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#1
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried?
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#2
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 10:45:54 AM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote:
Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Best way to do it might be a day laborer. You could rent a small walk behind ditch witch type gizom, depending on what's available in your area. HD might rent them. How practical that is depends on the cost and what you have to move it. |
#3
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 6/28/2015 10:45 AM, Texas Kingsnake wrote:
Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? As directed by the local building code people. - .. Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .. www.lds.org .. .. |
#4
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 11:08:20 AM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote:
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 10:45:54 AM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Let me correct that. I just looked at the code to make sure and above is true for direct burial cable. If you use pvc conduit, it's 18". And there is an exception for branch circuits of 20A or less that are GFCI protected, in which case it's 12" regardless if it's direct burial or conduit. |
#5
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 2015-06-28, Texas Kingsnake wrote:
Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? Depends on where you live. I live in the CO Rockies and we are in the middle of digging up our entire 300 unit snowbird park for a new sewage system. The biggest problem is the rocks. This entire valley is an ancient river bed and one WILL stumble on smooth round river rocks tha size of a Ford Exhibition, six ft or six inches under the surface. We have explosive ordnance experts to deal with the really big boulders. Bring the biggest backhoe you can afford. We have dozens working, here. Everything from huge Cat's to itty-bitty Bobcat's. It's like a used backhoe lot. Volvo's, Kamatsu's, Deere's, etc. If a bigger backhoe is needed, it's get's trucked in. No one is going out with a pick n' shovel and digging any 10 ft deep trenches anytime, soon. I know. My first job, after the service, was as a ditch digger. Swimming pool plumbing ditches. Four foot deep in hardpan. At least a pick will break up hardpan. But, the best pick in the world isn't gonna do spit to a 20 ft diameter granite boulder. 8| nb |
#6
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 11:08:41 AM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/28/2015 10:45 AM, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? As directed by the local building code people. That's true, what I cited is for NEC which is generally followed, probably valid for TX, but locals always have the final say. |
#7
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried?
24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Best way to do it might be a day laborer. You could rent a small walk behind ditch witch type gizom, depending on what's available in your area. HD might rent them. How practical that is depends on the cost and what you have to move it. The type of soil makes a difference too. We have lots of rocks in our ground, everything from a couple inches across up to several feet across. A ditch witch digger would be worthless here. We usually start out with a straight line from the source to the destination. Then we alter that route as needed to work around buried boulders. The end result is usually more serpentine than straight line. The first trench we dug for our incoming power line was in the rockiest part of our property. By the time we dug around all the boulders to try and find a way through the various rocks, we had a crater about 8 feet across. Eventually we did find a route through the rocks though. Thankfully, most other trenches we have dug have been less problematic. I hired a backhoe once to dig a trench for us. He didn't fare much better than we did with shovels. Since then we've just grabbed a shovel and started digging. Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. If I absolutely can't find a way to reroute the trench around a rock I have resorted to drilling and chipping away at the rock to get the necessary clearance. Thankfully, I've only had to do that once or twice in the last 25 years. Anthony Watson www.mountainsoftware.com www.watsondiy.com |
#8
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 09:45:41 -0500, Texas Kingsnake
wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? A call to the Digger's Hotline might be a good first step. There are at least two benefits to using a shovel. Most of us could use the exercise. Plus, a penny saved is a penny earned. A guy might be paying himself good money by not renting a machine to do the work. -- Using Opera's mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/ |
#9
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote:
Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. nb |
#10
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 6/28/2015 8:08 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 10:45:54 AM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Best way to do it might be a day laborer. You could rent a small walk behind ditch witch type gizom, depending on what's available in your area. HD might rent them. How practical that is depends on the cost and what you have to move it. Dig no deeper than all the wires/pipes you cross in the path. |
#11
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 12:47:08 PM UTC-4, notbob wrote:
On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. nb Sounds like the problem there is not using wires rated for wet locations. All PVC underground winds up with some moisture and water in it. |
#12
