underground cable

Hi, recently built a big shed behind my house.would like to run electric out to shed, anyone have idea on the type of cable,how deep to dig trench,have allready dug a trench about 17 inches.
is that deep enough? going about 100 feet from house to shed
new at this so will thank all for any help.....


thanks again!!

 

How much power do you want there? That is the first determination. http://www.homewiringandmore.com/hom...detgarage.html
That is a link about garages wrote by one on this forum.

 

sberry27,
While your advice and problem-solving capabilities are most welcome in this forum, i would think it would be more beneficial to everyone that views this forum if questions and answers were posted and viewed here, rather than just providing a link to another site. Asking the proper questions and providing accurate answers may provide someone else with valuable information on the same subject while browsing the forums. This is just my opinion. Please don't take it personally.

 

Well,,, give the man an answer then,,,

 

Consider using Non-Metallic Ridgid Conduit (PVC) as the under-ground Wiring Method. This is a "raceway" which means you insert the wires in the conduit after it has been completly assembled. I reccomend 1-1/4" (trade size). You will need 3 feeder conductors and 1 Equiptment Grounding Conductor between the house panel and the garage panel.Consider a 2nd. UG conduit for communication cables. The 1-1/4" conduit allows a 100 amp feeder capacity when you select the wire size.-----Good Luck!!!

 

sberry,

You have my opolgies for being chastized for issuing a link to my web site.

The intent was not to become a competiter of the DIY but to augment the DIY with a tool that can more prepare the person posting a quesiton that needs a lot of info for them to start, then it has been intended for them to have the ability to pick a whole picture of the subject the post was seeking, then come back here for more detailed quesitons.

Wirenut33 is a moderator of this forum and seems to have an issue with that link to our site. I never meant to cause harm to the DIY but to make the DIY more helpful with the articles that I wrote.

Due to the moderator's reaction to that link you posted to our web site, it seems time for me to back out as one who replies here and let the DIY grow without me causing any problems in this forum. I never intended to cause any conflicts but only to help the DIY and those who posted questions.

The DIY forum has many skilled people making replies thus not really needing my help, Now it seems best if I quietly fade into the sunset from the DIY.

Truly have enjoyed working to help others in the DIY

May everyone have much success not only personally but as those who help others for free in the DIY.

I'll stop in to say hi now and again, otherwise I will fade out of this forum for the better of the DIY.

Good Luck

Wg

 

Ouch!
WG- I understand what you are saying, but it is not for the better of DIY. I don't think I have ever seen you post a link to your site, even when it would be completely appropriate. I have done it, usually to reference material (drawings, etc.) that are easier to look at than describe. I understand Wirenut's point, it is good for the main discussion to stay in one spot, but a link to an existing reference (yours or someone else's) seems way better than writing a three page response to parrot it. Anyway, my point is, that I will be sorry to see you go!

 

I wish you hang around here and keep the rest of us on the straight and narrow. I learn a lot about the right way sometimes as often I am concerned about the efficiency before I think about code compliance. If wirenut wants to say that he can,,, no bother to me and at first glance he has a point,,, but I am sure if he look further that my intent was to give the guy some refrence so he could clarify what his demands might be,,, then he can come back with an idea of what he might want. I had a boat guy ask me how much a welder was worth. I asked him how much a boat was worth,,, have to start somewhere,, a big boat or a little boat. I could have asked him his intentions or rambled on about all the possibilities,,, maybe the guy wants a light out there,, who knows. I really like that link and bookmark it,,, have used it several times to send to friends that ask about garage stuff. Its really handy and beats going over details that they can pick up,,, all that is left is to clarify questions. I figure you had something in mind when you take the time and effort to do that,, you want to have people use it. So,,, stick around here,, I look for your posts on a regular basis,, especially after I post one,,, see if i did it right.

 

I surely hope that this thread is not an indication of the direction that this forum will be taking under new leadership.

 

If WG leaves this board will suffer a huge, huge loss. He always takes time to thoroughly explain things so the DIY can understand them. I notice that wirenuts doesn't have the courage to let you send him a direct e-mail. I wonder why????
We'll all miss you if you leave, WG. You are a big part of why this board is so active.
Don

 

Wirenut is alright,,, I am not out to bash him,, he has an opinion too. I like everyone on this forum so far,,, I have looked at others including Homewiring and dennis b and this one seems to have a lot of participation,, very diverse. If the site is good referals to other links are helpful too and the traffic will end up back here.

