Running a 220v line to a shop

[Half Dog]

Lots of great advise. I would also recommend using PVC conduit where the cable enters the dirt. Helps protect the cable from weed eaters.

[lightman]

Underground aluminum wire can be run with or without conduit. I've run 1000's of feet of both, from 1/0 to 750mcm. Theres a small difference in the amp rating between direct burial and conduit. Conduit offers a layer of protection from foreign objects like tree roots, construction trash, rocks, ect.

[NavyVet1959]

If I'm burying electrical wire, I prefer to run it in conduit, even if it is approved for direct burial. Even some Sched-40 PVC pipe will work for this. The main thing is that I want something that I will hit with a shovel if I'm digging in the area at a later date and I want that something to be tough enough that I won't go directly into the wire. I also like to bury it deep enough that it is unlikely that I will ever be digging that deep later on. Some locales have regulations on how deep your underground wires need to be. I believe that it is at least 24" around here since I've never encountered any even though I was digging near where the electrical service came into my house.

[Ickisrulz]

If I'm burying electrical wire, I prefer to run it in conduit, even if it is approved for direct burial. Even some Sched-40 PVC pipe will work for this. The main thing is that I want something that I will hit with a shovel if I'm digging in the area at a later date and I want that something to be tough enough that I won't go directly into the wire. I also like to bury it deep enough that it is unlikely that I will ever be digging that deep later on. Some locales have regulations on how deep your underground wires need to be. I believe that it is at least 24" around here since I've never encountered any even though I was digging near where the electrical service came into my house.

The deeper the better. When the trench is open it is a good time to run a water line to the out building and anything else that might be needed (e.g., internet wires, cable TV wires).

[retread]

Underground aluminum wire is not run in conduit so it can transfer the heat generated by the electricity flow out into the soil to keep it cool.

Where I live it must be run in conduit and for good reason. Running in conduit decreases the chance of of physical harm to the wire plus new wire can be pulled through the conduit at a latter date if by chance your existing wire should fail for any reason. PVC conduit is cheap so go big in case you want to upgrade for more power at a latter date.

[AggieEE]

Here is something to consider. If your local community collage has a building trades department talk to them. If you're not time critical, They might do it as a practical exercise for the class. If nothing else most instructors are pretty good guys and would be willing to show you what to look out for. If you are truly a novice do try to get the collage to do it as a project. Even if you have to pay a licensed electrician think in terms of cost to replace the contends of your building. If you have a fire that is determined to be electrical in nature and you can't come up with a licensed name your insurance company is going to drop you faster than a hot potato and not pay out. Just my 2c.

[MUSTANG]

The deeper the better. When the trench is open it is a good time to run a water line to the out building and anything else that might be needed (e.g., internet wires, cable TV wires).

+ 1 on deeper is better, using conduit to pull cabling through, and comm's.

At our Kalispell house, previous owners had lived in a trailer for numerous years before building the house. Power lines were run from the trailer location to out buildings/barns, then some Southern Engineering (yeah I can say Southern Engineering as I grew up in Texas) used to tie it all together and back to Disconnect on Power Pole. Given the far below Code construction for the wiring to Barn/Outbuildings I have been digging up and redesigning/rerouting/rewiring power cabling over the last few years a little at a time. Cabling in places 3 inches underground, other 2 feet underground, threaded around football size rocks and larger boulders resulted in no idea what direction the cabling would go as I was digging it up. As I relocated, I buried everything in conduit (lessons chance of damage from digging and frost heaving). I used the tractor/backhoe to dig all cabling trenches a minimum of 24 inches deep, jackhammering larger boulders when needed and routing around PickUp size Boulders as required. This means that in the future as I or others go back in and do repairs/new construction/etc.. personal injury or damage is drastically reduced. I was literally continually mentally on edge as I dug up and replaced the previous wiring, never knowing what I might run into - not a situation a homeowner or construction person wants to be in. Do the job correctly up front so you and others will be safe in the future.

[DRat-TN]

+1 on lightman's input.

[SciFiJim]

The house is in escrow right now. I am still considering where to put the building. It will only be a storage and small workshop. Unfortunately, I have to deal with an HOA planning committee (it's where SWMBO wants to live). Thanks for the ideas. I am making notes.

[NavyVet1959]

The house is in escrow right now. I am still considering where to put the building. It will only be a storage and small workshop. Unfortunately, I have to deal with an HOA planning committee (it's where SWMBO wants to live). Thanks for the ideas. I am making notes.

I would say avoid anything controlled by HOAs. People who are on HOAs are losers who are unsuccessful in their professional lives and as such, want to get some feeling of power by controlling the lives of others (who are successful in their professional lives).

I tired to get a minor driveway addition added in front of my garage so that one vehicle could be pulled to the side while still allowing both sides of the garage to be open for vehicles to enter / exit it. This is an option that the original builder put on at least a couple of the lots in the neighborhood and my side yard is a LOT larger than theirs. The HOA Nazis would not approve it.

After Hurricane Ike, many of us lost fences. Some of us owned property bordering a greenspace / water retention pond and we liked the view, so we removed the debris and left it open. There were no rules requiring fences at that time, but the HOA Nazis decided to change the rules and not only require fences, but if you chose a wrought iron fence, they even specified the distances between the pickets. These HOA Nazis can change the rules whenever they want and the changes are not voted on by the entire neighborhood, just the losers who have noting better to do than try to inflict their personal will on others.

It's hard to believe that Texas allowed the creation of HOAs since they are the antithesis to everything that it means to truly be Texan.

