Hayward ColorLogic 100' 120VAC cable stuck in conduit. No strings attached.

[The Bocephus]

I have successfully pulled and replaced 1 x ColorLogic light, but the second fixture cable is stuck in conduit.
I attached a proper nylon pulling line to the ColorLogic light cable (3 conductor) near the junction box, then started pulling the cable from the pool side. Started off great, but after pulling only about 10 feet, the cable broke. I was not even pulling that hard when it broke.
I tried to pull the cable back through the topside (junction box) and it broke at the tie point between the pulling cable and light cable. Now, I have approximately 90 feet of thick ColorLogic light cable stuck in the conduit and nothing connected to the cable.
It seems sort of hopeless to me, but I thought I would post something here in case someone has encountered this issue and found a solution.

 

[Texas Splash]

Holy smokes. I can just imagine that feeling. But we do know that some conduit lines can collapse from movement. Curious, how old is your pool? I'm personally not aware of any creative ways to get that cable other than perhaps finding a point somewhere along that line to dig down, cut open the conduit, and pull from there. Maybe @jimmythegreek has a thought?

 

[The Bocephus]

The pool was constructed around 2008, so it's about 13 years old. I don't think the conduit has collapsed. I really was not pulling that hard on the cable when it broke and I made about 10 foot of progress. The LED stopped working about a year and a half ago, but since the other still worked, I did not immediately change it out. I think that there was water ingress into he cable, which weakened it over this time. My biggest mistake was not connecting the pulling line more securely. I simply did not imagine the cable breaking. After the cable broke, I pulled the grounding (bonding) cable out of the conduit. It is much smaller than the LED cable and it was super easy to pull. I do have a pulling line in the conduit.
The only thing I can think of is maybe an apparatus with a borescope/endoscope (camera) and a towing sock (aka Electrical Pulling Grips; aka Chinese Fingers) to attach to the cable and pull it out. I don't know if such a device exists.
I have a grassy area that the pipe travels through. I guess that is good news.
Thanks for your reply. I hope someone here has some wisdom to share.

 

[keene3b07]

Ive been there before and it is insanely frustrating. My recommendation is drain the pool, add plenty of wire pulling lube to the junction box side as well as the light niche side. It is also helpful to have a second person pushing the cord from the pool side as the other person is pulling from the j box

 

[jimmythegreek]

Drain the pool down and use a full bottle of pulling lube. Use a fiberglass fish tape and get it thru. Make a catcher on the pool side with a Tupperware container and some tape the lube gets slimy with pool water and will gel up. Dish soap and tap water works well too bit you also have to collect it. You should be able to leave the old line in and fish a new thru. Pool water degrades the sheathing and they break. Never pull dry wire

 

[The Bocephus]

When I pulled the grounding (bonding) cable out, it must of pulled a little of the LED cable. I have about 8 inches to try and pull. I wonder if it would be less risky to purchase a Cable Pulling Sock? I am a little fearful of the cable breaking again.

 

[duckcmmndr]

When I pulled the grounding (bonding) cable out, it must of pulled a little of the LED cable. I have about 8 inches to try and pull. I wonder if it would be less risky to purchase a Cable Pulling Sock? I am a little fearful of the cable breaking again.

Don't do anything until you get some cable lube in there. You can squirt it in from the top side and maybe blow with compressed air or a vacuum in reverse to try to get it the full length of the cable. The Klein synthetic lube works great. It broke because friction caused too much stress on the cable.

After you get the cable out...you can suck a new pull rope through with a shop vac and a piece of 550 cord with a scrap of a rag tied on the end...You may want to pull a big hunk of a rag through before the new cable to try and squeegee some of the overkill amouont of cable lube out of the conduit that was required to get the old cable out.

ETA: If you are not draining the pool then the vacuum trick will not work...you will have to buy a long fish tape to push through to pull a string through with.

 

[The Bocephus]

Is there anything I have to do to remove the lubricant after I get the new light installed? I am a little concerned about the lubricant making its way into the general pool water.

 

[duckcmmndr]

Is there anything I have to do to remove the lubricant after I get the new light installed? I am a little concerned about the lubricant making its way into the general pool water.

The Klein is non-toxic...so if some mixed it would not be the end of the world. That being said, I would try to get as much of it out as I could. You could use the fish tape and push from the top to the pool, then tie on a long piece of 550 cord in the pool and pull it through. Then tie on a piece of a rag on the pool end that will wipe most of the lube out when pulled through. Then repeat with the fish tape to pull the new light cord through.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Chlorine gums it up over time so it is good to get most out. This is why I recommend draining pool down so you can literally wash it out