There are fundamental differences between wires, conductors, and cables that determine when and how they are used. Being able to understand and clearly explain the differences can make planning an electrical installation job easier. To avoid confusion, we will focus on terminology related to uses in the electrical contracting industry.

What is Wire?

A wire is a single conductor, typically made of copper, aluminum, or sometimes steel (non – electrical use). The two main types of wire are solid and stranded.

Solid wire is made of one single strand of drawn copper, aluminum or other conductive metal into a long thin, still stiff, but bendable string like form. Solid wire has less resistance, so it is often used in applications that call for handling higher frequencies.

Stranded wire is comprised of multiple strands of solid wire drawn into ultra thin and flexible thread like filaments that can be twisted or braided together to form a single conductor comparable in size and weight to their solid counterparts. Stranded wire is often coated and is ideal for jobs that require more flexibility.

Conductor

Conductor is a term for wire or wire filaments that are not separated by coating or insulation. For instance, the twisted or braided strands of wire that make up stranded wire make up a single stranded conductor, once the appropriate jacket has been applied. As does the single solid wire strand once it has been jacketed. Single conductors can run smaller than 22 AWG and as large as the wires in the MCM classifications. They can consist of a single piece of wire or multiple strands of ultra thin wire (filaments), as long as every strand of wire is uninsulated and in contact with the other wires. 

Cable

When trying to define a cable the first thing one should always remember is that wire is a component of a cable. Cables are groups of two or more conductors made up of stranded or solid wire that are twisted, wrapped or otherwise bound together in some way. There are four main cable types:

Twisted pair cable: two cables that are twisted together. Twisted pair cables are often used in telecommunications industries, professional sound engineering, studios, theaters and intercom systems.

Multi-conductor cable: multiple cables grouped together and insulated from each other. The insulation reduces interference between the cables, which makes multi-conductor cables a popular choice for use in data transmission. Run together as a Quik-Pull bundled cable, they are ideal for running lighting, control and power circuits in the OEM market space and electrical construction industries.

Coaxial cable: constructed with a solid inner conductor and a surrounding outer layer foil conductor. The two layers are insulated from each other. These cables are usually used in the broadcast medias of television, radio and other forms of communication. Coaxial cable is slowly falling out of favor as multiconductor category/ethernet cables and fiber optic prices have come down in price and advanced the ability to transmit signals with less and less interruptions.

Fiber-optic cable: a grouping of wires that includes or is made entirely of optical fibers. Optical fibers are hair-thin wires made from glass or plastic that can carry more data faster than alloy cables. Fiber optics are the new wave of transmitting data, and communications but cannot replace copper cables all together because they cannot transmit power.

All of these types of cables may themselves be bundled to form a new Quik-Pull type of cable bundle for installation purposes.

Wire vs. Conductor vs. Cable

To wrap up, remember you cannot have a cable without conductors and conductors are made up of individual wire strands. The wire can be one thicker strand for a solid wire or finer strands (filaments), and a conductor can consist of a single strand of wire, to multiple strands, as long as, the multiple strands are not insulated from each other. And a cable is made of more than one conductor, and each conductor has to be insulated from the others.

Want to learn more about the differences between bundled cable configurations? Have a look at this article. 

Whenever we speak with electrical contractors and electricians about bundled cable, we are immediately asked “how much does it cost?” and “what are the overall cost savings for my project?”

The answer to these questions are not as simple as one may think since each project has its own set of individual requirements, and our solutions are customized to meet them. There are multiple factors that figure into the final quote price.

Whether pulling singles or pulling a bundled cable through a conduit on an install, the same core costs impact the quote:

1. Wire costs
2. Labor costs
3. Delivery and freight costs
4. Overhead costs
5. Setup and cleanup costs

1. Wire Costs

First, and foremost, is the cost of the wire itself. If a project requires 100,000 ft of wire, then the cost of the project will reflect the price of the wire. If the wire only contains a small amount of copper, it is less expensive than wire that contains a significant portion. In most cases the larger AWG sized wire represents the largest cost on a project for both the electrical contractor and the manufacturer.  

2. Labor Costs

Manufacturing bundled cable requires hands on work in the form of labor. This can be a significant portion of the job costs, which depends on the size of the wire, the amount of connection to terminate, and other variable factors. If a customer needs the wire quickly and the OEM bundled cable manufacturer must have a shift team work overtime, then the OEM’s additional labor costs will be factored into the final price.