If you want to be able to add a workshop to the property, get it in writing from the HOA that they will allow it before you buy the house. Be sure to specify the size, otherwise they might say that you can only put a 7 ft tall garden shed that will basically be just enough room to store your lawnmower and such.

[Petrol & Powder]

Lots of good advice here.

I see you're in Texas so I don't know what that mean in terms of soil but generally speaking conduit is preferred. I've done it with and without conduit (cost is the big factor there) but if I had a choice, I would use plastic conduit.

220 is simply 2 - 110 phases together. Seems a little complicated to someone without a lot of electrical knowledge but the explanation in post #2 was spot on.

Amperage - Well more is clearly better but there's the cost issue. I think 100 amps will serve you well unless you're running some serious equipment. 100 amp service for entire houses was common for a lot of years and many old houses still get by with that.

Aluminum wire vs. copper - I understand using aluminum wire for feeder cable up to the panel or sub-panel in another building. Copper is expensive for long runs of heavy gage wire. HOWEVER - I would NEVER use aluminum wire beyond the panel inside of a structure. It's not so much due to the wire itself (although I don't really trust it) but because of all of the connection issues with dissimilar metals. A buried aluminum wire in a conduit feeding a sub-panel in another building wouldn't bother me. But, aluminum wire past that panel would be unacceptable to me.

Ground Rod - Under NO circumstances should you wire another building without also installing a dedicated ground rod for that building. It is CHEAP, one time insurance. DO IT!

[chambers]

May want to check size of house panel( 200 AMP), believe the largest breaker installed to another subpanel is 50%( 100 amp), verify with electrician. Best thing to do is get a quote from electrician, it usually does not cost to get a quote and then you have piece of mind and will be installed correctly.

[Handloader109]

Well, if it were me,I'd NEVER buy where there's an HOA. I'd bet dollars to donuts,you can't put in an outbuilding! Or is you can, they've got so many restrictions you will forget about it!

Don't buy there!

[Petrol & Powder]

......................It's hard to believe that Texas allowed the creation of HOAs since they are the antithesis to everything that it means to truly be Texan.................

It's hard to believe people are dumb enough to sign those HOA contacts, covenants and deeds in the first place. But it's even harder to believe those same people whine about what they agreed to after the fact.............??

Contract law is a Bit**, isn't it ?

[MaryB]

Low voltage can't be in the same trench as a power cable. Plus you risk noise pickup onto the low voltage cable that will render it useless.

The deeper the better. When the trench is open it is a good time to run a water line to the out building and anything else that might be needed (e.g., internet wires, cable TV wires).

[NavyVet1959]

It's hard to believe people are dumb enough to sign those HOA contacts, covenants and deeds in the first place. But it's even harder to believe those same people whine about what they agreed to after the fact.............??

Contract law is a Bit**, isn't it ?

Well, my wife bought the house while I was working out of state for 6 months. Her only concern was the school district and being close to her relatives. And yeah, I'm going to bitch because *maybe* it will let someone else learn from our mistake.

We lived in a HOA neighborhood before that, but there were no dues, so the HOA didn't have any money. Without any money, they couldn't harass anyone. I think the only HOA rule was that your garage had to be attached to your house. And the "attached" definition was pretty loose -- it could just be a simple electrical wire running through the air from the house to the garage. People left each other alone and didn't care what you did with your property.

[Ickisrulz]

Low voltage can't be in the same trench as a power cable. Plus you risk noise pickup onto the low voltage cable that will render it useless.

Use different conduit and separate them with soil.

[Lloyd Smale]

I worked as a lineman and installed LOTS of underground cable. Not service wire, entrance wire. Direct burial is cheaper no doubt but if your in a frost zone or in rocky terrain things can wear on your wire and for my own entrance and all of my sevice underground I used conduit. You might loose a tad amound of ampacity due the fact that direct bury is in contact with the ground and tends to stay cooler but if you size your wire correctly its not an issue. Reliability and longevity are gained with conduit and the real nice thing is if it does go bad (and it occasionaly does) its easy to pull out the old and pull through new. Very important if your wire is buried where you have nice lawn or goes across driveways porches, or is in a spot where you or someone else might happen to be digging later ect. Most codes say 18 inch dept for service wire. Conduit is a REAL good idea if for some reason you go shallower then that. Bottom line is its a lot cheaper to buy conduit now then the plow in a whole new service 15 years from now.

If I'm burying electrical wire, I prefer to run it in conduit, even if it is approved for direct burial. Even some Sched-40 PVC pipe will work for this. The main thing is that I want something that I will hit with a shovel if I'm digging in the area at a later date and I want that something to be tough enough that I won't go directly into the wire. I also like to bury it deep enough that it is unlikely that I will ever be digging that deep later on. Some locales have regulations on how deep your underground wires need to be. I believe that it is at least 24" around here since I've never encountered any even though I was digging near where the electrical service came into my house.

[blackthorn]

Excellent advice from NavyVet1959 in post #30! Youcould not get me to live in a HOA controlled space period! Why in the world would I give someone the right to direct how I live?
NavyVet said :“People whoare on HOAs are losers who are unsuccessful in their professional lives (or were successful management jerks) and as such, want to get/keep some feeling of power bycontrolling the lives of others----".Just had to add the sarcasm for all theUnion haters here!

[NavyVet1959]

[QUOTE=blackthorn;3877465]Excellent advice from NavyVet1959 in post #30! Youcould not get me to live in a HOA controlled space period! Why in the world would I give someone the right to direct how I live?[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, we do that already with government.

HOA are just a micromanagement type of government. And we all know how bad micromanagement is...