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 6/28/2015 9:45 AM, Texas Kingsnake wrote:
Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? After you have the ****ing trench dug, don't ****ing direct bury the ****ing cable. Install at least 1" PVC electrical conduit in the ****ing trench. (Makes wire replacement a **** of a lot easier in the ****ing future.) |
#13
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 28 Jun 2015 15:13:35 GMT, notbob wrote:
On 2015-06-28, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? Depends on where you live. I live in the CO Rockies and we are in the middle of digging up our entire 300 unit snowbird park for a new sewage system. The biggest problem is the rocks. This entire valley is an ancient river bed and one WILL stumble on smooth round river rocks tha size of a Ford Exhibition, six ft or six inches under the surface. We have explosive ordnance experts to deal with the really big boulders. Nevada was an ocean, once. We have Caliche. The cost of building a swimming pool can double or even more if it is found on site. ....machines or explosives https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliche |
#14
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
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#15
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"trader_4" wrote in message
... On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 10:45:54 AM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Best way to do it might be a day laborer. You could rent a small walk behind ditch witch type gizom, depending on what's available in your area. HD might rent them. How practical that is depends on the cost and what you have to move it. Thanks for the info. I have been looking at something called a "ditch witch" for rental but it's expensive and like you said it is not easily transportable. I am also worried what happens if I hit a rock using a rented tool like that. How much could I be stuck for in a repair bill if I wreck the cutter? Can you buy insurance from the rental places just in case? I've never rented a tool in my life so I really don't know what's involved. TKS |
#16
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 06/28/2015 11:39 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
[snip] There are at least two benefits to using a shovel. Most of us could use the exercise. Plus, a penny saved is a penny earned. A guy might be paying himself good money by not renting a machine to do the work. and a shovel is less likely to break a buried gas line. -- "Calling someone an asshole for being rude to a telemarketer is like accusing someone who's shot a burglar in his home of being a poor host." -- W.S.Rowell |
#17
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"trader_4" wrote in message
... On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 11:08:20 AM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote: On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 10:45:54 AM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Let me correct that. I just looked at the code to make sure and above is true for direct burial cable. If you use pvc conduit, it's 18". And there is an exception for branch circuits of 20A or less that are GFCI protected, in which case it's 12" regardless if it's direct burial or conduit. Thanks for the update. Depth will make a serious difference in how hard it will be to dig the trench. I am thinking I will get the guy who butchered my bricks to dig the ditch for free instead of my suing him. How hard could THAT be not to eff up? FWIW, I am using underground rated UF-14/2 cable that will be connected to a GFCI to run some new outdoor lights. A juvenile delinquent has moved in next door and I want to put up some motion detector lights and maybe some sort of camera to catch him at work (I looked out the window one day to see him tossing trash in my yard). I was considering doing the work myself but I have no experience with outside wiring or how to waterproof it so I may just dig the ditches and let a licensed electrician do the hook-ups. TKS |
#18
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"HerHusband" wrote in message
... Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Best way to do it might be a day laborer. You could rent a small walk behind ditch witch type gizom, depending on what's available in your area. HD might rent them. How practical that is depends on the cost and what you have to move it. The type of soil makes a difference too. We have lots of rocks in our ground, everything from a couple inches across up to several feet across. A ditch witch digger would be worthless here. Oh boy. That might put the kibosh on the digger. Rock'r'Us if you know what I mean. We usually start out with a straight line from the source to the destination. Then we alter that route as needed to work around buried boulders. The end result is usually more serpentine than straight line. That means it's not likely I'll be able to use PVC conduit although I didn't have plans to. It sounded like a good idea but I don't see having to rewire it during my lifetime. The first trench we dug for our incoming power line was in the rockiest part of our property. By the time we dug around all the boulders to try and find a way through the various rocks, we had a crater about 8 feet across. Eventually we did find a route through the rocks though. Thankfully, most other trenches we have dug have been less problematic. I have been considering solar-powered lightning instead of running a cable but I have yet to see the solar powered light that I thought was worth a tinker's damn. I hired a backhoe once to dig a trench for us. He didn't fare much better than we did with shovels. Since then we've just grabbed a shovel and started digging. I thought about the backhoe and just hiring an excavation company to do the job. Someone said if I was flexible about when they did it, I could save a lot of money. Not sure if that is true but I guess they might have unplanned down time they'd like to fill by digging a hole for me. Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. If I absolutely can't find a way to reroute the trench around a rock I have resorted to drilling and chipping away at the rock to get the necessary clearance. Thankfully, I've only had to do that once or twice in the last 25 years. I would hate to have done it once. I had to dig around some pretty big rocks to run my sump pump output. I ended up using a piece of rebar and a sledge hammer to hunt for rocks. Sings out like a carnival attraction when the rod finally meets a boulder. No kewpie dolls for ringing the bell, though. TKS |