 

I dont know what the issue is between Wirenut33 and WG and I dont care it, it is probably something that goes way back and has been building pressure for a while.
WG has always gotten flake from some new guy who comes in here, guns a blazin looking for the sherriff, but soon realize WG is the good guy for everybody!! good and bad.
I also do not think Wirenut33s reply to Sberrys was out of line at all. He was simply saying that if every time someone has a question we refered them to a website to read and had no personnel interaction, we would be like robots. You guys have been around enuff to know when we start talking and asking questions more details come out and it makes a world of difference!!! after all this is a discussion forum.
WGs site is an outstanding place for people to start their quest and then come here for more questions too.
IT IS A TWO HEADED COIN!!!!!
Wirenut post back and say your sorry, WG you are like my journyman mentor DO NOT GO, you and Don and John and others are a delicate piece of checks and balance, without you it could fall apart. DAM IT!!! I am still learning from you!!!!

 

If Wg goes, I'm going too. There's no way I'm going to retype a lengthy explanation if another web site already has a great answer with pictures too. And copying the answer here would infringe on copyrights. Posting a link to another web site is the standard way the web operates. After all, it is called a "web" for good reason.

 

Easy guys


I have always worried that a conflict would sometime come up concerning our HOme Wiring site and the DIY in a form of compitiion. It has always been my intent that if this competition thing appeared then I would back out and let the DIY grow peacefully. What the DIY has done over the years can not be measured in any manner concerning the added safety, steadily increasing knowledge, and the free help without any thought of any return in time vested by any of those issuing replies in the DIY forum. That record is something to be proud of and should be protected at all costs. It was not my intention to portray anger of invite any type of damage to the DIY forum in any manner. This is a good thing that has in the past most likely saved much monetary damage and most likely saved some lives by informing those DIYers that are going to do it anyway the proper way of doing it.

There is absolutely no riff between me and wirenut33 in any manner.

I just picked up what I have worried about and that is a feeling of the HOme Wiring and the DIY being in competition with each other in the reply that wirenut33 made. I have no feeling that he meant bad toward anyone.

We have many times suggested people who reply not to send a person who posted to a private email conference becuase others can not then benifit from that private discussion.

However there has never been and should not be a statement in an attempt anyone from posting a link to a piece of information that person issuing a post needs. While I don't care for personal actions just for an advertisement to a certain site. I and this DIY forum have always advocated using links to information that will help a person become informed on their quest for knowledge to the point they can be helped in this forum when the return after reading that information pertaining to what they are asking. Without those web site links to detailed info for that person to see what they are getting into as a whole picture that person is unable to ask the questions or make the statement that they need to post in their replies in this forum so we can flag where they are making a mistake.

All the above concerning linking to web sites with detail info is available to any who read the reply. Always in the past that person went to those links picked up what they needed to be able to ask the needed questions in this forum. This and the atmosphere of the desire to help is what makes this forum work.

A feeling of compitition between the Home Wiring that was born to provide that needed info for the person who hasn't even got a start in mind on a project to read then come back here centered down on the parts they did not understand would do nothing but start the decline of the DIY.

THIS DIY DECLINE IS ABSOLUTELY NOT WHAT I WANT. This forum's value can not be measure in money or any other common denominater, it is without a possible point of value to way too many people in the world.

I made the statement that I did about me backing out to avoid exactly what is happening in this reply. I do not want the DIY to do anything but grow and help more people. That is my wish ! There is no hidden agenda and absolutely no intent of being competiters between the Homewiring web site and this forum. Teh HOmewiring web site was actually born with intent to be a tool of this DIY forum.

Again there is no ill feelings between myself and wirenut33 in any manner. As a forum moderator he posted that reply. I picked up that statement only being made because it was the Homewiring site. That statement of not sending people to other web sites has never been stated in all the time I have worked in this DIY forum but just appeared concerning the Homewiring. My intent of the HOmewiring site was to be used as a tool in partnership to the DIY forum when a person needed at least a start on the subject they were attempting. Before the Homewiring site the DIY replies too many times needed to be a book in length to warn a person what they were getting into. I had the writings and Don and I decided to make the web page as an act to help the DIY not become its competiter.

This competiter thing shined in wirenut 33's statement in my mind. This is why I tried to explain may actions and said that I was fading into the wood work.

