Ek's Home   |   Forum   |   Chat   |   Electrical Links   |
	Subject - Wiring to Barn blueline I have a barn that I am planning on turning into an office. There is a direct buried 15amp circuit running about 130ft to the barn from the main panel in the basement of the house (200A service) right now. I am planning on burying two conduits (one for data & tel; the other for electric). Couple of questions: 1. What should I plan for gauge and amperage-wise if I want to power 2-3 computers, an electric heat pump, and a water pump for irrigation? 2. How deep does the trench need to be for the conduit? Anything else I need to think about? I'm planning on doing the dirty work and then having someone come in to wire into the panel in the basement as well as the sub-panel in the barn. Thanks for the help. blackrd 1) Have you done a load calculation for this barn? 2) What kind of conduit are you going to use? blueline 1) I have not. Do I need to do the calculation for just the consumers in the barn or for the entire electric system? I am planning on 2 circuits downstairs (1 lights and 1 for receptacles) and 2 circuits upstairs for the same. I will also need a circuit for an irrigation pump, heat/ac pump, and possibly a refrigerator. 2) 2" pvc schedule 40 is the plan Ryan If I were you I would install a 100a sub panel in the barn because you never know what you will want to add in the future. As for the phone and cable I would pull a cat5 and two RG6 coax one for T.V and one for high speed internet incase you want that someday, dont forget they need to be in a seperate conduit. As for the dept go atlease two feet below grade. Good luck it might sound like over kill but but it's alot better to do it right the first time than have to add something after the fact. blackrd 1) you should calc for the whole electric. I have no idea the requirments for heat pumps and irrigation pump[s. These needs would be significant. 1 or 2 circuits for lighting, several for your computers. A sub panel of calculated need is what you should install. 2) most buried conduit is 24" with a few exceptions. If you install steel rigid you need 6" depth. Run two or three runs of rg6, along with 2-4 runs of cat5e or cat8. I dont know of seperation requirments between rg6 and tp, as you throw them in the same trench in subdivisions. Bury an extra pipe if you can afford to, just in case. skynrd As for the comms cabling they don't have to be seperated if you look into it you can even by multi conductor cables for RG6 tp fiber optic & tv all in the same cable. As for the panel sizing yes before you do anything you better do your load calculations. But I would treat the 100a panel in the barn if that's what you end up with like a second service. Buy some #2 URD triplex it's direct bury at 24" and then you drive 2 ground rods attach them with #6 bare copper (at least 2 are required in MI & WI I'm not sure where you're at) and don't forget your bonding screw in the panel. Lenny blackrd Are you talking about bonding the ground bar in the subpanel? Belden makes the cable you refer to, they call it banana peel. lctrc789 Actually, if I am not mistaken here and he does use URD cable he can buy URD (4) conductor cable and run his ground from the main panel to the sub panel, he still can drive a ground rod and ground the sub panel as well but he does a a mettallic path now if he runs any other conductor form the house to the barn. he will need 4 conductor cable, should check local codes to see what they require for grounding...