#19
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"notbob" wrote in message
... On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. I doubt I will run it through conduit. Might make it easier to rewire in the future but that's not a real concern. TKS |
#20
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"trader_4" wrote in message
... On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 12:47:08 PM UTC-4, notbob wrote: On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. nb Sounds like the problem there is not using wires rated for wet locations. All PVC underground winds up with some moisture and water in it. I agree but I wonder where the moisture comes from? Condensation? Leaks at the entry/exit points from the ground? Well glued PVC *should* be waterproof, should it not? From what I've read about UF wire, direct burial should be fine. I just wish I could get away with direct burial of the juvie living next door that's caused this need for better perimeter lighting. wicked smile TKS |
#21
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
wrote in message
... On 28 Jun 2015 16:47:03 GMT, notbob wrote: On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. nb You just used the wrong wire. Anything underground is a wet location, the pipe WILL fill up with water. If you used the "flooded" phone wire, you would have been fine. Is that the stuff where the insulation is actually some gel goo that keeps the water out? TKS |
#22
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 16:57:59 -0400, "Texas Kingsnake"
wrote: "notbob" wrote in message ... On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. I doubt I will run it through conduit. Might make it easier to rewire in the future but that's not a real concern. TKS Run 12 volt lighting - bury the wire as deep as you can, but if you can't get deeper than 6 inches? No worry. |
#23
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 16:03:29 -0500, Texas Kingsnake
wrote: wrote in message ... On 28 Jun 2015 16:47:03 GMT, notbob wrote: On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. nb You just used the wrong wire. Anything underground is a wet location, the pipe WILL fill up with water. If you used the "flooded" phone wire, you would have been fine. Is that the stuff where the insulation is actually some gel goo that keeps the water out? There is shielded cable which is more expensive of course. I don't think there would be any code problems if you ran a spare 12w/g either. Are gophers or mice an issue in your area? TKS -- Using Opera's mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/ |
#24
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"notbob" wrote in message
... On 2015-06-28, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? Depends on where you live. I live in the CO Rockies and we are in the middle of digging up our entire 300 unit snowbird park for a new sewage system. The biggest problem is the rocks. This entire valley is an ancient river bed and one WILL stumble on smooth round river rocks tha size of a Ford Exhibition, six ft or six inches under the surface. We have explosive ordnance experts to deal with the really big boulders. Bring the biggest backhoe you can afford. We have dozens working, here. Everything from huge Cat's to itty-bitty Bobcat's. It's like a used backhoe lot. Volvo's, Kamatsu's, Deere's, etc. If a bigger backhoe is needed, it's get's trucked in. No one is going out with a pick n' shovel and digging any 10 ft deep trenches anytime, soon. I know. My first job, after the service, was as a ditch digger. Swimming pool plumbing ditches. Four foot deep in hardpan. At least a pick will break up hardpan. But, the best pick in the world isn't gonna do spit to a 20 ft diameter granite boulder. 8| Explosives, eh? That would make me even more unpopular than I already am with the neighbors. I would definitely try solar powered lights before it comes to that. TKS |
#25
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
wrote in message
... On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 10:45:41 -0400, "Texas Kingsnake" wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? You can rent a ditch witch trencher. I suppose a lot depends on what the soil is like. Burial depth really depends on where this is. The basic rule is direct burial cable (UF) is 24", PVC conduit is 18" if this is not below a road. There is an exception for 15 and 20 amp 120v on a residential property, that is GFCI protected at the source ... 12 inches. (cable or conduit) That's nice - just the kind of exemption I need. Thanks! TKS |
#26
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 6/28/2015 2:03 PM, Billy Bologna wrote:
After you have the ****ing trench dug, don't ****ing direct bury the ****ing cable. Install at least 1" PVC electrical conduit in the ****ing trench. (Makes wire replacement a **** of a lot easier in the ****ing future.) Are you military, or ex con? - .. Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .. www.lds.org .. .. |
#27
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"Dean Hoffman" wrote in message