3. Delivery and Freight Costs

There is also the freight and 3PL costs for delivering the bundled cable to the job site. Some factors weighed are how quickly the electrical contractor needs the wire and also where in the country it is being delivered.

If electrical contractors need their bundled cable delivery quick, they can either add more labor costs in the form of more electricians on site to expedite the work per shift, or pay a manufacturer to make it and deliver it to the job site by a certain time frame.  From a factory perspective, delivery, whether LTL, full truckload, or self- delivery all have an identifiable cost associated with each job being shipped.

For the manufacturer, these can be expensive and run from as low of percentage of the cost as 5% to 6% to as high as 60%. Factors such as distance, size, weight, and minimal charges can influence the cost of delivery. Whereas the contractor may not necessarily think of the hours on the road, hourly wages, tolls, and wear and tear or rental costs to pick up material, the manufacture must include these costs.

4. Overhead Costs

The fourth factor is overhead costs which range from the costs of job trailers, to office space, shop space, to permitting/approvals.

From having all the right local, state, county permits, the correct job safety gear in place, the filing fees, engineering (etc…), some jobs can be a regulatory minefield that are expensive to get through, and more expensive if one attempt to cut corners. The known and stable costs of the business are factored into the hourly rate the contractor charges their customers. From a factory perspective, these costs are also stable and are spread out not in “job hours” but in “factory hours.” From the costs to maintain a UL approval license to rental of fork trucks, many of the costs for the manufacturer are the same month to month. The only variable costs not already covered are those of the reels, binder, tape, and other materials used to make the Quik-Pull bundled cable products.

Many of these are costs electrical contractors pay that are overlooked because they come built in to the products they are already buying.

5. Setup and Cleanup Costs

The fifth cost associated with a job is set up and clean up. From the manufacturer’s standpoint, this is not as significant as it is to the contractor. For instance, at the factory when the job is done there is a little cellophane to recycle, maybe an empty reel or two to recycle, or a fiber board barrel to recycle (usually filled with wire scraps to be recycled).

But from the electrical contractor’s perspective, set up and clean up costs are significant. When it comes to setting up multiple reels, it can take time. With bundled cable, the bundled conductors are on a single reel but it still take time (and hence money) to get the reels from the truck to the right position on the job site. However, bundled cable on a single reel eliminates all of the man hours required for unloading multiple reels of material.

The multiple barrels or reels the factory recycles are a disposal cost for the contractor. The small bits of wire here and there are thrown in the dumpster and add pounds to the overall tonnage and thereby the costs, the packing and warehousing of left over useable wire also drive up labor costs for the electrical contractor since he or she now need to devote labor time to cleaning up the job site.

Looking at the Whole Picture

To summarize, the total costs of bundled cable and its final cost-savings for an electrical contractor include  number of variables. Each quote is unique and will vary based on the factors listed above.

To learn more about the cost-saving value of bundled cable, check out our price comparison page.

Whenever one of our sales reps speaks with a customer, they typically let them know that our wire bundles come with multiple binding and harness options, one of which is pull tabs. The most common response to this question by both electrical contractors and electrical distributors is “what are pull tabs?” 

In short, pull tabs are small pieces of low residue electrical tape that wrap around a group of conductors to hold them in place. Sometimes they are referred to as quick release tabs or cross tape. Applied at premeasured intervals and wrapped around all the conductors, the pull tabs hold our bundled cable together. This option would be used instead of a nylon, aramid, or kevlar binder. 

Why do electrical contractors choose pull tabs? It is often a preference based on the layout of the conduit. Some, customers prefer a nylon binding while others do not. Some customers dislike the nylon binding’s potential to get caught in a bend or snagged on a minor conduit imperfection when it is pulled. While there are ways to reduce these occurrences with how the binder is applied around the bundle, the easiest way is to have the wires flow loosely as if they were single conductors once in the conduit.  

This is where pull tabs excel, as they give the benefit of pulling the cable all together to start, but then the wires are separated as the pull continues. The pull tabs offer a quick release, and since the electrical tape leaves no adhesive residue, the conductors will not stick to each other or the conduit as the cable is fed into the conduit. This allows each conductor of wire to flow as if single conductors were being pulled, eliminating the stiffness that a tighter bound nylon harness would have. Pull tabs give an electrical contractor a sense of a hassle-free pull. That said, though most pulls using the nylon harness go through smoothly, they always have the potential to bunch or snag if too much binder is applied or the harness is exceptionally tight.  

