Subsoiler and burying electric wires

[grsthegreat]

I know this is an old thread but it contains great info! I'm considering burying about 900 feet of romax for a gate at the end of my driveway. I'm guessing the best scenario would be for the romax to be inside of a flexible (PVC or other pex-like) conduit?

However, I doubt you would be able to string romax through 900 feet of conduit before laying in the ground. That has to be nearly impossible. Am I wrong?

I'm assuming I'm looking a direct burial of the romax?

for a 900 foot run, your going to have a tremendous voltage drop with a wire run. In the past (I'm an electrical contractor) we have run triplex aluminum wires direct buried in ground 24" below surface for runs like your describing. I would run a #4/#4/#2 urd (DIRECT BURY ALUM) run to get clean 20 amp at the end of the run. I know #4 alum seems too large, but it will afford a 10% voltage drop

if you use #12 copper wire, you would have a 57% voltage drop at the end, meaning instead of 120 volt you'd be getting about 52 volts.

with the #4 alum your could expect between 105 - 110 volts, which falls in the acceptable range.

Also, the #4 triplex is comparably priced to 10/2 UF romex...probibly even cheaper nowdays due to tremendous Price increase in copper.

while your at it, throw in direct burial phone cable for comm port to the gate.....or better yet....lose the gate hehe

i truly hate those pesky gates. there always miles from the house and power. The wireless intercoms are always picking up transiant radio stations, etc. there always a pesty install.

 

[jenkinsph]

I agree with the above in that most electric gate openers have more issues than the consumer would expect. I have found that the heavy duty openers have less problems than the economy models.

Using the solar panels hasn't been an issue though, as we have always had a full charge on the batteries when checked. Wind blowing against a closing gate can trip the limit switches, you will have to reset it manually. Don't expect an electric gate of any kind to be trouble free.

 

[MNBobcat]

Thanks for the great info. One of the other reasons I was leaning towards running wire is because we would like to have some lights on the pillars where the gate will be installed.

I suspect if I went with a little larger solar set up and some larger batteries that I could have enough to power both the gate and the lights. Especially if there might be some LED lighting available now, that would consume less power.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks for the great info. One of the other reasons I was leaning towards running wire is because we would like to have some lights on the pillars where the gate will be installed.

I suspect if I went with a little larger solar set up and some larger batteries that I could have enough to power both the gate and the lights. Especially if there might be some LED lighting available now, that would consume less power.

Won't be long before incandescent outdoor lighting will be history. If you look at the stores such as Lowes and Home Depot the landscape lighting is being overtaken with led lighting products.

 

[chopped]

What is Romex - What is NM - Romex Wire - NM Wire

 

[Mechanos]

Around here, since the gate is generally out near the road where the power company has their wires, many people just have a "pole service" put in. A small 20 or 30 amp load center with a meter can is placed on a pole and that is used to power the electric gates, entrance lights, etc.