s219
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2011
- Messages
- 8,608
- Location
- Virginia USA
- Tractor
- Kubota L3200, Deere X380, Kubota RTV-X
I have been wanting to run power to my barn for lighting. I have 250' of #6 direct-bury aluminum wire that I bought a couple years ago, first to use as an extension cord while building the barn, and it's been used for other projects several other times.
Long term I had planned to trench to the barn and bury the wire, but the direct path to the barn goes through some fairly thick forest in an area that I can't clear due to wetlands environmental restrictions (the indirect path goes through my septic field which I'd rather not trench through). I had to run power to my pier through similar land, and let me tell you it was a real struggle trenching through/around trees and brush and dealing with tree roots. I am not anxious to do that again.
I have studied code and it's allowable to run power cable through conduit above ground as long as it's mechanically fastened to a "structure" of some sort. Fences count as structure, as would posts spaced out every so often. That's a project that could also be a pain in the butt, so I am weighing all the evils of trenching versus running conduit above ground. But it might be easier to use conduit and go above ground. The main downside I can see is that if a tree ever fell over the conduit, it would likely break and need a repair. Otherwise, the conduit would be in the woods out of the way, and over time would get covered up by pine straw and leaf litter.
The funny thing is, I have used that wire as an extension cord to the barn several times, sometimes for 5-6 months at a clip. The wire was just laying on the ground. All perfectly OK with the building inspector. I probably already have a couple years worth of time on the wire for "temporary" use, and now suddenly it gets more complicated when considering how to make it permanent. Maybe I ought to just call it an extension cord indefinitely....:laughing:
Long term I had planned to trench to the barn and bury the wire, but the direct path to the barn goes through some fairly thick forest in an area that I can't clear due to wetlands environmental restrictions (the indirect path goes through my septic field which I'd rather not trench through). I had to run power to my pier through similar land, and let me tell you it was a real struggle trenching through/around trees and brush and dealing with tree roots. I am not anxious to do that again.
I have studied code and it's allowable to run power cable through conduit above ground as long as it's mechanically fastened to a "structure" of some sort. Fences count as structure, as would posts spaced out every so often. That's a project that could also be a pain in the butt, so I am weighing all the evils of trenching versus running conduit above ground. But it might be easier to use conduit and go above ground. The main downside I can see is that if a tree ever fell over the conduit, it would likely break and need a repair. Otherwise, the conduit would be in the woods out of the way, and over time would get covered up by pine straw and leaf litter.
The funny thing is, I have used that wire as an extension cord to the barn several times, sometimes for 5-6 months at a clip. The wire was just laying on the ground. All perfectly OK with the building inspector. I probably already have a couple years worth of time on the wire for "temporary" use, and now suddenly it gets more complicated when considering how to make it permanent. Maybe I ought to just call it an extension cord indefinitely....:laughing: