Crossing Stream with Electric Line

[tommu56]

Dave
I would burry conduit and a spare 3 ft below bottom of stream bed fill trench back up with concrete holding conduit so it will get encased conduits 1 foot all aroud pipes use tw type wire.

Bring the runs to surface about 10 to 15 ft back from each bank of the stream put in a grade level pull box (Quartsite with open bottom work good) and make splice in each box that way when you have to trouble shoot it it will be just pull cover and check out.
When it gets washed out mabee it would come apart at splices and not rip out the rest of the system.

tommu56

 

[CurlyDave]

I didn't see anything about this being a temp thing or perminate thing?

Right now I am thinking of having the line energized 24/7.

The line would go to an RV pedestal to power my motorhome when we are not traveling in it, which would be most of the time. We have relatives with RVs, and when they come to visit we would move ours & let them park there.

Now, we have been parking it for years without power, but one of the advantages of moving to the country is having enough space to park the RV at home instead of in a storage yard.

 

[Buckeye_Jim]

Dave,

With the intended use now clear, you need to be careful about choosing the correct size of wire. I believe that you would be needing a 30 amp service to the RV, but you might call a RV park and ask which capacity of feed they use.

Several posters recomended direct buiral wire. You may not be able to get that in your required wire gauge. That would probably be 8 AWG stranded. This is something that the NEC will print tables to determine the correct size, based upon distance and that the cable is confined inside a conduit. A ground rod at RV side is also probably required. We have a supplier in Grass Valley who generally has prices for the power cables used for submersible pumps that is below the wholesale electrical dealers. That's A to Z Supply. I would recommend plastic 2" conduit with pull boxes on each side of the creek.

Good Luck,

Jim

 

[CurlyDave]

I was searching the internet for this and found a supplier last night.

I need about 100' of wire.

It looks to me like I can get 8-3 submersible pump wire for $3.04 /foot Submersible water well pump wire for use with submersible water well pumps. or I can get UF wire. If I got UF wire UF Direct Burial Wire Cable for underground power to your water well., which is quite a bit more expensive, it looks like the best deal there would be a 125 foot rool @ $4.41/foot.

Does anyone know why UF is so much more expensive than submersible pump wire?

It seems to me that if it goes in a conduit, which might end up full of water, submersible pump wire would be the better choice, but then logic does not always work in these areas.

Clearly I would also check local supply houses, but this gives me an idea of pricing.

 

[Dusty]

Can't say for certain, but I have used both, and the well wire is rubber jacketed and very pliable. The direct burial wire is very heavy plastic coated and extremely difficult to work with. You actually have to remove the roll from the box and then unroll it on the ground, being careful not to get any twists in it. If you twist it, it can be a bear to get it to straighten out and lay flat. I always put any underground wires in conduit on the assumption that I might have to replace it some time in the future. As for putting any electrical cable under water, I know that in CT, it generally isn't allowed. My guess is that the liability is the biggest factor, if there were a break and the water became electrified. I know of a housing development that has a stream that crosses the entrance road. The power is all underground except where they came out of the ground to an overhead pole and crossed the stream. Then they went underground again.
Dusty

 

[Dargo]

Does anyone know why UF is so much more expensive than submersible pump wire?

It seems to me that if it goes in a conduit, which might end up full of water, submersible pump wire would be the better choice, but then logic does not always work in these areas.

I used the direct bury UF wire when running electric to the island in my lake. It is in a conduit that is 1 piece and thick walled, but I assume that it will eventually be full of water. They used a boring machine to run the conduit. When I had the electrician out a few months later, we were surprised to find that there was no water at all in the conduit. Blowing high pressure air into the conduit only blew dust out on the island. Anyway, the electrician told me that, per code, I should use the UF wire in that conduit with GFI outlets. It's been there for 4 or 5 years now with no issue. Supposedly the UF wire will "never" have an issue even if my conduit fills with water. I couldn't tell you if there is any truth to that, but that's what I was told.

 

[Buckeye_Jim]

Dave,

I purchased last January #8 cable with 3 conductors plus a 4th #10 ground wire for my well, it's stranded, of course submersible, and cost $ .93 per foot. By far the best price I could find.

Jim

 

[MikeD74T]

Does anyone know why UF is so much more expensive than submersible pump wire? QUOTE]

UF wire has a tough outer layer that provides mechanical protection & ultraviolet light protection that well pump wire is not exposed to by virtue of being in a conduit and/or well casing. More insulation = more cost.
If you factor in conduit costs the UF would usually be cheaper, at least in the smaller sizes. MikeD74T

 

[midlf]

Pump cable is not code for anything but a pump. UF will pass code and, as stated is much more rugged. UF is waterproof. All the plastic used for protection is why it is so hard to work with.

 

[Buckeye_Jim]

Pump cable is not code for anything but a pump. UF will pass code and, as stated is much more rugged. UF is waterproof. All the plastic used for protection is why it is so hard to work with.

UF cable is tough to work with because it's a solid insulation incasing insulated wires. It also uses solid conductors. You use it for direct burial wire applications, but no need to use it in conduit. I am unaware that you could not use submersible pump cable in a conduit for a 100' run to bring service to an RV pedalestal. Before purchasing it for that application, I would call the local code authority to ask. The issues are voltage, current and temperature. By specifying one size larger (#8 instead of #10 for a 100' run on a 30 amp max load) you are giving more margin for heat.

Jim