bringing power to a shed (out building)

[sugabear_II]

I am probably going to be getting a shed this spring.

The shed will be a non-permanent structure (i.e. it will be on block foundation as opposed to poured concrete) to avoid having to pull a building permit.


I am wondering how hard it will be to bring power out to the shed.

2 ideas come to mind;

1. Aieral wires from the attic of my house 3 floors up over the driveway to the shed possibly on a pole there

2. underground conduit from the house to the shed

I guess I'm wondering from folks here - how hard is it to do this on your own or should I really get an electrician out to the house?

 

[yamaha_1fan]

How much electricity will you be running? I dont think the aerial way is good.

You can buy conduit (pipe) and run the wire in that. I also believe you can buy direct burial wire that you can just bury. This is not a hard job though. Really not much different than adding a circuit or two to your house. Same connections, etc, just now you have to get it outside and into the shed.

I believe this would require a permit so if permits are a cause for concern, then maybe you will need an electrican.

If you want to save money, dig the trench yourself, no need to pay a sparkie top dollar to dig a hole

 

[PharmaCan]

If you want to save money, dig the trench yourself, no need to pay a sparkie top dollar to dig a hole

Just one little correction to your otherwise impeccable advice. This should say, "...no need to pay a sparkie top dollar to point to where the hole should be dug."

Dig a trench??? ROFL

PC

 

[Guest]

Its all pretty simple and as yamaha said you need to decide how much your going to need ( how many lights, air condit, fans ect.. then get the appr. sized breaker .I went with a 100 amp breaker at house box and put a sub panel in grow room with five 20 amp breakers. I think underground is better, and if you do it your self theres really no need for a permit, just do it right and be safe.

 

[Mad HattersWrld]

Just a reminder about resistance going up with length, price of good copper is up there. I was thinking of an underground shed the only thing stopping the idea was high gauge wire needed. good luck

 

[NiteTiger]

I'd go underground too. How far are you planning on the shed being away? You can go a loooooong way before distance resistance becomes an issue.

 

[Liam]

Actually I believe those aerial wires are not copper, but aluminum. Copper is superior, so make sure your using that... it doesn't hurt to use extra thick gauge wire, or better yet, MULTIPLE wires. I'd also put it 2 feet down and cover it with a foam sleeve...

but I'm into OVERKILL.

 

[Hella Fella]

Aluminum is baaaaad

100' of penny-roll thick cable set me back $980, that wasnt even with the panel or build out! Fucking CHINA! Buying up all the world raw materials!

 

[Guest]

yeah copper is better but I work construction and befriended a sparky and he hooked me up with 100 ft of alum, extra thick gauge for my 100 amp grow, so far its working great, doesent even get warm and im running 3 1000 w and 6 4ft x 4 bulb t5 s a swamp cooler a 8 in vortex vent and a fan on my bud dryer box, so it will work, just dont over load it.

 

[Guest]

The easiest way no question would be to bury UF cable.Underground feeder cable is non-metallic sheathed cable suitable for direct burial.Much easier than running PVC and pulling wire in it.

 

[sugabear_II]

thanks for all the replies

the amount of power I would be using is very low - maybe a 150 hps and a vent fan plus a few cfls... no more than 600 watts total draw and likely much less.

distance is 40 - 50 feet from the panel - 20-30 feet from the house.

sounds like y'all are recommending another circuit be added as opposed to tapping something existing.

thanks again

suga

 

[abirdintheair]

i like this thread, i used to work in landscaping. you can get conduit/pvc pipe thick enough for a thick gauge heavy duty extention cord. it will need to be an industrial thickness type as from what i know current can diminish over the length of an ext cord. you can always rent a trench digger in the spring and say you fixing broken sprinkler lines if anyone asks. on the west coast there are lots of construction rental companies. plus it doesnt stand out as much as cablewire from the roof to the shed(the constructing process).

 

[NiteTiger]

Oh, those numbers change everything

I thought we were talking a few thousand watts, not a few hundred. In that case, I'm getting a weatherproof cover for an outdoor outlet and a heavy duty extension cord LOL

 

[I2KanGrow]

The direct-burial cable is called UF Direct Burial Cable... looks a bit like Romex (housewire), but has each conductor wrapped in insulation, then the bundle is also surrounded by plastic - it's a bitch to strip!!

Here's what it looks like:



Sounds like you'd be able to run 12/2 with ground - that would get you 20 amps-worth, which I think would be plenty.

 

[ThereIsHope]

Aluminum is baaaaad

Aluminum is only bad on 15 and 20 amp breakers if the connections are not rated for copper/aluminum connections.

Aluminum wiring on 30 amps and above is no problem.

Aluminum wiring on 15 and 20 amp branch circuits has been known to cause house fires if you do not know what you are doing.

Aluminum wiring on 15/20 amp breakers has been discontinued since around 1973 in the United States.

Aluminum can be bad in some instances.

 

[Guest]

You need a brand new blade and some patience to strip it,but UF is still the best option IMO.I wouldn't use aluminum on branch circuits even above 30 amps,and would only use it for feeder wire if someone forced me to.If you use the crap you must use an anti-oxidizing agent in your panel connections.Aluminum haha its so 50s.

 

[fishheadbob]

UF is definitely the way to go; it eliminates problems with the lawn mower, pets, kids, etc. But when considering a shed for a grow room, also consider that it gets hot in the summer, and will get hotter inside the shed, which might give you a lot of males and other problems. When siting the shed, look at a lot of things... shade, closeness to neighbors, lot lines, noise, light leakage, etc.. A shed can work OK, but you gotta avoid problems too.

 

[sugabear_II]

UF direct burial cable it is then - I see this is what they also use for well pumps and what not.

Do you need to do anything special with the ends that are above ground? i.e. short piece of conduit?

 

[Guest]

Hey Suga,

The cable has to be run in conduit, metal or pvc, for any exposed runs. That would be a conduit strapped to the wall running out of the trench with an elbow going into the building.

There's a code for running the direct burial cable. It has to be buried to a certain depth and the trench has to have a layer of sand that the cable lies on. If you were doing a garage with a building permit, the electrical inspector would have to pass this before the trench is backfilled.

What you have to watch out for is a surprise electrical inspection. I've heard of lot's of guys wiring up their garages and stick an outdoor light up. If you have an inspector that lives in your neighbourhood and sees the light, he'll want to do an inspection. Believe me I know of one of the local inspectors that does this all the time.

I'd consider hiring an electrician. Do all the grunt work like digging the trench and get him to do the hookups and and you can get it inspected.

 

[Hella Fella]

Lol, im with Nitetiger, get an extension cord dood!