Electrical question

[Team4LongGun]

For those willing to share some direction-I appreciate your time.

I have a pole barn that is 205' (this is the wire run) from my house. I am planning to use a 50 amp RV outlet that I no longer need as my power source, as it's already outside the house. I want to trench to pole barn and direct bury wire. It is not a straight line by any means, and would like to avoid conduit. I plan to have a small sub panel at pole barn, to keep lights on one breaker and outlets on another.

What wire type/size/name do I need? I only plan to do led lights and a few outlets. No compressors, welding or big draw needs.

Am I on the right track here, or an idiot?

Best place to order said wire?

Thx

 

[mainbeam pursuit2]

I would install PVC conduit, you may want to add something later. You'll have to do a voltage drop calculation for wire size.

 

[Nine Banger]

I would install PVC conduit,

Same advice: run 2" conduit.

10/2 w/ ground would run LED lights and some plugs...think circular saw, tire filler, etc.

Run 6 awg wire and you can add more stuff later up to 50A.

Add an extra conductor in case anything 220V comes along.

A 6 Awg service wire that long is probably going to weigh 150 lbs. Real electrical supply stores will cut it for you. Lowes may have it.

 

[onlybrowning]

Glad someone else beat me to it to break the news. Don't cheap out here. If at all possible, run conduit. Heck, if you can, run two next to each other and leave one open with a string in it for wire pull if at all possible. Nine Banger nailed it.

 

[Huntingfarandwide]

I would be careful. That RV Plug may not have a neutral conductor... which you will need to provide a Equipment Ground for your sub-panel

 

[Team4LongGun]

Thank you all. I didn't realize conduit is now flexible....

Would this work?

HYDROMAXX 2 in. x 100 ft. Flexible Corrugated Orange HDPE Non Split Tubing Wire Loom OHDPENS200100 - The Home Depot

Enjoy your favorite steam sauna now with the choice of this HYDROMAXX 1-Flexible Corrugated Orange HDPE Non Split Tubing Wire Loom

www.homedepot.com

Southwire 250 ft. 6/3 Gray Stranded CU UF-B W/G Wire 14782703 - The Home Depot

Visit the Home Depot to buy Southwire Company 250 ft. 6-3 UF Wire Gauge Service Entry Electrical Cable 14782703

www.homedepot.com

I will grab a photo of the 50 amp set up.

 

[Nine Banger]

Thank you all. I didn't realize conduit is now flexible....

Would this work?

HYDROMAXX 2 in. x 100 ft. Flexible Corrugated Orange HDPE Non Split Tubing Wire Loom OHDPENS200100 - The Home Depot

Enjoy your favorite steam sauna now with the choice of this HYDROMAXX 1-Flexible Corrugated Orange HDPE Non Split Tubing Wire Loom

www.homedepot.com

Southwire 250 ft. 6/3 Gray Stranded CU UF-B W/G Wire 14782703 - The Home Depot

Visit the Home Depot to buy Southwire Company 250 ft. 6-3 UF Wire Gauge Service Entry Electrical Cable 14782703

www.homedepot.com

I will grab a photo of the 50 amp set up.

This and glue and 90's up out of the ground:

Cantex 2 in. x 10 ft. Gray Non-Metallic PVC Schedule 40-Conduit A52CA12H - The Home Depot

Get the Cantex Inc. 2 in. x 10 ft. Sch. 40 PVC A52CA12H, ul and etl listed protects and routes electrical cables at The Home Depot

www.homedepot.com

 

[Nine Banger]

In my AO we run it 18" deep underground with a trenching machine on remodels or excavator on new construction or ag buildings.

 

[BBob]

Thank you all. I didn't realize conduit is now flexible....

Would this work?

HYDROMAXX 2 in. x 100 ft. Flexible Corrugated Orange HDPE Non Split Tubing Wire Loom OHDPENS200100 - The Home Depot

Enjoy your favorite steam sauna now with the choice of this HYDROMAXX 1-Flexible Corrugated Orange HDPE Non Split Tubing Wire Loom

www.homedepot.com

Southwire 250 ft. 6/3 Gray Stranded CU UF-B W/G Wire 14782703 - The Home Depot

Visit the Home Depot to buy Southwire Company 250 ft. 6-3 UF Wire Gauge Service Entry Electrical Cable 14782703

www.homedepot.com

I will grab a photo of the 50 amp set up.