The pull tabs are the best alternative to the textile binders as the electrical tape pull tab doesn’t cover as much surface space as a nylon harness. The tabs are removed before entering the conduit leaving no adhesive residue to cause additional friction during the pull. Another advantage of having the bundle undone and the wire flowing loosely as it is fed into the conduit is that each conductor bends naturally and is pushed around imperfections as it is pulled. With a nylon binder, the bundles held together are stiffer and the bend radius is less, so pulling through corners and bends may create more friction.  

Additionally, the bending pressure may cause “pop outs” of a few conductors in the cable or the binder can get caught on any imperfections that loose conductors naturally flow around making it more difficult to pull.  

So why not just go with pull tabs? The major disadvantage is that the pull tabs in most places cannot be pulled into the conduit. If they could, they might snag, get pulled off, and collect in the conduit to form a blockage, much like those that form in sewer lines. This coupled with the manpower needed to remove the pull tabs slows down the install, whereas the tighter nylon bound bundle is just pulled end to end.

If you want to learn more about the electrical bindings, have a look at our article on the advantages and disadvantages of different wire bundled bindings.

By Rudy Hanecak

Inside Sales
One-Pull Wire and Cable Solutions

There are some crucial distinctions between riser and plenum rated cable bundles. Most commercial spaces will have to use either plenum or riser rated cables to meet fire safety codes.

Plenum rated cables are used in plenum areas meant for use in commercial and residential spaces. Plenum spaces are the spaces between the ceilings and the floors above it (drop ceiling) that are used for creating pathways for heated/air conditioned or return air flows. The importance of these spaces for air circulation create a greater hazard if a fire were to occur, both in regards to the growth of the fire and the spread of smoke from the materials burning in the space which may contain toxic chemicals under high heat that are carried in the smoke.

Plenum cables have a higher fire rating and are designed with fire-retardant plastic jackets of either a low-smoke PVC or a fluorinated ethylene polymer (FEP). This decreases the likelihood that the cables burn quickly, thereby spreading toxic air through the building during a fire as people try to evacuate.

To be rated as plenum, the outer jacket of the cable needs a specially treated jacket insulating the wire to meet NFPA and NEC standards. Plenum cables are usually designated with the letter CMP where the “P” stands for plenum.

Riser cables, sometimes referred to as “backbone” cables, are the cables run vertically from floor to floor in a structure. They “rise” through cable spaces or in elevator shafts in non-plenum areas. The riser space is the term given to any vertical shaft or series of rooms within a building that allow primary utilities such as electrical conduits, water supply lines, and communications cabling to be distributed vertically.

For communications cabling, the riser could be a separate room on each floor, or a room shared with the electrical gear. In either case, the room is self-contained and not used for recirculating air to the HVAC system. Thus, the fire safety requirements for materials installed within these rooms is less stringent than those of plenum spaces. Like plenum, the riser must also meet certain NFPA standards. These cables must self-extinguish if caught on fire by a spark in order to prevent the flame from traveling up the cable.

The Cost Difference Between Riser and Plenum Bundled Cable

Since the requirements for riser space and plenum space are different (with those requirements for riser cables being less strict compared to plenum ones), plenum cable can replace riser cables as they meet the minimum safety specifications.

We would not recommend bundling plain PVC cables that do not meet either riser or plenum requirements but would suggest having them printed and labeled if the customer requires organized cables that can be easily identified.

We would also suggest spending the little extra for peace of mind and adding a level of safety to the install.

To summarize the difference between PVC and plenum and riser rated cables are cost and fire protection. While the cost is a major factor, it boils down to a matter of how fire-resistant you want your bundled cables to be and how much smoke is emitted if they do burn. And in many instances the code decides for you.

Want to learn more about our cable bundles? Check out ourcustom configurations.

As a manufacturer of custom cable assemblies, electrical contractors and electricians will ask us “what’s the largest bundled cable reel you manufacture?” 

Though we’d like to say the sky is the limit, there is a maximum size. There are three main limiting factors: 

1) Bundling wire equipment has a maximum OD size

The take up is limited to the size of reel it can handle (currently 68 inch reels). The reel and equipment itself can only support so much weight. Our take up can pull a maximum of 3,200 pounds. This means that even if the reel can support 4,500 pounds it would not be possible to respool the cable onto the reel with the current equipment because the power needed to pull that much weight exceeds the physical capabilities of the equipment. 

