Another newbie question

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laketime

laketime

Senior Member
I am bidding on a project at a persons house. We are going to run power to a 50 or 100 amp panel (he wants price for both) from a meter pedestal to a pole barn. What is the most cost effective product to use for the underground feed for this? I come from a commercial background and we always used PVC and copper wire so my product knowledge in this area is pretty weak. Thanks.
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Personally I don't like underground cable. I would pipe it and use copper but aluminum is perfectly acceptable. You may need a larger conduit for aluminum. Copper is very expensive right now.

My supply company stocks an underground quadplex but has limited sizes and it's aluminum-- no conduit is necessary. Remember if the ground is rocky you may want to consider conduit. I would not want the call back if there were problems. You can offer the HO this as an option.
 
C

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
PVC and Aluminum XHHW or USE.

I can't recommend DB in good conscience, I've repaired too much of it. It'll get you out of the warranty period, but they'll cuss you years down the road. They'd have to be in a REAL BUDGET CRUNCH for me to even give that option.
 
laketime

laketime

Senior Member
Cow said:
PVC and Aluminum XHHW or USE.

I can't recommend DB in good conscience, I've repaired too much of it. It'll get you out of the warranty period, but they'll cuss you years down the road. They'd have to be in a REAL BUDGET CRUNCH for me to even give that option.
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Anybody else have an issue with direct burial cable?
 
LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
roger said:
I don't, but I would put a conduit in the ground with the cable just in case. ;)
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laketime said:
Should I just lay the conduit next to the cable to keep it company?:D
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Don't laugh. Verizon recently installed FIOS in our neighborhood, using horizontal boring.

They pulled in an orange clad DB fiber-optic 'cable' and an empty tube from point to point.

I asked why they weren't puting the fiber in the tube. "For future use only!" was the reply.
 
laketime

laketime

Senior Member
Another question for this panel can I use Table 310.15(B)(6)? Seems to me by reading it I would need to use 310.16.
 
2

220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
The ONLY method I would EVER use is copper wire and PVC conduit.

Direct burial doesn't make a lick of sense. Stuff happens, even to wire in conduit. Dig it once.
 
readydave8

readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
laketime said:
Anybody else have an issue with direct burial cable?
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yes I do, the times I had to find the broke place seem to outweigh the cost savings.

Now I like to give the customer 2 prices. If he goes for direct bury I ask him to fill around cable with sand, or to pay the extra it costs.

I don't save any money, the customer does, and deserves to make his own decision.
 
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