[Andes]

I live on a farm and am currently having all my electrical service buried using URD (about a 200' run from electric company pole to house). The trench, which is still open, runs parallel to my pond and I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to run a line from house back to pond area (about 100') for future landscape lighting, etc. The cost of the job already is nearly wiping me out, so I'm wondering if I can't do some of this additional part of the project myself: that is, run a line, in conduit, from house to pond (in existing trench) leaving a professional to hook one end to house's panel box and hook the other end to an outdoor transformer. My question is: what wire do I use? I'd like to have 30 or perhaps 50 amps by the pond, and I'd like to be able to turn on and off power from both pond location and from house. Also, would this secondary line need to be buried as deep as the main URD lines?

 

[unclduey]

For now just lay some PVC conduit in the trench, 1" would be safe. Pull the wire in later when you know what you want to do out there.

 

[220/221]

Yeah, run pvc.

1" is safe but 1 1/2" is more safe :yes:

 

[johnnyboy]

good idea, the pvc would cost ya not even $50, maybe put a mason's line (string) in the pipe when you install to help with the pulling of wire later...

 

[Andes]

Schedule 40, 80 or Sewer

Many thanks.

I checked out PVC options; PVC sewer seems cheapest and description says it is used for underground conduit. Would you use it, or sched 40 or 80?

 

[theatretch85]

Many thanks.

I checked out PVC options; PVC sewer seems cheapest and description says it is used for underground conduit. Would you use it, or sched 40 or 80?

Whoa, there is special electrical conduit you have to use for this, you cannot just use any PVC pipe. The electrical PVC is gray in color and is usually found near the electrical department. They also have pre-formed 90 degree bends and loads of fittings and boxes for the PVC pipe. Just do NOT use the white or black PVC or ABS pipe for electrical use!

I would also agree on the string, it doesn't need to be strong enough to pull wire through, but it would help to be able to pull a fish tape through in the future that you can use to pull the wire through. If you plan on using the string to pull the wire, make sure you get something thats rated for that use, some string can burn holes into the pipe when you pull the wire through.

 

[Andes]

Depth

OK, great. I will use the gray conduit.

Does the conduit need to be at the same depth as the URD feed, i.e. about 2' deep? I ask because the far end of the trench has already been half filled. I can stop before I get there, but if I wanted to run the conduit further, can it rise to say only 12" deep?

 

[theatretch85]

I am not 100% positive, but I believe the depth needs to be at 18" with PVC, 24" with direct bury. I do not think 12" is adequate even for PVC.

 

[220/221]

18 inches