FFS, gate contractor, stuck cable.

[LeeH]

Any suggestions welcome.

The gate company has pulled the draw cord out of the flexi conduit inside the brick pillar and left behind a blockage of tape by the looks of it. The pillar has been back filled so no chance of getting inside.

Ive got the bore scope down and you can see the mess.

I’ve tried poking a Klien steel draw cord through and also a 10mm tri rated but it’s stuck fast.

Its about 200mm into the pillar.

It’s my gates BTW...

 

[Mike Johnson]

There are all sorts of ways of trying to do this and I am sure lots of suggestions will be forthcoming, but just bite the bullet and carefully take out a few bricks to get access to the conduit and clear it that way, it's what you will end up doing after frustratingly trying all sorts of rods and screw threaded ends.

Good Luck hope it works.

 

[7029 dave]

Have you tried small rods.

 

[Vortigern]

How about you conduit it surface?

 

[Marvo]

Hose pipe and water...
Pressure washer...
Air compressor maybe..

 

[Mike Johnson]

Marvo

Assuming the conduit is still in one piece, that's not a bad idea if you have a jet washer, from the far end try to blast the blockage out, don't stand in front of the pier could be painful.

I must admit looking at the photo's one seems to show the conduit has been compromised and split, hope not.

Have you been in touch with the gate people and asked them to rectify the problem they created? if indeed they did, the split conduit may have been done by the builder and that's why the draw cord failed when pulling the cable?

 

[snowhead]

Does the flexi go though the brickwork , rubble and end up underground or just through the brickwork into the open rubble filled core?
If it's continuous try a vaccum from either end to suck out whatever is in there.
Or compressed air and blow it out.

 

[Mike Johnson]

If the builder constructed the gate pier correctly is should be filled with concrete.

 

[buzzlightyear]

If the builder constructed the gate pier correctly is should be filled with concrete.

Not really, the gate post mostly hollow
Never seen any gate post filled with concrete.

 

[buzzlightyear]

The only option is take the top off the piller post and bore a hole at the bottom
Of the post simples.

 

[Wilko]

Hi if both ends are available and clear then I’d definitely be trying the air and water methods. If air will pass through it then my first go would be the shopping bag tied with a bit of string in one end and Henry on the other and see if it will vacuum past the obstruction. then same but with my compressor on the other end. To use an expression from ‘the old Country’ it’ll go like a rat up a drain pipe. Hopefully .

 

[UNG]

Options I'd look at would be to try a length of 10mm speedfit pipe to rod it out or tape a piece onto a vacuum cleaner hose and feed into the conduit until you get to the blockage and turn the vac on and pull it out hopefully with the blockage stuck to the end of the pipe
The other alternative is get the gate contractor back to sort his XXXX XX out. Can't understand why some contractors never take responsibility for the problems they cause

 

[Mike Johnson]

Not really, the gate post mostly hollow
Never seen any gate post filled with concrete.

Then you have never seen a gate post constructed correctly, it should even have reinforcement and a ground beam to connect both posts and according to the weight and length of the gates a right angle beam in the gate opening direction to take the weight of the gate into the ground beam when in the open position.

 

[LeeH]

Wow, thanks all.

1. I’ve spoke to my builder and he’s said to drill around the bricks. He will epoxy resin them back in then point them up.

2. I tried my super rod kit, put the ball on the end and rammed the ---- out of it, no joy.

3. The pressure washer idea sounds great, all give that a go!

Cheers.

 

[Strima]

If you have a set of drain rods with the big corkscrew on you could try using that to either grip or rip up the tape.

And a snotty email to the gate contractors would also be in order.

 

[GBDamo]

Have a word with the client and explain the situation and politely advise you will return to complete the job when the gate company have returned and remedied their mistake.

Or you can resolve the situation on day rate and the client can pursue the gate company for the cost.

I'd give it an hour, just to show willing, first but its a SEP.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Its his own gate, so he is the client.

 

[GBDamo]

Its his own gate, so he is the client.

Ah, get the wazzocks back to sort it then.

 

[Simon47]

Would one of these claw tool get to it ? They aren't that strong, but might be able to pick bits of the tape out until it's free enough to come out as a ball.
https://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/teng-tools-claw-pick-up-tool-600mm/2016x

 

[Mike Johnson]

As I posted earlier, I think the conduit has been compromised looking at the pictures, the side of the conduit seems to show a rip in it, hope not.