2) Cable Bundles Eventually Become Less Bendable

Wire and cable bundles begin to lose their flexibility once the number of conductors exceeds certain limits. These limitations can be extended by moving from a straight configuration to a spiral configuration, and by changing the wire type to greater stranding counts (from solid to stranded being the most noticeable), but eventually the maximum number for all cables will be reached.   

3) Ability to Transport the Wire Bundle on the Job Site

Even if the OEM could manufacture a 20,000-pound wire bundle on a 500-inch reel, the end user (typically an electrician, mechanical engineer, lead technician, etc…) must have the ability to move the reel around the job site and set it up for use. To this end, most requests ask for reel sizes that fit on their job site and are light enough to be rolled by hand or moved with a simple pallet jack or hand cart. 

This last point is important. Say an electrical contractor working on a solar farm project orders 30 reels of PV wire, each one containing 80 conductors in a staggered configuration assembly. For a wire bundle to be useable, the electrical contractor needs to be able to unload the reels off the truck and then move them to the specific installation site.  

If the reel is so large that the electrical contractor’s team can’t maneuver the bundle around the site, then the reel is essentially unusable. Our flexibility and 3,200-pound limit mean that contractors, if prepared, won’t ever have trouble unloading the reel itself.  

Different wire types have their own wire bundle limitations as well. For example, with data cables, such as Cat5 and Cat6, the bundle sizes are generally determined by the port count of patch panels which are either 12, 24, and 48 port panels. Furthermore, certain wire types have a maximum cable count per bundle based on the engineering test specifications that electrical contractors must adhere to when they design and select their custom cable assemblies.  

To summarize, wire bundles must be portable enough so that an electrical contractor can transport them around the job site. The manufacturer’s cable bundle size limitations are determined by the practical needs of the electrical contractor’s team.   

Curious to learn more about the specific size of a wire bundle for a project? Send us your question and we will get you an answer. 

Throughout my travels in the United States as a national sales manager at a bundled cable manufacturer, I’ve talked with many electrical contractors and partnered with them to meet their bundled wire needs. I regularly receive requests from electrical contractors working in a variety of projects including data centers, multi-conductor homeruns in sports stadiums, wire bundles for acreages of solar farms, as well as cable bundles manufactured for airport automated conveyor belts systems (to name a few).   

During that time, I’ve listened to the challenges that they encounter. Though electrical contractors deal with unique problems depending on the scale of the project and specific industry (such as commercial high rises, water treatment facilities, fire alarm systems, etc…), their main challenges are similar across construction projects. 

Here are the 3 biggest obstacles I’ve been hearing from electrical contractors on the job site that will continue to persist in 2020. 

1) Being Competitive on Job Bids 

For much of the electrical construction industry, profit margins are narrow. The average margin for general contractors is between 1.4% and 2.4% whereas for subcontractors it is slightly higher at between 2.2% and 3.5%. 

Electrical contractors frequently ask “how do I stay competitive on job bids while making sure we don’t undercut our margins?” 

Fortunately, there are solutions out there to solve this critical business problem. In fact, our company’s mission is to help electrical contractors increase productivity and save time on every installation with our bundled cable products. Our custom cable bundles are designed to enhance and speed up installations on the job site so that electrical contractors can get the job done and then move onto the next one quickly and efficiently.  

Additionally, technology is also bringing about new solutions that are simplifying life for electrical contractors. There is estimation software to facilitate better forecasting and getting the job assignment completed under budget. Collaborative communication tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack speed up communication, critical for when a project manager sees a problem and needs to communicate with other members of the team that either aren’t on the job site or aren’t right around the corner.   

 2) The Challenges of Staying on Schedule 

In general, the electrical construction industry is plagued with scheduling issues and conflicts on construction projects. The spread of BIM (building information modeling) software has helped contractors and subcontractors to align their plans at the start of construction to help avoid oversights, but scheduling problems continue to hurt the bottom line for electrical contractors. 

Given the thin profit margins discussed above, it is critical for electrical contractors that they stay on schedule (ideally under!). Therefore when a job goes over schedule, not only do electrical contractors’ slim margins already take a hit on the task at hand, they are prevented from moving onto the next job opportunity. 

 3) Shortage of Qualified Electricians 

A labor shortage of trained electricians will continue to impact large and small shop electrical construction companies. Their ability to grow is contingent on their ability to recruit.  

