turns, in a much easier way.