[RogerDoger]

My wife and I are building a new house in Northern Minnesota on a lot adjacent to our summer lake cabin. The PoCo put in a new pole with a 200 Amp panel and one duplex outlet. (Actually the PoCo moved/replaced an old pole whose location they determined was too far from the pole with the transformer.) The builder ran an extension cord to the building site for construction power.

The building envelope is almost complete. The electrician came out last fall to trench and bury 4/0 aluminum cable (4 wires) from the pole (an unconected loop around the pole) to inside the house where the main panel will be installed. The electrician is planning not to come back until the house is ready for more wiring.

When construction resumes this spring, the doors and windows will go in. Then I will be able to secure the building (lock the doors). In late fall (just before we left), the well contractor moved the pressure tank assembly inside and buried a water line from the pressure tank to the lake cabin.

I made a mistake by not asking the electrician to install the main panel inside, so there is no power inside the new building and no well water going to the cabin.

In order to make construction power available inside and to run a 240 Volt line for the well pump (about 20 feet from the electrical panel area), I am thinking about the following:

(1) Reducing the 4/0 aluminum feeders from the power pole to the status of a "240 Volt extension" since it enters the building underground. At both ends of the 4/0 cable I am tentatively planning to use splicer/reducers (like Home Depot Internet #100190266 -OR- #100126602) to bring the wires down to THHN/THWN-2 AWG #6. I would protect the splices with heat shrink tubing and electrical tape.

(2) At the power pole end I would connect my #6 cable to the feeder lugs. Inside the new house I would connect my #6 cable to a small panel (HD Internet #100194428) with a quad breaker (HD Internet #100186179). This would let me run 240 Volts for a well pump circuit and a couple of 20A @120 V circuits for construction power.

(3) I would maintain separate Neutral and Ground connections at the building panel and would connect the inside ground bar to the slab rebar. I would also secure the excess 4/0 from yanking.

This project would allow us to have water for the building season, greater security when no one is onsite, quickly undo connections when the electrician is ready, but would hardly be Code-compliant. What level of temporary connections are acceptable during construction?

Thanks for you thoughts.

RogerDoger

 

[Kevin_Essiambre]

I would call the electrician and ask him to come back to install the panel and make it live, even if it costs some more money. Then you won't be doing things that will have to be undone and redone properly. This way it'll be done right the whole time.

Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.

 

[RogerDoger]

Thanks, Kevin.
I know this is the best way. And this is the way it will be done when our project pops up in the electrician's queue. And it will cost whatever it costs.



The problem is that the availability of my electrician on short notice when we arrive onsite is zero. Contractors in this area are super busy and scheduled in advance for months. And we need water.


I am looking for a way to spend a little money (~$100 or so) and get water and security and some minimum amount of safety.


Thank you,
RogerDoger

 

[Nealtw]

Put an extension cord to the pump until the wiring is done.

 

[Oldmaster]

Why not put the pump circuit in the panel on the pole?

 

[RogerDoger]

The extension cord would have to be for 20A @ 240 Volts. That's no problem. But then we would have an extension cord running over the ground between the new house and the cabin, crossing an active construction traffic area.



The problem is that the cord would have to run through an open door or window -- not secure.


Thanks,
RogerDoger

 

[Nealtw]

The extension cord would have to be for 20A @ 240 Volts. That's no problem. But then we would have an extension cord running over the ground between the new house and the cabin, crossing an active construction traffic area.



The problem is that the cord would have to run through an open door or window -- not secure.


Thanks,
RogerDoger

Drill a hole in the wall and later have the electrician put an outlet in the same hole.

 

[RogerDoger]

Thanks, Nealtw.


A hole in a wall (9.5" thick) would allow a cable (40 Amp) to extend inside. The only cable location possibilities are:
(1) Underground (4/0 cable from power pole to inside);
(2) Across driveway and construction areas from existing cabin to inside;
(3) In the air, above crane, bulldozer, delivery truck height -- would need a tight wire to support the cable, attached to new house and maybe a tree.



Option (1) is the most practical to implement (a few hours/less than a day) and is the simplest conceptually.

 

[RogerDoger]

Oldmaster,


I still have to run the cable for the pump and construction power over to and inside the new house, underground -OR- overground.



Thanks,
RogerDoger

 

[Nealtw]

Oldmaster,


I still have to run the cable for the pump and construction power over to and inside the new house, underground -OR- overground.



Thanks,
RogerDoger

Soon after lock up you have trades inside and siding guys, I think you should book the electrician at his earliest convenience. Just for the panel and couple construction outlets.

 

[surferdude2]

If you can't do it with approval, a generator is the best way to manage the risk. We built lots of buildings with generated power when the PoCo couldn't accommodate us.

 

[Old Thomas]

I would pester the electrician. He can find time or refer you to a friend who has time.