news On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 16:03:29 -0500, Texas Kingsnake wrote: wrote in message ... On 28 Jun 2015 16:47:03 GMT, notbob wrote: On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. nb You just used the wrong wire. Anything underground is a wet location, the pipe WILL fill up with water. If you used the "flooded" phone wire, you would have been fine. Is that the stuff where the insulation is actually some gel goo that keeps the water out? There is shielded cable which is more expensive of course. I don't think there would be any code problems if you ran a spare 12w/g either. Yes, I suspect wire is going to be cheapest part of this project. I wanted to run a closed circuit TV cable in the same ditch but everything I've read says it's going to pick up interference. I don't know enough electronics to know for sure, but shouldn't that TV cable with 4 layers of shielding be immune to any RF radiating from a 110 volt AC line running along side it? I bought a thousand feet of it so I can afford to experiment. Didn't know they made that in burial v. indoor stuff, either until I was looking a few minutes ago. Not sure why I would really want a second UF 14/2 cable because the ground's pretty stable and too tough for critters to drill through. Are gophers or mice an issue in your area? Not unless they recently mutated. Well, mice maybe but no one I know had complained about rodents other than raccoons and they keep to the once-a-week garbage bins, mostly. With my luck, my new trench will find them all. frown Our county went to once-a-week to save money but in the summer, it's no fun to live downwind of a large family with lots of youngsters that consume Pampers by the bale. Think they would get the message if I set up a huge pedestal fan in the yard to blow the stench back their way? smile TKS |
#28
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
wrote in message
... On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 16:57:59 -0400, "Texas Kingsnake" wrote: "notbob" wrote in message ... On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. I doubt I will run it through conduit. Might make it easier to rewire in the future but that's not a real concern. TKS Run 12 volt lighting - bury the wire as deep as you can, but if you can't get deeper than 6 inches? No worry. Great Caesar's Ghost! Why didn't I think about that? I think 14/2 UF with ground should be more than enough to power some LED lawn and spot lighting, But there's an additional payoff with going DC (someone correct me if I am wrong). There's no RF interference on a video feed from a parallel DC power cable. It's the AC 60 sine wave that causes the video interference. Two birds killed with one stone. BSSF, sir. I thank you! (Best Suggestion So Far) TKS |
#29
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"Dean Hoffman" wrote in message
news On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 09:45:41 -0500, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? A call to the Digger's Hotline might be a good first step. Yes, thanks for reminding me. Good idea. There are at least two benefits to using a shovel. Most of us could use the exercise. Plus, a penny saved is a penny earned. A guy might be paying himself good money by not renting a machine to do the work. The last time I used my post-hole digger I remember saying to myself "this is a younger man's work!" In this clay/rock hard-packed soil it takes a long, long time to dig out very little material. Or run into a boulder as big as a barrel. I think this long a dig will take a gizmo or a julio. TKS |
#30
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 18:59:16 -0500, Texas Kingsnake
wrote: Yes, I suspect wire is going to be cheapest part of this project. I wanted to run a closed circuit TV cable in the same ditch but everything I've read says it's going to pick up interference. I don't know enough electronics to know for sure, but shouldn't that TV cable with 4 layers of shielding be immune to any RF radiating from a 110 volt AC line running along side it? I bought a thousand feet of it so I can afford to experiment. Didn't know they made that in burial v. indoor stuff, either until I was looking a few minutes ago. Not sure why I would really want a second UF 14/2 cable because the ground's pretty stable and too tough for critters to drill through. We have clay and loam etc. in my part of the country. It's good crop growing soil. We keep the rocks in our heads. Critters sometimes chew the insulation off buried wires. The wires can corrode and actually rot through. It happens to both buried aluminum and copper. Lightning doesn't help either. I did run across one time when a badger did chew through a single 14AWG copper wire. I've found a couple times when lightning bored a hole into the ground to the wire and creating an open. This is irrigation system wiring so the underground wires can run hundreds of feet. One low voltage wire we use will typically have a 9000 ft. circuit. The odds are greatly in your favor with a 40' run. Are gophers or mice an issue in your area? Not unless they recently mutated. Well, mice maybe but no one I know had complained about rodents other than raccoons and they keep to the once-a-week garbage bins, mostly. With my luck, my new trench will find them all. frown Our county went to once-a-week to save money but in the summer, it's no fun to live downwind of a large family with lots of youngsters that consume Pampers by the bale. Think they would get the message if I set up a huge pedestal fan in the yard to blow the stench back their way? smile TKS -- Using Opera's mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/ |
#31
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
With regard to interference into the TV line from the 60 Hz 120V line, yes, that can happen. The 12V circuit mentioned for lighting is, unfortunately, 12V, 60 Hertz so there is still potential for interference, but it should be only 10% of the possibility of interference using 120V.