All you guys have been great! YOu have helped people with their projects beyond even what you know. My backing out was an attempt to eliminate that feeling of compitition. I had no intent nor do I want to cause you guys that reply in this forum to become upset.

Thank you all for what I have learned from each of you, and be easy on Wirenut33, he is not a bad guy, his reply and statement was not intended to hurt. It is just that the compitition factor has been what I have always wanted to avoid and it seems to have appeared in this string. My backing out was in my mind the easiest impact to avoid a birth of any riff that may have hurt the DIY. This reply is an attempt to settle the feelings of all that reply in this forum. YOu are all needed here and the DIY is needed by all around the world. In my mind the DIY and our HOmewiring site is a tool to maintain freedom of choice and way too many lives have been lost trying to protect that freedom of choice. Don't throw away the DIY at that tool protecting freedom of that choice.

Good Luck and Thank you.

Wg

 

I have read wirenut33's response several times and fail to see anything hinting at "competition." I believe that wirenut33 is simply saying that it's more efficient to post content in a single forum than sending people out on links. For instance, if someone were to quote portions of wgoodrich's site here (with his permission, of course), wirenut33 would have no objection. It's all about keeping information concentrated in one area. That's the point.

wgoodrich has been a steady force on this board and can be counted on for good, detailed replies. If he wants to leave, that's his choice. All we can do as a (electronic) community is to let him know his presence is welcomed here.

 

Let me add my .02. As a question poster, I have no problem being directed to another web site, if it would give me a clear understanding of how to do something. As someone who replies to questions, I sometime sit here and have a lot of trouble to try to provide a step by step procedure on how to do something. It's one of those situations that I could do it, faster than I could explain how to do it.

Most commercial sites have very good step by step procedures on how to do things. With most people being very visual in their comprehension of how to do things, A well done step by step explanation with pictures is worth it's weight in gold.

WG, I would ask that you please stay and continue to help people with their questions on this and other forums.

wirenut33, please lighten up. LInks to other web sites or threads are not the devil incarnate.

 

You have several options. The first thing to decide is what you will be doing in and to the garage. One answer would be "getting into and out of my car during daylight hours only and my car is a piece of junk that I would be happy to have stolen." Another possible answer would be "I am an affordable housing advocate that is going to add two auxiliary apartments to my garage that will be all electric." Other questions include will there be any other wiring or other metallic pathways between the two buildings. I have a system that I try to sell to my detached garage customers. I offer a 1&1/2" to 2" schedule 40 conduit if there is no likelihood of a rental unit at or in the garage. For a rental unit in the garages future I offer a schedule 80 three inch non metallic conduit installed from the utility demarcation point to the garage that meats both the NEC and utility company service lateral standards. I also offer raceways for communications, house panel wiring (landlord circuits), and for things like emergency generator feeders. I have even brought in plumbers to run water, drains, and fuel gas at the same time to minimize the disruptions caused by trenching.

You obviously want some power so here is my suggested minimum. If the building will always be nothing but a residential garage you can run a one inch schedule forty non metallic (plastic) conduit to supply one multi wire branch circuit to the garage. One side of the branch circuit supplies the plugs. The other side supplies the door opener outlets and the lights. Three way switch controls powered by the lighting side of the multi wire branch circuit control the lights that light the path between the two buildings from the garage man door to the house door you are likely to use. You put one receptacle on each side of the vehicle doors and one on each wall of the garage. Place them at work bench height so they are less likely to get covered up with junk and you can put a work bench or work stand wherever you want one. Put a switch for the interior lights on either side of the vehicle door/s and on the opening side of each man door. Install motion sensing lights on the exterior but place them so they don't blind you when you drive up at night. If you use electric yard tools then install exterior receptacles on opposite corners of the garage for the extension cords to such tools. If you will use a lot of outdoor tools or you like to entertain outdoors consider having an outlet at each corner. The reason I install at the corner is that it makes two outlets available to each wall.

Were the raceway comes into the garage have a double pole on/off switch to serve as the building disconnecting means. This switch should be in the same box as one of the three way switches that controls the pathway lighting if that lighting is supplied form the house end. These switches then serve as the building disconnecting means. This wiring scheme provides serviceable power to the garage for the uses for which most people use a garage. It also avoids your having to install grounding electrodes.
--
Tom