[weatheredwood]

The run is maybe 70 to 80 feet.


I haven't decided if it would be aluminum or copper.



Also, how difficult is it to pull the wire through the pvc elbows? There would be at least 3 of them (possibly 4).

 

[surferdude2]

Is it going under ground? Why so many 90's?

Yes, it's extremely hard to pull that long of a run through 3 or 4 90° bends.

#1 copper (2/0 aluminum) would be needed and #6 copper (#4 aluminum) grounding conductor. Is this a single phase panel?

What is the location and purpose of this subpanel?

 

[weatheredwood]

Is it going under ground? Why so many 90's?

Yea, it will be buried. It has to wrap around a corner of the house. There would be one after it first goes under ground, the second one would be at the bend of the house corner. and the 3rd one would be to pop back up.

 

[surferdude2]

That's not too bad. I recommend either making your own long radius bend or buying one for the bend around the corner of the house. It'll make the pull a lot easier. The long radius bends are available from most electrical supply houses. You can bend your own if you need to. You'll be needing 1 1/2" schedule 80 PVC so heat bending that small of a size isn't too challenging if you have a large enough heat source. You may just choose to dig the trench such that you can force the conduit in without pre-bending it. You need to get that down 24" in most places if it can be driven over. With that in mind, you may want to use long radius bends at the risers on each end. Make it easy on yourself.

As a side note, I had an adapter for my truck's tailpipe that I used to heat 2" PVC for bending. Took about 5 minutes with a big block Chevy running at a pretty fast idle to make the conduit think it was a garden hose. They make heat blankets and ovens for this type of work but power wasn't always available.

Check with local requirements for the type ground they require for the building you are installing this panel in, assuming it's a building.

 

[surferdude2]

 

[surferdude2]

Rather than using a fish tape for the pull, I would use 1/4 or 3/8 poly rope. You can blow it in with a leaf blower by tying a small wad cut from a plastic shopping bag sized to fit freely in the conduit. Compressed air also works. Maybe even a shop vac discharge connected. In difficult runs, we blow mason's nylon line in to pull the poly in with.

Get a small container of wire lube at Lowes, et al. for the pull to take some of the grunt out of it. It'll go pretty easy if you lay it out as described. Takes one pulling and one feeding though.

 

[brric]

Better make sure the panel you are feeding from will accept a 125 amp circuit breaker.

 

[surferdude2]

I incorrectly stated PVC schedule 80 in my other post... I should have said schedule 40 for your purpose. The timer won't let me correct it.

Also be sure you get THHN-THWN dual rated wire.

 

[Oldmaster]

NEC 310:15(B)(7) 125 amp. #2 copper or 1/0 Al.

 

[Photobug]

NEC 310:15(B)(7) 125 amp. #2 copper or 1/0 Al.

Yep 1/0 Al for 125 amp panel. I just ran one. I ran a 4 wire service entry round. It is fairly stiff and I can't imagine fish taping it through conduit.

 

[Oldmaster]

You might consider USE direct burial cable.

 

[surferdude2]

NEC 310:15(B)(7) 125 amp. #2 copper or 1/0 Al.

That rating is based on it being a subpanel serving a dwelling. That has not been established.

 

[Oldmaster]

He says"wrap around corner of house" sounds residential to me.

 

[Oldmaster]

And come up at corner of house

 

[surferdude2]

That could be the house it's departing from to go to a building that's not a dwelling. Don't make me come over there and look! :biggrin2:

He hasn't answered when I asked early on what the panel would be serving.