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#32
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like
electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. You probably just need cable rated for underground use. I asked our phone company what wire to use and they gave me a couple hundred feet for free. Really surprised me. If your original wires were in PVC conduit, it should be a simple matter to pull in new cable as you pull out the old. Of course, I now get my phone service through our cable internet, and the individual phones are wireless. We don't even use the old phone wiring anymore. Anthony Watson www.mountainsoftware.com www.watsondiy.com |
#33
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
We usually start out with a straight line from the source to the
destination. Then we alter that route as needed to work around buried boulders. The end result is usually more serpentine than straight line. That means it's not likely I'll be able to use PVC conduit although I didn't have plans to. It sounded like a good idea but I don't see having to rewire it during my lifetime. It's fairly easy to add elbows to work around obstacles, but they do make flexible conduit also. Of course, there's no need for conduit if you use the proper cable and bury it deep enough. Conduit is mostly for added protection and/or to make changes easier in the future. Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. If I absolutely can't find a way to reroute the trench around a rock I have resorted to drilling and chipping away at the rock to get the necessary clearance. Thankfully, I've only had to do that once or twice in the last 25 years. I would hate to have done it once. In my case I was running a 4" drain line to direct water away from our driveway. The pipe is rigid, straight, and had to have the proper slope for drainage. I was also working my way around some trees, tunneling under some large roots. I didn't have too much trouble till I reached a spot where two huge boulders (about 4 feet across each) were touching each other under ground. Thankfully, my planned route went right between the boulders so I simply busted a bit off the side of each boulder so the 4" drain pipe would fit through. A lot of work, but everything worked out well in the end. I also had to split pieces off several large boulders (larger than my car) last year so I could build a retaining wall. Our pump house is up on that hill, so digging the rocks out was not an option. I've gotten fairly good with a rotary hammer and feathers/wedges. Anthony Watson www.mountainsoftware.com www.watsondiy.com |
#34
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
FWIW, I am using underground rated UF-14/2 cable that will be
connected to a GFCI to run some new outdoor lights. A juvenile delinquent has moved in next door and I want to put up some motion detector lights and maybe some sort of camera to catch him at work (I looked out the window one day to see him tossing trash in my yard). You might want to look into low voltage lighting. You could run the wire right on top of the ground and cover it with mulch or something if you really don't want to dig down. Of course, burying it a few inches would still be a smart idea. Alternatively, you could just install battery powered LED lights and not worry about cables at all. You would need to swap batteries occasionally, but if you used rechargeables it wouldn't be expensive. Anthony Watson www.mountainsoftware.com www.watsondiy.com |
#35
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On 6/28/2015 11:14 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 11:08:41 AM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote: On 6/28/2015 10:45 AM, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? As directed by the local building code people. That's true, what I cited is for NEC which is generally followed, probably valid for TX, but locals always have the final say. I don't have a lot of experience with NEC, but my gut sense is following NEC will result in a safe and reasonable result, in most cases. - .. Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .. www.lds.org .. .. |
#36
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 5:26:33 PM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote:
"trader_4" wrote in message ... On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 12:47:08 PM UTC-4, notbob wrote: On 2015-06-28, HerHusband wrote: Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. Nor entirely practical. My old phone line goes through a PVC pipe. Problem is, water gets into the pipe and when Winter time comes 'round and there goes my landline. I hadda run a above ground line, instead. Sometimes, still gets wet and drops out, but at least I can access it and fix it when it does. BTW, one the few times WD40 is actaully helpful. nb Sounds like the problem there is not using wires rated for wet locations. All PVC underground winds up with some moisture and water in it. I agree but I wonder where the moisture comes from? Condensation? Leaks at the entry/exit points from the ground? Yes and yes. Well glued PVC *should* be waterproof, should it not? Yes, PVC leaking is rarely the problem. From what I've read about UF wire, direct burial should be fine. I just wish I could get away with direct burial of the juvie living next door that's caused this need for better perimeter lighting. wicked smile TKS I know what you mean.... |
#37
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 5:26:31 PM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote:
