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  • Polywater® P-640 Prelube 2000™ Cable Blowing Lubricant

Polywater® P-640 Prelube 2000™ Cable Blowing Lubricant

$242.27

Need it Sooner? Lead Time: 7-10 days.

P-640 includes:

  • 5-gallon/18.9-liter pail

Lubricant Increases Distance When Blowing Fiber Optic Cable

Polywater Prelube 2000 reduces frictional drag during the blowing of outside plant fiber optic cable into duct. It increases the distance cable can be installed in a continuous length. Prelube 2000 can also be used to blow in empty microducts for future microcable installation. Use Prelube 5000 for blowing the microcables; see related products on the sidebar.


When cable blowing, the cable stops moving when the frictional force resisting movement equals the blowing force producing movement. The maximum blowing distance varies linearly with friction coefficient in straight conduit sections. The friction reduction shown for Prelube 2000 can increase installation distance by a factor of 5 or more versus unlubricated duct. More information on these studies is published in our TeleTopics Newsletter Volume #11 (right sidebar link).

Application: An airtight duct system with pressure-tight splices is critical to maximizing cable installation distance. Follow the equipment manufacturer’s instructions. Duct must be clean, dry and mandrel tested. Clean the duct by blowing a tight-fitting foam sponge through the duct with high pressure. If excess water or dirt exists, repeat this process. Prelube 2000 is effective at a coating thickness of 0.5 mg/cm². See the article reprint on the right sidebar for additional information on duct preparation.

For smoothwall duct and high air speed equipment with no missile, squeeze the recommended amount of Prelube 2000 Lubricant into the duct. Spread the lubricant by blowing a foam carrier through the duct. The squeeze bottle (cat# P-35) is a good package for this type of application.

Duct Size
Lubricant Quantity
per 1000 feet
Lubricant Quantity
per Kilometer
1 in/2.5 cm
                                                               3 fl oz    
                           300 ml
1.25 in/3 cm                                                                4 fl oz
                           400 ml
1.5 in/4 cm
                                                               5 fl oz
                           500 ml
2 in/5 cm
                                                               6 fl oz
                           600 ml


For smoothwall duct 1 – 1.25 in/2.5 – 3.0 cm inner diameter and piston type machines, use 5 to 10 fl. oz. per thousand feet of duct/0.5 to 1.0 liter per kilometer. Place 75% of the lubricant in front and 25% behind the missle. The lubricant is spread by the missile as the cable is blown.

The quantities of lubricant appropriate for any job will vary with the size, type and condition of the duct. Use the recommendations above as a place to start and adjust as necessary.

  • Low Friction: Increases blowing distance. 
  • Easy to Use: Squeezed into the duct before blowing fiber optic cable.
  • Tested and Approved: Recommended by most blowing equipment manufacturers.
  • Winter Grade Available: Can be used in sub-freezing temperatures.
  • Compatible with Cable Jackets: Avoid weakened or cracked fiber optic jackets.
  • Multiple Use: For blowing fiber optic cable and microducts.
  • Proven: Used over 20 years in the installation of over 500,000 km of cable.

Product/Package Notes:

Polywater Prelube 2000 comes in two grades: regular grade (P) and winter grade (WP) for cold weather use in temperatures as low as -20°F/-30°C. The 1-quart/0.95-liter bottle is the most popular for field use. The long nozzle makes the injection of the lubricant easy. Prelube 5000 is recommended for the installation of microcables in microtubes.

Specifications and Applications:

Cable Compatibility: Passes all compatibility tests for PE jacketed cables.

Cost Effectiveness: Prelube 2000 offers significant cost savings over “factory-lubricated” duct. In high-quality HDPE duct, it lubricates e‑iciently at coating levels of 0.5 mg/cm2 of duct surface. At these levels, the lubricant cost for 1.25” (3.2 cm) duct is approximately $2 per 1,000 feet ($6 per kilometer), much lower than the additional cost for the factory-lubricated duct. Prelube 5000 is also extremely e‑icient and cost e‑ective. It lubricates at coating levels as low as 0.05 mg/cm2 of the tubing’s interior surface. At these levels, the lubricant cost is $0.20 to $0.75 per 1,000 feet ($0.60 to $2.20 per kilometer), depending on microtube size