Studies have shown that the average age of electrical contractors has been steadily increasing. In 2016, the average age was 57.3. In 2018, it increased to 58.2.  

There’s no easy solution to fix the electrician labor short fall. However, in addition to vocational schools boosting their recruitment efforts, electrical contractors could explore ways to increase their recruitment activities on college campuses.  

Especially because of the soaring costs and interests rates on student loans, recent graduates are looking for jobs that pay good salaries soon after graduation. Electrical contracting work pays well and this could be turned into a recruiting pitch for electrical contractors. 

These are just a few of the prominent concerns I regularly hear about. Though they won’t be solved overnight, solutions are being developed. I’m excited to see how they will be adopted in the years ahead.

Want to learn more about how bundled cable can help as a cost-saving solution? Contact us or email quotes@onepull.com for more information.

Each electrical installation project has its own unique demands. Our custom bundled cable configurations are manufactured with these demands in mind. For example, a Cat6 cable bundle for a data center application will require a different configuration from, say, an 18 conductor THHN bundle that will be used in for controls in automation equipment. 

Whether an electrical contractor will use a bundled cable configuration in an automated conveyor belt system, water treatment facility, or fire alarm system, network, or data center will factor into their configuration preferences. 

Specific configurations are designed to solve the problems faced by electrical contractors in specific installations. Since labor costs associated with each installation will reduce an electrical contractor’s overall profit margins, their choice for a bundled cable configuration is critical for their bottom line.  

Depending on the project, different configurations are better suited to maximize efficiency and time to completion on the job site. 

So when would an electrical contractor choose a spiral, staggered, or straight configuration? 

1) Spiral Configuration

Spiral cable assemblies are great for electrical installations where the minimum outside diameter and maximum flexibility are required (such as home runs) to be run through conduit with numerous or sharp bends.    

Though the binding is very compact, spiral configurations maintain a round shape that maintains the flexibility qualities of the wire contained in the bundle which helps to prevent hang ups.  

Additionally, spiral cable bundles do not change their proportion when bent. 

It is often used for long pulls in conduit where all conductors will be carried end-to-end, or numerous bends in the conduit could cause hang ups. 

Common applications: 

• Control Systems 
• Communication Systems 
• Industrial Automation 
• Commercial Construction 
• Access Control Systems 
• Solar Farms 
• Automated Conveyor Belt Systems

2) Straight Configuration

Straight configurations are often used for assemblies laid in place such as composites of electronic cables (both with or without building wire).  

Straight bundled cable configurations are often used in home runs as well as in conduits and trays. It is not uncommon for them to be used in an un-spiraled structure to minimize heat build-up in power wires 12 AWG or larger.  

Though less flexible than a spiral configuration, a straight configuration works just as well as a spiral assembly so long as flexibility is not a primary concern for an electrical contractor. 

Straight configurations are available for wire types that include coax, fiber optic, data and build/fixture wires. 

Common applications: 

• Power plants 
• Commercial Offices 
• Casinos 
• LED Lighting Systems and Fixtures 
• Waste Water Treatment Facilities 
• Generators 
• Theater Lighting 
• Hospital call systems 
• Data Centers 
• Warehouses 
• Factories 
• Ventilation and HVAC Systems 

3) Staggered Configuration

Staggered bundle cable configurations are used in installations where the exact measurements of breakout points can be specified at the time that the order is placed. 

The breakout conductors can have various length tails and be bundled at one or both ends.  

Staggered configurations are commonly used in solar farms, commercial and roof top installations, elevator and lift systems, and conveyor automation machines. 

Common applications:  

• Solar Farms 
• Data Centers 
• Fire Alarm Systems 
• Security Systems 
• Elevator and Lift Systems 
• Rooftop installations 
• Automated Conveyor Belt Systems 
• Manufacturing assembly lines 

To learn more about our various configurations and their applications, visit our configuration spec sheets.    

There are various industry terms for organizing wire: structured wiring, structured cable systems, wire and cable management systems etc… They all have the same basic meaning though. The goal is to organize the wire and cable in your office, factory, building, machinery, equipment, data center, security system in a neat and organized way to avoid the tangled mess of cords running loosely so that the wires themselves can be easily traced back. In other words, it is about creating a plan to keep the wires together in a safe, organized and functional format that keeps them tidy and easy to manage. Bundling wires and cables does just that.

