Had to choose between a fish tape and a glow rod in a 50-year-old building

I was running cable through a drop ceiling in a downtown Chicago office built in the 70s and the conduit was so corroded my fish tape kept snagging. Switched to a fiberglass glow rod and got it through in 10 minutes flat. Anyone else find glow rods way better for old buildings or am I just bad with a fish tape?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_palmer2424d ago

Glow rods are a lifesaver in old buildings with that nasty corroded conduit.

xenarobinson24d ago

Yeah, I've had to fish through some REAL nightmares in old commercial buildings where the conduit is basically rusted shut. Had a job last month where I had to use a glow rod AND a fish tape together because the first 10 feet were solid but then it opened up. The trick is to go slow and feel for the bumps, if you force it you'll just punch through the side of the pipe. And for real, keep a second rod handy in case you snap one, that plastic gets brittle when it's cold.