Safe: Prelube is non-hazardous

Polywater Lubricants FAQ

A cable pulling lubricant is a specialty product designed to reduce the friction of a cable while pulling into a conduit. The friction reduction lowers the force required to pull the cable into the conduit. This reduces the tension (tensile stress) on the cable during installation.
Pulling lubricants lower tension on cable as it is installed, providing numerous benefits. Lower pulling forces are less likely to physically damage the cable. Lower sidewall pressure, which is the normal pressure on a cable going around a bend can improve installation performance and life. Additionally, lower tension means less equipment wear, improved operational safety, and longer uninterrupted cable runs (fewer splices). These combined benefits result in an improved and lower-cost cable installation.
For short, straight pulls with lightweight cable, a lubricant may not be needed. For longer pulls, pulls with a greater total bend angle, or pulls with heavy cable, the use of an effective lubricant can significantly lower tension and sidewall pressure.
Equations based on the physics of the pull can provide an estimate of tension and sidewall pressure. The primary inputs into the equations are cable weight, conduit system detail (run lengths and bend location and angle), and the friction coefficient of the cable jacket against the conduit wall. The equations calculate pulling tension and sidewall pressure as the cable moves through the conduit.
The friction coefficient (or coefficient of friction) is a dimensionless number that is a measure of the frictional resistance to movement of the cable against the conduit wall. A pulling force is required to overcome this frictional force and move the cable. For example, if a 10 lb (4.5 kg) block sitting on a table took 5 lbs (2.25 kgs) of force to move it across the table, the coefficient of friction is the ratio of the pulling force to the gravitational force, or 5/10 (2.25/4.5), so the friction coefficient = 0.5. For plastic and rubber cable jackets against metal or plastic conduit, typical friction coefficients can vary from 0.1 to 1.5.
In horizontal straight sections of duct, the pulling tension is directly proportional to the coefficient of friction (COF). So, a reduction of 50% in the COF means a reduction of 50% in the pulling tension. However, in bend sections, the primary normal force comes from the pulling force itself, and the COF is in an exponential factor that multiplies the incoming tension. A reduction of 50% in the COF can mean a reduction of 90% in the tension in 180 degrees of bend.
In cable pulling, this coefficient of friction depends not only on the lubricant, but also the cable jacket type and conduit type. All three must be known to determine a meaningful COF. While there is no standard friction measurement method that applies to cable in conduit, our methods at Polywater® measure real cable friction on standard conduit types. Thousands of tests have produced a large friction database. These data are validated by back calculating effective coefficient of friction from actual cable installations. We make this data available in our lubricant technical data sheets or in the tension estimating software, Pull-Planner™
Polywater’s Pull-Planner program determines an appropriate quantity by calculating the volume of a complete coating of the interior of the conduit and/or the exterior of the cable jacket(s). So, the amount of lubricant recommended is proportional to both the length of the pull and the size of the cable/duct. For cable pulling, an excess of lubricant is not a problem, but for cable blowing, you need to avoid lubricant puddling.
No. The cable pulling environment and the ability and methodology used to apply the lubricant and are both important. While liquid lubricants work neatly in underground pulls by simply pouring into a feeder tube or upturned duct, they cannot be applied to cable going into overhead conduits, thanks to gravity. Lubricants that thicken or freeze at cold temperatures cause problems in cold weather applications. Maintaining friction reduction when pulling though a flooded conduit requires unique lubricant properties.
Lots of them! Most factors can be managed with good pulling procedures. There are “mathematical” effects from the location of bends in the conduit run. Dirt or sand filled conduit can increase friction considerably, much more than can be reduced by using a lubricant. High temperatures make cable jackets softer and raise their friction. In hot climates this can sometimes be controlled by pulling at cooler times of day. In cable blowing, a compressor cooler is necessary for optimal installation lengths. Read our installation literature and technical papers for best practices on controlling pulling tension.
While these materials are friction reducers, care must be taken not to use any lubricant that can swell, weaken, or crack the cable jacket. The cable manufacturer can be a source of information on the compatibility of various lubricants with various types of cable jacket. IEEE Standard 1210 covers the testing recommended to establish the compatibility of a lubricant with cable jacket.
Polywater lubricants are compatible with both prelubricated cable and prelubricated conduit. Addition of a pulling lubricant often optimizes the performance of these materials, especially in a difficult raceway configuration or particularly long run.
Pulling lubricants are conductive. Residue near the splice or conductor should be completely removed before cable is energized or tested. There is no problem with lubricant residue left on the cable jacket.
While fiber optic installation methods have significantly different procedures and equipment, they rely on a force to move the cable through the conduit. In pulling, the force is on the front of the cable and comes from a pulling winch. In cable blowing, the force results from the pressure differential between the compressor end and the open end of the conduit. Blowing produces a “localized” force along the entire cable jacket. Pulling and blowing need to overcome the frictional resistance to movement, and when that frictional resistance is reduced using a lubricant, pulling tension will decrease or blowing distance will increase.
Usually not. Pulling lubricants use a water base to carry and spread the lubricant though the conduit. You can typically see the lubricant on the surface of the cable when it emerges from the conduit. However, this type of slippery liquid or gel does not help in cable blowing. While blowing lubricants may be carried by water, the water evaporates quickly due to high velocity air flow. Effective blowing lubricants work dry, and they are designed to reduce friction with a very thin, “molecular” coating thicknesses. Excess lubricant can create too much surface tension or cause air locks, which can interfere with the installation process.
Weight 44 lbs
Dimensions 12 × 12 × 15 in