When electricians bundle cables and wire conductors together, they have several options, which are contingent on the wire and cable type, the electrical code regulations and restrictions, and the manner of installation.

Neat and organized wiring is one of the ways you can tell that an electrician or IT installer takes pride in their work, and if an electric panel is wired by a professional electrician, or if those communications cables are run by an IT professional all the cable and wires are held neatly together. From breakers in an electrical panel where on the right or left side of the panel they exit the box on the same side.

This requires planning and careful execution, and the completed work sometimes resembles a wiring diagram, with each wire turning at a just the right angles next to the connection before it heads up or down and out to the next connection point. In cases like this one might automatically think zip ties or velcro strips would be the solution for these generally short runs, but often it is not.

The most common choices to bundle wire and cable are:

1. zip ties
2. velcro straps
3. electrical tape
4. nylon harnesses

So what’s the best type of binding for cable bundles?

It depends.

One-Pull’s wire bundles are all bound with a waxed nylon string into a harness. While there are specific advantages for using waxed nylon binder thread for long runs, there are advantages and disadvantages to each of these cable management solutions.

If the cables are being run over a distance through cable tray, along a floorboard, or over head by j hooks, zip ties may be the right solution if applied correctly. Even Velcro strips may work in this situation if applied close enough together. However, for an electrical panel or in a conduit, zip ties or Velcro strips can be dangerous.

The nylon harness is a good way to keep wire and cable bundled together neatly, efficiently, and effectively. Since the surface area of the binder is minimal it is less likely to snag than a material that wraps around the whole circumference of the bundles. The binder is less likely to damage the wire or cables. Itf applied correctly, the nylon binder can be used with high voltage or low voltage wire and cable, prevents the cables from separating or sagging, and allows just enough space for the wire to dissipate some of the heat generated. It is for all the reasons that the nylon harness is the superior method of bundling, but it too has its drawbacks.

If you are organizing a desk or single workstation, it does not make sense. If you are organizing a short run of cable, say 5 ft, it does not make sense. If you need to continuously add or subtract wires and cables from the configuration, it does not make sense. However, if you are installing over a large distance, and you want to keep the cables together, and the installation is going to be permanent or semi-permanent that the nylon harness is the best choice. For a quick recap, see the list of the pros and cons below:

1) Zip Ties

Advantages

• Good for short and long runs of communication and data wire
• Good for binding together a number of wires connecting computer computers to the wall [image]
• Good for organizing wires so that people don’t trip over them
• A quick solutions for creating a tidier workplace
• They are inexpensive to purchase. You can buy a pack of 100 on Amazon for $5.99.

Disadvantages

• If pulled too tightly, it can damage the wire
• It’s cumbersome to remove if you need to make changes to the number of conductors, or even the location to the device where the cable need to run.
• For large bundles and runs, an electrician can spend a lot of time repeating applying multiple zip ties.
• The zip ties, depending on application and cable and wire type may not be even allowed to bundle cables running into a conduit.
• If allowed in conduit, since the zip ties have a thick tail, it can get caught or snag when pulling the bundle through conduit or even tray
• Tighter bundles can increase the build-up of heat between the conductors. Because of such, some electrical code will not allow this type of bundling to take effect as it presents a potential fire hazard if the cables overheat too much. And zip ties should never be used with higher voltage wire without appropriate derating of the wire and we would still recommend against using them with high voltage wire even if technically allowable.
• Only applicable for low voltage cable by code in conduit, high voltage cables do not allow any foreign objects in the conduit or tray

Overall

Zip ties are ideal for small and long runs of low voltage cable such as data or communication cable, as well as home use and small budgets since they are cheap to purchase. However, they have inefficiencies and even cause dangerous conditions, when it comes to large jobs using high voltage wire. This is especially true for pulling long high voltage wire runs through tray and conduit installations. If the zip ties get stuck in a conduit, you’ll end up paying more in terms of labor costs than had you used a more expensive material, but one that would have still saved time on getting the job done. In addition, applying zip ties to the wrong situation can open you up to a whole lot of avoidable liability.

