How big of a wire gauge for a gate opener?

[Diggin It]

then conduits for electrical and phone and internet plus spare conduit.

i always install red alert tape within 4-6" of surface when backfilling. ALWAYS

Do you ever see interference between the AC lines and the Comm lines? I'm working on a 100' run of electric, telephone, network and spare, plus a poly LP pipe. Planning on all going in together as one bundle to help protect each other from rocks.

Considering yellow caution tape, but haven't committed yet.

 

[4570Man]

Do you ever see interference between the AC lines and the Comm lines? I'm working on a 100' run of electric, telephone, network and spare, plus a poly LP pipe. Planning on all going in together as one bundle to help protect each other from rocks.

Considering yellow caution tape, but haven't committed yet.

You’re not supposed to. Separate trenches would be better. I guess his plan works with the deep trench but I’d rather dig more trenches. I can’t dig a 5 foot trench if I wanted to. Bedrock isn’t that deep here. But even if you could it’s hard to work in one and it’s hard to backfill them level and pack it. You run a lot of risk of settling and breaking the second pipe. The building inspectors won’t approve electric and water in the same ditch anyway. Maybe if it was 4’ wide but not anything reasonable.

 

[4570Man]

Do you know if this is a standard swing gate or some kind of ornate heavy iron rolling gate? That could make a big difference in power requirements.

It looks like a dinky farm gate.

 

[grsthegreat]

Do you ever see interference between the AC lines and the Comm lines? I'm working on a 100' run of electric, telephone, network and spare, plus a poly LP pipe. Planning on all going in together as one bundle to help protect each other from rocks.

Considering yellow caution tape, but haven't committed yet.

i have never seen any interference. i use network in shop without any issues. no static on phone lines. cat5 cable is twister to stop interference anyways. the red tape i use says caution buried electric lines. for gas lines i ran a #12 yellow tracing wire in trench. gas was run in its own trench per our codes.

 

[grsthegreat]

You’re not supposed to. Separate trenches would be better. I guess his plan works with the deep trench but I’d rather dig more trenches. I can’t dig a 5 foot trench if I wanted to. Bedrock isn’t that deep here. But even if you could it’s hard to work in one and it’s hard to backfill them level and pack it. You run a lot of risk of settling and breaking the second pipe. The building inspectors won’t approve electric and water in the same ditch anyway. Maybe if it was 4’ wide but not anything reasonable.

there ok with it here as long as theres 2' separation, vertically or horizontally. i used sched 80 poly pipe for water..these have like 1/4" wall thickness, and sched 80 pvc pipe throughout. i really have never .. in 27 years... had any issues with broken pipes. compaction for me was easy, i have had no settling of ground either. at least none that i have ever recalled seeing.

the ONLY time they require separate tranches here in idaho, are for primary electric service lines. they need separate trench 36" deep.

 

[4570Man]

i never bother with ditch witch. i have to use mini excavator due to rocks. ive never doug out any buried power lines on my place. i have hit them on other peoples jobs when the idiots placed their conduit 4" below the surface. i always install red alert tape within 4-6" of surface when backfilling. ALWAYS

3/4 of the time I end up having to concrete fill electric ditches to meet code because they can’t be dig deep enough. I’ve put water lines in at 12”. I like to put them in 24” but that simply can’t be accomplished a lot of times here. The ditch witch is a big time saver compared to a backhoe or mini excavator. It handles any rock you could lift by hand pretty well. Digging is a lot faster, the backfill is ground up that doesn’t pose any chance of damaging the pipe and you can shove it back in with the 4 way blade as fast as you can drive. Secondary ditches like this only have to be 18” minimum to meet code here.

 

[Diggin It]

It looks like a dinky farm gate.

Well, then I can't see a need for #6, HOWEVER, if that's what the opener specs call for, are you prepared to go back and redo it on your own dime?

i have never seen any interference. i use network in shop without any issues. no static on phone lines. cat5 cable is twister to stop interference anyways. the red tape i use says caution buried electric lines. for gas lines i ran a #12 yellow tracing wire in trench. gas was run in its own trench per our codes.

No codes here. No inspections. Not really game on running separate trenches, though I guess I could. Problem is that due to the end locations and what will be installed where, they would have to cross at some point. I can only go 18-20" maximum depth since the county water line is at 30" per their locators that were here last week. I was hoping that was at 48", but they confirmed 30" with probing rods.

 

[grsthegreat]

3/4 of the time I end up having to concrete fill electric ditches to meet code because they can’t be dig deep enough. I’ve put water lines in at 12”. I like to put them in 24” but that simply can’t be accomplished a lot of times here. The ditch witch is a big time saver compared to a backhoe or mini excavator. It handles any rock you could lift by hand pretty well. Digging is a lot faster, the backfill is ground up that doesn’t pose any chance of damaging the pipe and you can shove it back in with the 4 way blade as fast as you can drive. Secondary ditches like this only have to be 18” minimum to meet code here.

our problem here is water needs a minimum of 48", 60" preferred for frost protection. sprinklers have to be blown out for winter or they will be destroyed. conduit covered wire 18", direct buried 24" coverage. most areas a ditchwitch wont go below 8"/... believe me ive tried. a mini excavator and 12" bucket is the only way to get down 18-24" in our crappy soil.

 

[Diggin It]

most areas a ditchwitch wont go below 8"/... believe me ive tried. a mini excavator and 12" bucket is the only way to get down 18-24" in our crappy soil.

I've got decades packed red rock gravel at different places. Never know where I'll hit it. While digging for the pole move the other day (more on that thread), I hit some of it at just over 24" and it was all I could do to chip and grind it loose and pull up half a BH bucket at a time. Took longer to go the last 6" than the first 24". When they dug the county water line, the large, full sized track hoe would almost stand up on the nose trying the break it loose.

 

[4570Man]

Well, then I can't see a need for #6, HOWEVER, if that's what the opener specs call for, are you prepared to go back and redo it on your own dime?



.

There aren’t any opener specs. The customer doesn’t have one. And I’ll give them the option on wire. If they want 1 gauge I’ll run that. If they opt to go with the much cheaper 10 or 12 gauge and it doesn’t work that’s on them not me. Especially since I didn’t pick and install the opener.