Question about running fiber through old conduit in Chicago

I keep hearing everyone say you should never pull fiber through existing conduit, that it always gets damaged. Last month I had to run 500 feet of single mode through a conduit that had been sitting empty for 3 years in an old office building on Michigan Ave. Pulled it slow with a mule tape and a swivel. Zero issues, passed OTDR testing first try. Anyone else have success stories with old conduit or am I just getting lucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_kim15d ago

500 feet isn't exactly a long pull though, right?

betty_palmer14d agoProlific Poster

500 feet is a lot when you're me though, @james_kim. Last time I tried to pull a trailer that distance I backed into a mailbox about 20 feet in. My neighbor still brings it up every time I get behind the wheel. Honestly the way I drive, 500 feet is practically a cross country trip. I'd probably manage to hit a fire hydrant and a parked car before I even got the trailer fully out of the driveway.