2) Velcro

Advantages

• Easy to apply
• Since it is soft it is unlikely to damage the wire
• The velcro pull tabs makes them easy to tighten, remove, and reuse
• Good for data cabling applications
• It is an alternative to an “H stitch”
• Useful for adding additional runs since the velcro can be quickly detached

Disadvantages

• The zip ties can fray over time—there are only so many uses before the velcro begins to tear
• Like the zip ties (although not as prominent), the velcro bindings thickness can result in a cable bundle getting caught on something when being pulling through a long conduit or tray
• Worse if the strips comes off, or slides down and bunch the contractor’s cable could become stuck in the conduit requiring much more effort, time and money to get the job done.
• It’s not applicable on any wires that tend to get hot (such as power wires)
• Only applicable for low voltage cable by code, high voltage cables do not allow any foreign objects in the conduit or tray and like Zip ties Velcro wraps qualify as a foreign object.

Overall

Velcro has good applications Data centers and IT solutions but has limited applications for industrial and commercial construction, particularly since it is thick (increased chance of it snagging) and it is not suitable for high voltage wire.

3) Electrical Tape

Advantages

• Holds the wires together while still being loose enough for the wires to “breathe” or allow the heat to disperse and not build.
• Can be quickly released as feeding through conduit with high voltage wires, which eases the pull as the individual wires are more flexible in curves, angles, and bends
• Less expensive than velcro straps; you can purchase a multi-color 5 pack for 8.99
• Leaves minimal sticky residue
• However, due to the low stickiness of Electrical Tape it also can be pushed

Disadvantages

• Electrical tape/Pull tabs are not very durable and can be easily snapped
• Since the width of the tape must wrap around the bundle completely, it creates a larger surface area that is more susceptible to snagging.
• Bundles made with electrical tape are very loose in between the area where the tape is applied on the cables. This will lead to sagging and less aesthetically looking cables, especially if run over head on “J” hooks
• Electrical tape again may not be approved in the electrical conduit itself, and is considered a foreign object by most electrical code books. Electrical tape has its valid function in the code, but just as a method to hold the wires together in high voltage conduit is not one of them.

Overall

Electricians love the ease and cost of using electrical tape. In fact we use them as pull tabs on our nylon harness wire bundles. It is a popular, cost-effective way to bind wires together. But for long runs, it can consume a lot of the electrician’s time, even though the material is comparatively inexpensive, the electrician ends up wasting time which translates into less time to do other work, which, ultimately, means less money.

For long runs or lots of repetitive short run, multi-conductor cable bundles, they nylon harness bundle is king.

4) Nylon Harnesses

Advantages

• Has excellent heat resistance [and can even be plenum rated] which makes it good for high voltage, or use in “public” spaces or transportation applications.
• Holds the bundled together tightly while also providing enough room to breathe.
• The binding is tight enough to limit sag, which is good when an electrician is pulling handing bundles on a ceiling grid
• Less likely to catch than something that goes all the way around the nylon
• Saves time for repetitive, long bundles
• A well applied nylon harness is less likely to snag on conduit or tray (outside of loose wire) when being pulled than velcro or zip tie
• Good for large, multi-conductor bundles
• Ideal for long runs in commercial construction
• If plenum rated, has excellent fire safety rating
• Is allowed by electrical code as “part of the cable” to be run in any type of conduit or tray. Making it the only application for both high voltage and low voltage wire and cable in conduit or tray. While other options may be used for low voltage, the harness is the only approved for high voltage applications.

Disadvantages

• Since the nylon harness spiral around the entire bundle (which could be 100 feet+ in length), it is designed to be more permanent than velcro
• Adding and subtracting wire can be challenging since once the nylon harness is cut it will need to be replaced.
• Cutting larger cables to smaller lengths requires remembering to tape off both sides of the cut everytime or the binder will come undone.
• May require more pulling tension and lube to pull through certain aspects of conduit, bends, corners and angles in particular as the cable is more rigid.

Overall

We’re obviously a little bias since we specialize in manufacturing bundled cable encased in a nylon harness. Nonetheless all of these bindings have pros and cons which an electrician must weigh when they are on the job site.

By Rudy Hanecak, General Manager of One-Pull Wire and Cable Solutions  

“Would you like HBO included in your bundled cable package?”  

Nope, we’re not talking about that type of bundled cable. We’re talking about 20-conductor-or-more wire bundles that electrical contractors pull through tray and conduits, like these giants below:

Whether it is building wire, Cat5E, or most other wire products out there, pulling wire through conduit is a time intensive activity. Bundled cable simplifies the setup process and saves hours on the actual installation.

Furthermore, identifiable printed labels facilitate addressing any future maintenance problems or emergencies (I.e. solar farms). If accidental damage occurs during routine maintenance or reinstallation, the custom printing makes it easier to discover and fix the problem.

