Length of electrical run to shed?

[ultrarunner]

^^^ I've always had an aversion to aluminum wire... friends bought a condo in San Jose California that was all wired with Aluminum... they had no end to problems as did everyone else in the 200 unit complex.

I would really like to help my brother by running power to his barn... Google Earth shows about 500' so I'm guessing it is a little more... battery charger for the tractor and a few lights... do like the idea of putting in cable for possible 220... never know if a booster pump for domestic water is in the future...

He has 38 psi at the house tap... his water is artesian with no pumps... been this way since the mid 1800's... all gavity to a 1500 gallon storage tank and then gravity to the house...

 

[Cord]

I'm putting up a 12x20 shed to hold my lawn and garden gear. Trying to decide if I should run a 20A/120v direct bury cable to it from my home. It's about 250' from the electrical panel in my basement, but to route in a to avoid septic lines, buried electrical service and phone, I'll have to run about 350 feet of cable.

Any practical reason not to do this? Is it too far for a 120v line?

EDIT: Sorry, should have specified...usage will be for some LED lighting inside and out side the shed (very low amperage), and for one standard outlet that will be used for battery charging, maybe the occasional power tool up to 10 amps or so.

The wire needs to be buried 24" down (18" if in pipe), so I wouldn't try crossing the septic field. Also, you need to flag the wire with some caution tape so as to alert somebody digging. Using copper and assuming a 20amp load and a 350' run with a 3% voltage drop you'd be looking at a #3 conductor. Change that out to a #1 if you want to use aluminum. Don't forget to set two ground rods at the structure and then run a dedicated ground back to the panel. A light switch placed next to the first outlet can serve as the code required disconnect.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

If you keep the power tools at your house, 12/2 UF will be fine. I ran electrical 500' to my gate at the front of my property. It powers two post lights with led bulbs and it charges the battery for the gate opener. Total usage is around 2 amps and my voltage is always <119.5 as measured by a voltmeter. Seems like electricians always want to overbuild as most I spoke gawked at running power more than 100' from the house.

Agree put a 15 amp ground fault in the panel so if it gets cut or comes in contact with water... bury it shallow and move on 250 feet of 12/2 uf is $100. Then if you need power tools run a small generator. 250 feet of 6/2 is $360, so I would look at is I am $260 closer to my generator. A lot depends on how bad you want to run the power tools off that plug in the shed. Understand why an electrician needs to do it to code for some one else. Its not like it is unsafe it is GFI protected. I have three plugs for lights I have done this way, and they have been in for 15 years and working fine.

 

[oldpilgrim]

this calculator will tell you in a simple manner, what you need.

Voltage Drop Calculator

 

[bcp]

this calculator will tell you in a simple manner, what you need.

Voltage Drop Calculator

What % or voltage drop is considered acceptable?

Bruce

PS Maybe related. In the 1940's-50's, everyone talked of 110V and 220V. Now it is all about 120V and 240V. Did it change?

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I hear what you are saying, but it has been my experience that there will always be wattage creep. Do yourself a favor and go ahead and run 240v NOW and save yourself many more problems later.

You bet! What's a shed without welding capability? Just another expanded outhouse.

 

[newbury]

You bet! What's a shed without welding capability? Just another expanded outhouse.

Once again the TBN mentality of bigger is better creeps in. I think he probably need a 3 phase drop to do it right.


OR the OP could step back and go solar, limit his power usage to LED's - probably 60 watts would do for a 12x20 shed. Then a couple of decent batteries for backup and focus on using cordless power tools. IT's A GARDEN SHED for goodness sake.

a 12x20 shed to hold my lawn and garden gear.

I'm going through the process of building a 12x20 shed about 150' from the house. But if I run electricity or water to it all zoning, inspection, raised taxes kick in.

The power tools I use most for my "garden shed" are getting to be the drill, circular saw, sawzall. All 20V Dewalt Easily charged off a solar panel or two but carrying a couple of batteries back and forth to the house is easy also. LED's for lighting are finally getting cost effective.

A small solar set up for a 12x20 garden shed sounds perfectly feasible.

 

[oldpilgrim]

What % or voltage drop is considered acceptable?

Bruce

PS Maybe related. In the 1940's-50's, everyone talked of 110V and 220V. Now it is all about 120V and 240V. Did it change?

each of the sites I looked at said 3% is acceptable.

 

[s219]

PS Maybe related. In the 1940's-50's, everyone talked of 110V and 220V. Now it is all about 120V and 240V. Did it change?

Always wondered that myself.

Also, I noticed quite a few electric motors are now rated a nominal 230V but will work over a range +/-. My HVAC blower is a 230V motor, as are my boat lift motors.

 

[s219]

^^^ I've always had an aversion to aluminum wire... friends bought a condo in San Jose California that was all wired with Aluminum... they had no end to problems as did everyone else in the 200 unit complex.

Aluminum is good for service feeds where copper would be too expensive, but of course anti-ox is needed and the lugs need to be rated for aluminum.

Where aluminum had a lot of problems in the 70s and 80s was for building wire run in the walls of homes. That was a disaster. I think part of the problem was improper use with fixtures, switches, and receptacles that were for copper. But there were also a lot of problems snugging the wire down in lugs and terminals.

I have used aluminum for feed wiring a few times, heavy stuff 0 or 00 gauge, and all the lugs had very specific torque requirements.