If you’re going to go to all the trouble to bury that why not use the proper plastic conduit that will actually meet code to bury power wire? Those pull tubes don’t meet code for power, they’re meant for cat cables, audio cables, etc…

You could also use direct bury UF cable in the proper size say for a 50A or 100A subpanel. That’ll meet code and if you or anyone actually wanted to finish the job properly at some point it would eliminate re-doing the cable run.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Thank you all. I didn't realize conduit is now flexible....

Would this work?

HYDROMAXX 2 in. x 100 ft. Flexible Corrugated Orange HDPE Non Split Tubing Wire Loom OHDPENS200100 - The Home Depot

Enjoy your favorite steam sauna now with the choice of this HYDROMAXX 1-Flexible Corrugated Orange HDPE Non Split Tubing Wire Loom

www.homedepot.com

Southwire 250 ft. 6/3 Gray Stranded CU UF-B W/G Wire 14782703 - The Home Depot

Visit the Home Depot to buy Southwire Company 250 ft. 6-3 UF Wire Gauge Service Entry Electrical Cable 14782703

www.homedepot.com

I will grab a photo of the 50 amp set up.

That orange Smurf tube sucks above ground let alone burying it and then trying to pull wire through. It might work if you run the wire in it ahead of time and then bury. It’s so thin I know the dirt here in AZ would eat it away within a year or two.

For wire size and breakers down load the “electricians bible” app. It does a really good job of calculating everything for you.

 

[Nine Banger]

This might be a good application for a solar array with a battery bank and inverter too if high amp duty truly isn't needed.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

This might be a good application for a solar array with a battery bank and inverter too if high amp duty truly isn't needed.

I was literally typing this out. A bit pricey, but probably not crazy after buying 250 feet of conduit, wire, trenching, backfilling, time, energy, etc.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Damn good point on the solar, for just lights and outlets without a/c or heat that'd work great. I run our whole off grid cabin on a small solar system that's cheaper than the wire it would cost for that 200' run (or so I told my wife how much I spent), mini fridge, laptop, phones, big outdoor flood lights, TV, even use power tools sometimes like circular saws and such.

 

[87TT]

Just use 2" schedule 40 PVC. If you can find someone who knows how or learn to, it can be heated and formed to bend in all sorts of directions. I was an electrical contractor in another life and always used a propane weed burner torch. Greenlee used to make an oven contraption for doing it. The trick is not to scorch it too much and have wet rags to cool it when it is bend how you want. Heat it slow and even and the conduit will be soft as a hot garden hose until cooled. Be careful not to kink or flatten out. The less bending you do the better for ease of wire pulling.

 

[go_deep]

I'm going a little different route. I'd go with a spare 4" conduit with mule tape pull string, and a 1/2" PEX water line that you could hook a garden house up to to get water out there, or make permanent in the future. Totally get it for today if you just want a direct bury low amp service to get started and wouldn't say that's a bad idea, but you have to put spare conduit in, you'll want more power someday.

 

[Team4LongGun]

If you’re going to go to all the trouble to bury that why not use the proper plastic conduit that will actually meet code to bury power wire? Those pull tubes don’t meet code for power, they’re meant for cat cables, audio cables, etc…

You could also use direct bury UF cable in the proper size say for a 50A or 100A subpanel. That’ll meet code and if you or anyone actually wanted to finish the job properly at some point it would eliminate re-doing the cable run.

Well, Bob, I don't know code. Where I live there is no code, zoning, inspections. Not to say I want to do it wrong, I just don't know. I asked for help as this is not my area of expertise. Was going to do as much on my own to save a few bucks.

From my original post, I had asked what wire to run direct bury-what wire do you suggest? And to not further be confused, are you suggesting conduit or not?

 

[SuperDUECE22]

From my original post, I had asked what wire to run direct bury-what wire do you suggest?

Type UF-B or a SER (Service Entrance Cable)

 

[Team4LongGun]

Appreciate all the info gents, I take it this is not a simple or direct answer. I had been told by a local about a direct bury wire, hence the original idea.

Thanks

 

[Chris in TN]

Before spending money on this, ask yourself - are you certain you won't end up spending more money later to upgrade it?

We went back and forth on just burying a run of smaller wire from the house to the barn and ended up just paying the electric company to install a second service drop and meter on the barn. I think it was worth it.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Before spending money on this, ask yourself - are you certain you won't end up spending more money later to upgrade it?

We went back and forth on just burying a run of smaller wire from the house to the barn and ended up just paying the electric company to install a second service drop and meter on the barn. I think it was worth it.

Yes, we considered that and a generator for power. The issue is cost. Both of those are significantly higher in cost, and I have a finished shop already. The service/meter/box is 500' away and down a hill. It would be at my cost to have them run it.

This is a pole barn for storage, and we just need lights and few outlets.