So who could benefit from these anaconda-size braids of wire? Simply put, any electrical contractor who works with dozens of cables that all need to be tagged and bundled stands to save money, time, and energy.

The benefits of the product are straightforward:

• Results in a 40%+ time savings in conduit and tray installations
• Custom printing and marking on individual conductors
• Manufactured orders of over 150 plus conductors
• Minimizes wire waste on the job (all lengths are custom)
• Single reel setup per homerun
• Reduces time spent on site setup
• A value-added service for electrical distributors
• Applicable in power, fire, signaling, water treatment, and data industries

Think of all the wire a contractor goes through, whether they are installing cable in a data center, a solar farm, a fire alarm system, or a commercial power plant. Tying 1,000 ft+ of 50-conductor Cat5e can take hours.

After all, who wants to tag and bundles these wires on the job site?

So what’s the difference between bundled Cable, speed pull, rapid pull, ready pull, one pull, thrifty pull?

Short answer:

Nothing

Though the practice of bundling cable has been around since the 70s, no dominant term arose for the product. Consequently, there are various names for the product. But at the end of the days they are refer to the same thing. What you see below:

We prefer the phrase bundled cable since it easily captures the features that define the product:

Spools of conductors that are bundled and printed based on customer specification

Easier than ordering an Internet Cable Package:

When it comes to purchasing bundled cable, the process is straight forward. Here are the steps:

1. Call or email the OEM cable bundler (in our case, sales@onepull.com)
2. Provide the number of conductors
3. How much footage you need
4. What type of wire
5. The harness and configuration type
6. Any specific printing requests
7. Provide a delivery address

Alright, by this point the bundled cable manufacturer should now have identified the wire the customer is looking for in their cable, the harness type, the configuration, as well as how many runs of conductors of the wire material are required.

Once we get that squared away, we can get to work turning this:

into colorful bundles like this:

Interested in learning more about the benefits of bundled cable? Use the contact form below and one of our bundled cable specialists will get back to you

Big News: One-Pull Is the New Home of Quik-Pull

It’s been an exciting start to September: Quik-Pull Wire is now a part of the One-Pull family! Officially on August 30, One-Pull acquired Quik-Pull from its parent-company, Memphis-based Power & Telephone Supply.  

Now that Quik-Pull has joined One-Pull, we will be able to provide more products and faster lead times to electrical contractors throughout the United States. 

Although the combined company name will be One-Pull, we will continue to use the Quik-Pull product line name in the future, along with Cable and Harness, which Quik-Pull merged with in 1999 when Vermont Cableworks was founded. Quik-Pull’s slogan is “The original. The best,” and its history lives up to that. Through this acquisition, One-Pull is excited to absorb the market knowledge, product and manufacturing expertise, and brand recognition of Quik-Pull. 

 Quik-Pull’s facility is equipped to manufacture specialty configurations and products including spiral bundled cable configurations as well as custom, UL-rated tray cable products. 

Quik-Pull’s team has years of experience in bundled cable manufacturing. We are thrilled to be joined by their best-in-class management, operations, and sales team.  

Now that One-Pull and Quik-Pull are together, our bundled cable operations and capabilities have expanded considerably. We are dedicated to fulfilling, manufacturing, and shipping wire bundles to electrical contractors as quickly as possible. Their bottom line depends on completing every job efficiently along with minimal wire waste.  

Though our official brand name is One-Pull Wire and Cable, Quik-Pull will remain a name that is part of our product line. We will still refer to our cable bundles as quik pulls (sometimes spelled “quick pulls,” other times “quik pulls”).  

The two organizations, now housed under one roof and one name, are excited about what the future holds. 

Rob Reardon, One-Pull’s managing director, is thrilled about the organization’s future. 

“With the acquisition of Quik-Pull we have increased our capacity and ability to provide very short lead-times. In addition, we will be able to manufacture more complex cable configurations such as spiral configurations and jacketed tray cable bundles. Electricians and electrical contractors are constantly asking ‘how do we save money and how do we become more competitive with project bids?’ Bundled cable will help them on both fronts. Studies have shown that the product can save end users up to 25% on their labor expenses as well as setup and termination time. We will spend much of our time giving product demonstrations and showing how much quicker bundled cable is compared to setting multiple reels,” he says. 

 Check out our line of bundled cable configurations.