"HerHusband" wrote in message ... Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Best way to do it might be a day laborer. You could rent a small walk behind ditch witch type gizom, depending on what's available in your area. HD might rent them. How practical that is depends on the cost and what you have to move it. The type of soil makes a difference too. We have lots of rocks in our ground, everything from a couple inches across up to several feet across. A ditch witch digger would be worthless here. Oh boy. That might put the kibosh on the digger. Rock'r'Us if you know what I mean. We usually start out with a straight line from the source to the destination. Then we alter that route as needed to work around buried boulders. The end result is usually more serpentine than straight line. That means it's not likely I'll be able to use PVC conduit although I didn't have plans to. It sounded like a good idea but I don't see having to rewire it during my lifetime. The first trench we dug for our incoming power line was in the rockiest part of our property. By the time we dug around all the boulders to try and find a way through the various rocks, we had a crater about 8 feet across. Eventually we did find a route through the rocks though. Thankfully, most other trenches we have dug have been less problematic. I have been considering solar-powered lightning instead of running a cable but I have yet to see the solar powered light that I thought was worth a tinker's damn. I hired a backhoe once to dig a trench for us. He didn't fare much better than we did with shovels. Since then we've just grabbed a shovel and started digging. I thought about the backhoe and just hiring an excavation company to do the job. Someone said if I was flexible about when they did it, I could save a lot of money. Not sure if that is true but I guess they might have unplanned down time they'd like to fill by digging a hole for me. A backhoe is going to create a hell of mess compared to a ditchwitch, just to lay cable or conduit. But it depends on the area, if it's lawn or just dirt, etc. |
#38
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 2:55:48 PM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote:
"trader_4" wrote in message ... On Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 10:45:54 AM UTC-4, Texas Kingsnake wrote: Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Best way to do it might be a day laborer. You could rent a small walk behind ditch witch type gizom, depending on what's available in your area. HD might rent them. How practical that is depends on the cost and what you have to move it. Thanks for the info. I have been looking at something called a "ditch witch" for rental but it's expensive and like you said it is not easily transportable. I am also worried what happens if I hit a rock using a rented tool like that. How much could I be stuck for in a repair bill if I wreck the cutter? Can you buy insurance from the rental places just in case? I've never rented a tool in my life so I really don't know what's involved. TKS I've rented many tools and have never been offered an insurance plan. If you break it, you have to pay to fix it. And your concern is valid. I would think they are pretty tough and a typical rock isn't going to bust it, but depending on how many you have, who knows.... And if you bust it, you're at a disadvantage. The rental company is goind to fix it and come up with the repair price. If it's unreasonable, you can dispute it, take them to small claims, etc, but it could become a hassle. I've never had that experience. Only once when renting a slice seeder from HD, the guy accused me of not cleaning it off and wanted to charge me $25 extra. I had washed it off, I just somehow missed one clump of dirt on the bottom. I had to get a manager over and then they relented. |
#39
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
On Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:01:51 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote: With regard to interference into the TV line from the 60 Hz 120V line, yes, that can happen. The 12V circuit mentioned for lighting is, unfortunately, 12V, 60 Hertz so there is still potential for interference, but it should be only 10% of the possibility of interference using 120V. The 12 volt circuit is GENERALLY AC but there is nothing saying it cannot be DC, and 12 volt sis a lot less than 10% as likely to cause interference. |
#40
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Best way to dig a 40' long trench to bury wires
"HerHusband" wrote in message ... Any ideas? How deep do 110 volt wires need to be buried? 24" in open areas, it can be less if it goes under concrete, etc. Best way to do it might be a day laborer. You could rent a small walk behind ditch witch type gizom, depending on what's available in your area. HD might rent them. How practical that is depends on the cost and what you have to move it. The type of soil makes a difference too. We have lots of rocks in our ground, everything from a couple inches across up to several feet across. A ditch witch digger would be worthless here. We usually start out with a straight line from the source to the destination. Then we alter that route as needed to work around buried boulders. The end result is usually more serpentine than straight line. The first trench we dug for our incoming power line was in the rockiest part of our property. By the time we dug around all the boulders to try and find a way through the various rocks, we had a crater about 8 feet across. Eventually we did find a route through the rocks though. Thankfully, most other trenches we have dug have been less problematic. I hired a backhoe once to dig a trench for us. He didn't fare much better than we did with shovels. Since then we've just grabbed a shovel and started digging. Of course, rigid drain pipes or conduit aren't always flexible like electrical cables. If I absolutely can't find a way to reroute the trench around a rock I have resorted to drilling and chipping away at the rock to get the necessary clearance. Thankfully, I've only had to do that once or twice in the last 25 years. For underground work where you have to weave around rocks, use polyethylene water pipe to pull the wires through, it will bend around obstructions and keep the water out. Use shark bite type exterior fittings to connect and join the pipe to avoid reducing the internal diameter that push-in fittings will do. You won't have to dig so deep either. |
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