Running Power to Detached Garage

[Midniteoyl]

I disagree with running Cat5 or any other internet type cable to a barn. What would you use it for? I use my phone if I need to look something up right away, but if I'm doing something and I get lost, I'll walk back to my main computer and search for a youtube video of how to do it. I really don't want a computer in my shop.

IP cameras and alarms?

 

[Pixguy]

When I built my detached a few years ago I ran 3- 2" conduits. One for power, one for low voltage like cat6 for WiFi and cameras and another yet to be used in case I want to put solar on south facing roof to run power back to house. Not sure I'd do all 3 in today's prices but sure nice to have. I also had them rough in LP when I decide to add heat. When you're Building is the time to do all that as you guys well know.

 

[Diggin It]

1 or 2 larger for power
2 or 3 smaller for low voltage
Water
Gas

If you're doing a concrete floor and foundation in the outbuilding, add a drain line that can be used later for a sink.

Yes, the price of materials is stupid, but it'll drop again before too long hopefully.

But what will it cost in time and aggravation if this run would be under future landscaping or paved areas? Five years down the road, do you want to dig up a rose bed you've worked hard to establish? Personally, I try to know where underground runs are and avoid planting over them, but that isn't always possible.

 

[MossRoad]

I forgot about the music. I log into Pandora when tooling about the shop. Music in shop is nice.

I also use my iPad for doing inventory in shop (generator repair parts inventory). Having wifi in shop does come in handy. Never thought about it when I built shop in 1996.

Yep. I'm not a big sports fan by any means. However, there's something about being out in the yard and garage on a sunny crisp fall day listening to a Notre Dame football game while raking leaves or working on things.

 

[MossRoad]

Another observance:

How many times here on TBN do people post questions/problems concerning WIFI in outbuildings compared to people reporting problems with their hard-wired connections?

My wife has been working from home for over a year. Her company laptop has issues with our WIFI dropping out fairly frequently. It's due to the age of our ISP provided WIFI and the location in the house she's chosen to use as her office.

Solution? I ran a Cat5 cable from the basement to her "office", crimped on a couple ends, plugged the laptop directly into the ISP router and she's been good ever since.

WIFI is great for convenience. However, in my decades of IT experience at my old job as well as my personal life and dealing with it for the entire family and group of friends, I've had 99.9% reliability with hard wire and the WIFI keeps burping.

 

[coobie]

My service (200 amp) is direct buried to my shop and the gas line is also in the same trench.

Bad news having both electric/gas in the same trench if you have problems.Hope they are padded(with sand) between both..

 

[grsthegreat]

The wifi extender I am using in my shop has been in use for 2 trouble free years so far. The only reason I went wifi is cause I damaged my underground cat5 wire. Main issue is it was run after I ran all underground. Rest of my stuff is 5 feet deep for water, 3 feet deep for gas and elect. The cat5 was maybe 18” when run years later. Fencing horse pasture wrecked it. Instead of trying to find and repair, I went wireless.
very happy with the system I chose.

my entire house is wired in parallel cat5 ethernet .... don’t use any of it. My last holdout was my office printer. When it died I purchased an hp that has wifi. So now I can also print from my iPad and phones.
I have a ups backup on my main wifi unit. I generally have to replace wifi unit every 4-5 years it seams, but there pretty much trouble free. But I do dread the day I have to replace the wifi router. Always a nightmare.


i didnt think I needed cat5 in shop back in 96 is all. Things change.

 

[wolc123]

In 2018, I put up a new pole barn on the site of a 1881 post and beam barn that my great great grandad had built. In 1980, my grandad ran a direct bury line to that old barn, from a 15 amp breaker in the basement of the house, 200 ft away. That line went only to a single 120 volt outlet on the corner of the old barn. The only thing I remember us using it for, was to plug in the motor on a conveyer, for loading hay bales into the loft.

When I dismantled the old barn, I flipped the breaker off and took off the outlet. I ran a 2" conduit to the basement, while I was doing the site work for the new pole barn. Someday, if I ever have need for more power, I will run lines thru that.

In the mean time, grandpa's old direct bury 15 amp line, from 1980, is working very well. I use (3) 4 ft LED lights, a garage door opener, drill press, table saw, band saw, 2 hp shop vac, small air compressor, and a few other power tools, with no issues.

 

[Pettrix]

To the current home, I have 400 amps of power going to the panel. Which splits the power to 200 amps to the current home and then 200 amps will go to the future home.

Then from the future home panel, I will run PVC conduit with copper wire to the detached garage which will have a 100 amp sub panel inside the garage. 100 Amp Sub Panel

How large of copper wire should I use from the current home to the future home?
How about the future home to the garage?

 

[MossRoad]

Distances of each run might be helpful.

 

[Pettrix]

Distance of current home to future home will be around 75-100 feet. Distance from future home to detached garage will be around 50 feet.

 

[grsthegreat]

4/0 alum feeders for 200 amps is fine. 2 inch conduit. Need to run 2 power runs, 1 neutral run and a ground wire. 4 total wires. I use #2 alum for ground.

 

[Pettrix]

Out here, we use Ufer Grounds to ground the circuit panel. The ground wire gets tied into the rebar cage in the footing before the concrete pour. The copper ground wire then runs into the circuit panel.

Will a 100 sub panel be enough power in the garage for a 2 post car lift plus some LED lighting and 2 garage doors?

 

[grsthegreat]

Plenty of power. Those lifts don’t take much power at all

 

[MossRoad]

I've got a 50amp 220v sub panel in my garage.
I run an arc welder, a 2hp swimming pool pump, air compressor, garage door opener, lights... all the modern conveniences.

 

[Pettrix]

I will go with a 2" PVC underground SCH40 conduit for my power wire that will go from the house to the garage. The power wire is being called out as a 3-#2 cu THHN 1-#6 GND

Is this the wire at HD?
Southwire (By-the-Foot) 3 Black Stranded CU SIMpull THHN Wire 24346999 - The Home Depot

 

[grsthegreat]

That would easily fit in 1-1/4” conduit.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, my shed, I ran 50 amp 220 with conduit and aluminum wire (yes, it was rated for the amps/distance). At the sub panel; I had a single 25 amp 220v outlet for my welder; and 2-110v circuits for outlets and led lights. Posts are at 8 ft OC, so I put a duplex receptacle at each post. Lights are 110v duplex outlets on roof rafters; but switched. Outlets are all higher then normally; ment to be 8" above "bar height"; and my work benches/stools are also bar height.

No permits pulled; and it's just a 24x36 shed; but I still did all 12 ga romex inside shed, and 8 ga (If I remember) for the very short, 10 ft run to the welder outlet.

I would make sure to make a least 1 110v outlet at your metal working station; probably a 4x4 box; I have to unplug the drill press or grinder to use a 3rd tool at the metal working station. Wood working station, same; table saw and chop saw; but got to unplug (or use extension cord) to use sander.

I do have the window unit ac on the closest 110v outlet to panel on 1 circuit and the air compressor on the closest outlet on other circuit.

I also ran a 3/4" cold only water service to the inside of the shed with an inside hose bib; makes watering dogs, washing hands; cooling hot metal parts, a breeze.

 

[ponytug]

I like the SIMpull wire. It is much easier to pull in my opinion.

Good luck!