Underground Electric Service?

[FrogLick]

I'd like to build a barn for my new tractor & implements and it sure would be nice (almost required!) to have electric service in there. I'd really like to run the service line underground. The site I'd like to use is on the oposite side of a drive just put in last year over a hard packed gravel base. Any thoughts about how I can get a tunnel under that drive to run the service to the barn?

 

[Dargo]

The same way I got service to the dock on my lake and to the island in the lake; have someone come out with a boring machine and run the line for you. It's a pretty slick deal. I can't believe our city is still so stupid that they allow utility crews to take an excavator and cut across an newly paved road and ruin it forever! Morons!

 

[FrogLick]

Yes I know about hiring a boring contractor and it would be the ideal way to go but I have hopes that there's something I can do myself. Concrete slab, barn, electric, etc. -- the costs just seem to be getting higher all the time!

 

[Dargo]

Yeah, do I ever know what you are saying. Your only other choice is to just dig up your drive and deal with the permanent dip in it. You can try what I did for my boring work; trade off with them. I have a plow, disc, tiller, gill and power seeder. I put in a lawn for the guy with the boring machine and he did the boring work in trade. If you can wait until late summer, generally the call for using the boring machines is less and some guys may work with you.

 

[goaliedad]

How about hydro blasting it? I pushed a 1 inch water line under a paved driveway- used a garden hose and pvc pipe with a tip glued on- picked it up at Home Depot- check in the plumbing area. worked pretty well. I would use the pvc as a conduit- push it in and leave it. Hope this helps.

 

[FrogLick]

This sounds like something worth trying. What kind of ground did you use this method in? What kind of tip did you glue on the pvc pipe? Was that just a pvc to hose bib fitting to attach the hose?

 

[woodlot]

You havn't given any details about your planned electric service. But for the most part, unless a very small service, 1" conduit will be grossly undersized.

 

[Bo McCarty]

If it were me, I'd get a ditch witch and trench it. You'll be messing with some heavy wire that don't bend much at all, that is if you're putting in the electric by the book and not just a 12/3 run for basic lighting needs.

If you do the trench thing, you can get direct burial wire, or the type you need conduit. I just set up my place and used direct burial wire and also put it inside conduit. It's cheap enough, I'm guessing I had $20 in the 30' conduit and elbows.

That gravel will pack back down in time... If you do it right the first time, your done with it.