Electrical ? - direct burial OK?

[stayalert]

I want to install a sub panel in an out building I have. Can I direct bury (no conduit) "Alcan B 2 AWG AL XLPE 600V USE-2 (UL1994)" I have 3 cables ~400 feet long that I hope to use for this application.......

And since we're talking electricity.....

Q: Do you know why tranformers hum?











































A: because they don't know the words!

 

[Weedhopper]

Dude.............................. Call an electrician...

 

[fsusteve]

I did it, it was fine but bury it fairly deep.

 

[450 DUDE]

Why no love for conduit? plastic it not that much?

ken

 

[stayalert]

Dude.............................. Call an electrician...

I intend to have an electrician hook stuff up...I'm trying to forecast the cost of this project.....The cable and subpanel came with a shed I bought, dissassembled, moved, and reassembled.....

 

[cruiser88]

No........

 

[porten1134]

whats this for?
if it the feeders from the utility company you'd have to check with them. the use cables can probably be ran just fine underground. at least 18" deep for the most part. you'll need to protect the wires as they pass through foundations,enter the buildings, emerge from grade. etc. everything being everything you'll need to pull a ground with the triplex you have.that ground may or not be rated for direct burial. just because you dont have to dosent mean its not a bad idea to just pack it up and run it in some conduits.

p.s. a transformer hums because of magnetism.......the magnetic field the coils of wire create around the coil creats both energy in the secondary coils and the iron core. that magnetic field exites other molecules and makes them wanna move. this produces heat, and a slight vibration which causes the humming sound.

 

[Brentbba]

IIRC from my FIL (electrical engineer), 24" depth here in CA for anything electrical buried. Conduit is cheap insurance, especially if you ever need to pull new cable!

 

[cruiser88]

as some know must do not...........volts is not current, current amps watts..etc etc is current. Volts is pressure which has heat,vibrates etc etc. As said before.

 

[45Kevin]

How many amps is your sub-panel?

 

[stayalert]

electrical says yes....subpanel is simple a few 15 or 20 amp circuits for some lights and outles....Time to learn about ditchwitches.........

 

[fsusteve]

that's how I've done several outbuildings here, ditchwitched a trench and ran underground cable, some of it I used conduit, some I didn't.

 

[D'Animal]

I run everything underground in conduit.

The Gophers here can chew through concrete.

 

[cruiser88]

Ya but you live where there is nothing but sand

that's how I've done several outbuildings here, ditchwitched a trench and ran underground cable, some of it I used conduit, some I didn't.

 

[trainrech]

Conduit is cheap and easy to install. You'll already have the trench dug, so it is just a few $$ and a little more time to provide some insurance should you "call after you dug".

 

[fj40charles]

Another vote for conduit. Make sure you run the proper wire for conduit. THNN or THWN should be fine, but you should check with the city for their code. Also, I'd put an extra conduit for things like network cable or phone wire just in case.

 

[fsusteve]

if you do run conduit, run the biggest you can with the least number of 90's as possible, pulling wire is a bitch. We do only have sand here so for short spans I usually just trench it in.

 

[fledglingme]

i belive that only an cable can be used in this application(a cable is more than one wire in an assembly) in the case of a 220/110 v sub panel that's four wires)the cable also has to be rated for direct burial. if you go with four indiviual wires it has to be in conduit. and either way, it has tobe, below 24". weed hopper is on the right track, have it done by someone who knows what's right. if you have no idea what your building, chances are very good that you'll muck it up!

 

[-Spike-]

if you go with four indiviual wires it has to be in conduit.

Not true, at least not everywhere. Wire just needs to be rated for direct burial.

 

[Joe_E]

Not true, at least not everywhere. Wire just needs to be rated for direct burial.

I agree. And I see you live in VT, make sure you lay some rock free dirt in the trench and cover the wire with a foot of rock free dirt when backfilling.