Started digging and found the short in the wiring from my house that runs 50
feet ± to the greenhouse. Standard 10-3 w/ ground (4 conductors total) NOT
direct burial. It's probably been there for about 40 years.

While I know the right solution (replace with direct burial, or conduit) I
do have to drill/fish/pull etc. under a 14 foot wide asphalt driveway. If
this were direct burial, or there any approved splice methods that can be
buried (2 foot cover) OR do I need to place a utility box over the splice.

Any ideas appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
....
Any ideas appreciated.


Several of the gel-filled wire nuts are listed for underground
application iirc.

I've used them successfully for a repair to the well -- been almost five
years now w/ no problem.

Did, of course, use friction/self-fusing tape liberally and a good wrap
of high-quality electrical tape over the splices for added measure, of
course.

I'd simply go for it and make measured sketch of where the repair is if
rest of wire seems in decent shape. Of course, it's quite possible what
you'll find when you repower it is another failure, then another, and
then another if the overall wire is in bad shape...

--

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...
Started digging and found the short in the wiring from my house that runs
50 feet ± to the greenhouse. Standard 10-3 w/ ground (4 conductors total)
NOT direct burial. It's probably been there for about 40 years.

While I know the right solution (replace with direct burial, or conduit) I
do have to drill/fish/pull etc. under a 14 foot wide asphalt driveway. If
this were direct burial, or there any approved splice methods that can be
buried (2 foot cover) OR do I need to place a utility box over the splice.

Any ideas appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

If it's not UF cable, it's not designed to be underground regardless if in
conduit or not. There are direct burial wirenuts made for UF cable, such as
King one step or Ideal Blue. No junction box is required for underground
cable splicing

On 2009-03-14, Ivan Vegvary wrote:

While I know the right solution (replace with direct burial, or conduit) I
do have to drill/fish/pull etc. under a 14 foot wide asphalt driveway.

Can you use the existing NM cable to pull the new UF cable under the
driveway?

Cheers, Wayne

On Mar 14, 1:16*pm, "Ivan Vegvary" wrote:
Started digging and found the short in the wiring from my house that runs 50
feet ± to the greenhouse. *Standard 10-3 w/ ground (4 conductors total) NOT
direct burial. *It's probably been there for about 40 years.

While I know the right solution (replace with direct burial, or conduit) I
do have to drill/fish/pull etc. under a 14 foot wide asphalt driveway. *If
this were direct burial, or there any approved splice methods that can be
buried (2 foot cover) OR do I need to place a utility box over the splice..

Any ideas appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

The old garden hose fastened to the conduit trick has been used by
countless people to bore under driveways, sidewalks, whatever. In your
case, with 1 1/2 pieces of conduit you're nicely through to the other
side, and left in place to pull or push your underground cable through
it. Pretty messy, but works like a charm. No splices, no future
failures. Your power company will have recommendations as to practical
burial depth of new wire.

Joe

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Started digging and found the short in the wiring from my house that
runs 50 feet ± to the greenhouse. Standard 10-3 w/ ground (4 conductors
total) NOT direct burial. It's probably been there for about 40 years.

While I know the right solution (replace with direct burial, or conduit)
I do have to drill/fish/pull etc. under a 14 foot wide asphalt
driveway. If this were direct burial, or there any approved splice
methods that can be buried (2 foot cover) OR do I need to place a
utility box over the splice.

Any ideas appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary

There is a splice kit sold at the electrical supply
houses that consists of an insulator with metal tubes
that have socket head screws for clamping down on the
wires and a piece of heat shrink tubing coated on the
inside with a hot melt sealer that slips over the splice
when it's finished. The setup works very well.

http://tinyurl.com/agdxdm

Several manufacturers produce them.

TDD

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Started digging and found the short in the wiring from my house that
runs 50 feet ± to the greenhouse. Standard 10-3 w/ ground (4 conductors
total) NOT direct burial. It's probably been there for about 40 years.

While I know the right solution (replace with direct burial, or conduit)
I do have to drill/fish/pull etc. under a 14 foot wide asphalt
driveway. If this were direct burial, or there any approved splice
methods that can be buried (2 foot cover) OR do I need to place a
utility box over the splice.

Any ideas appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary


our feed to our detached had a splice from the get go. Dad soldered the
twisted connections, wrapped them with old fashioned friction tape, then
stuck the entire splice into a pound coffee can filled with roofing tar.
Buried the can, done. Been there almost 50 years, still fine.

steve

http://www.shakenseal.com/es.htm


"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...
Started digging and found the short in the wiring from my house that runs
50 feet ± to the greenhouse. Standard 10-3 w/ ground (4 conductors total)
NOT direct burial. It's probably been there for about 40 years.

While I know the right solution (replace with direct burial, or conduit) I
do have to drill/fish/pull etc. under a 14 foot wide asphalt driveway. If
this were direct burial, or there any approved splice methods that can be
buried (2 foot cover) OR do I need to place a utility box over the splice.

Any ideas appreciated.

Ivan Vegvary