$4600 to purchase wire for an elec. gate opener ?

[Stevenfyeager]

Am I figuring this correctly ? 1300 ft trench to a driveway gate, gate installer says he needs 30 amp, 240 v. 3/0 Al 4 wire URD according to an online calculator has less than 5% drop, costs about $3.30/ft and 2" conduit costs about $350. $4600 materials only, not including labor. Am I correct ? Thank you.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Based on those numbers you are correct but I doubt he needs 30 amps. Most gates are small dc motors so I am not sure why he needs 30 amp

 

[LarryFine]

The openers I have installed actually ran on batteries, and the power kept them charged.

 

[infinity]

$4600 for 1300' of just about anything electrical isn't out of line. I would check the actual current draw and recalculate before using #3/0.

 

[drcampbell]

I suspect a stand-alone system with a photovoltaic panel, storage battery, and inverter would cost a lot less than four grand.

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

You could also run XHHW direct burial and save a little on the PVC.

 

[qcroanoke]

I suspect a stand-alone system with a photovoltaic panel, storage battery, and inverter would cost a lot less than four grand.

Or if solar isn't doable look at a small stand alone generator to power the battery and inverter.
But we don't know what the gate opens to and how important it is for the gate to work everytime

 

[tom baker]

I would get the manual and see what the actual load is. If it’s a packaged unit look to see if it has an attached cord, and if 15 or 20 amp plug

 

[curt swartz]

You could also run XHHW direct burial and save a little on the PVC.

XHHW needs to be in a raceway not directly buried.

 

[Sparky314]

I would like to know where you are buying your PVC.

 

[Fred B]

You could also run XHHW direct burial and save a little on the PVC.

Not sure of OP's area but around me would never go with direct bury with the rocky soil and frost heave.

I would like to know where you are buying your PVC.

I would too. I see 2" sched 40 at between $23 to $27/10ft.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I would like to know where you are buying your PVC.

Lowes shows it at $34 for a 10' piece......3.40 a foot. I am sure you can get it a bit cheaper

 

[Stevenfyeager]

Not sure of OP's area but around me would never go with direct bury with the rocky soil and frost heave.

I would too. I see 2" sched 40 at between $23 to $27/10ft.

Home Depot here $22.14

 

[Little Bill]

Home Depot here $22.14

Your math is off..............
22.14 x 130 = 2878.00
You said $350

 

[Jpflex]

XHHW needs to be in a raceway not directly buried.

Isn’t XHHW wire special in that it does not require temperature correction ampacity adjustment? Or what was it that made it different?

Also is it rated for wet locations because if it’s not, you won’t be able to run it in conduit underground

 

[Jpflex]

Isn’t XHHW wire special in that it does not require temperature correction ampacity adjustment? Or what was it that made it different?

Also is it rated for wet locations because if it’s not, you won’t be able to run it in conduit underground

Never mind I realized later that the XHHW has a W in its description for wet

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

XHHW needs to be in a raceway not directly buried.

You made me go look that up.

The stuff I use is USE/RHH/RHW direct burial AL, and I thought it had the XHHW as well.

But I see that it’s the USE that is required for direct burial.

 

[tortuga]

Gate openers really don't need much power these days.
There are these solar panels with a pole and enclosure that work pretty well for small remote loads, you have to maintain the batteries.

https://tsi.tyconsystems.com/doc/SpecSheets/RPPL-SM-RemotePro_Spec_Sheet.pdf

I have also had a POCO drop a 120V 30A service so I could power a gate in the past but the monthly fees they charge to read the meter add up over time, so the batteries win.

 

[The Smashing Electrons]

You could use a step-up transformer at the source and stepdown transformer at the load this wouls substantialy reducer conductor size and labor costs

 

[tom baker]

You could use a step up xfmer at the source and step down xfmer at the load, this would substantially reduce wire size and labor costs

Yes a small 480 xfmr step up and step down but there is the long term transformer losses. Solar and battery…