Laying Cable

[jondrew55]

I need about a 200' run to get from the panels I want to put in my back yard to the garage where my electronics are. Up thru the attic would be the best case, but my attic is difficult to access, very low, and of course now in the summer hotter than hell. Plus, the wall I'd want to pull the cable down thru is blocked by the second story over my garage. So I'm thinking of just burying the wire in the yard. I'm not particularly interested in meeting code at this point. We won't be selling the house anytime soon, and if we did put it up for sale I'd ditch any Rube Goldberg wiring.

I would like to be safe though. This is Florida, so it's easy to dig. I can probably trench 12" to 18" fairly easily. Then run the wire thru there.

Any thoughts on other ways to get from here to there?

 

[wpns]

Check the code for requirements (even though you aren’t going to follow the code, you should probably know why it has those requirements), and use appropriate conduit and wire, and you should be all set. There’s probably a requirement for a marker tape to be buried above the conduit so that when someone is digging, they will see the tape.

You may have plans to remove or discontinue the use of it before you sell the house, but if you get hit by a beer truck, and someone else sells the house, and the buyer goes to put in a swimming pool…

 

[Madco]

No thoughts on other ways, but...

1. Design the panel configuration to operate at as high a voltage as possible (consistent with charge controller or inverter input limits) - this minimizes conductor size/conduit size/conductor cost.

2. Put it in conduit and use wire rated for wet locations. There are alternatives to the use of conduit (USE-2 wire for instance), but you will likely be thankful you used conduit down the road. Things change, normally more panels, and conduit is really your friend then. Use PVC and oversize it for future expansion, code permitting.

 

[HardYakka]

Depth here is minimum 18"-24" for non electrical service feed wires, but we are off grid. 42" if running grid feed lines. 18" if there is no vehicle traffic over conduit, 24" if there is.
I used either 1.5" or 2". 2" for the 'main' run to combiner from a double set of arrays and expansion. 1.5" for rooftop and small 5 pv arrays.
Local codes may vary.

 

[SplitUniverse]

If you're in an area that freezes make sure to use "expansion" fittings, they are supposed to prevent the conduit from ripping apart due to freeze thaw cycles.

 

[chrisski]

Any thoughts on other ways to get from here to there?

While living in Florida, utilities were very responsive at coming out and flagging utilities prior to digging. Of course you were left to figure where things you installed were like irrigation lines and low voltage lighting.

Knowing where important utility lines are made digging a lot easier so a trencher could be rented.

I trenched about 50’ here in AZ and chose PVC conduit. I was more confident of PVC lasting than EMT. I’m familiar with PVC, not EMT. I did not know where the utility lines were, so dug carefully by hand at about a foot an hour.

 

[Steve777]

As far as the "other" lines (non-utility), you can hire independent locators who can mark where water, phone, comm and other "private" lines on your property are. Helps greatly if there was wires buried along with the plastic pipe, so they can put their signal generator on those wires. Well worth the couple hundred bucks it costs to avoid your water, gas, and "personal" electric wires...

 

[Oakley]

Install in conduit and if not already looked into, check out a small walk behind trencher. You should be able to do the majority of trenching in about 4 hours or less and then some small shovel work on the termination ends. Pushing the dirt back in the trench by a shovel is easier than digging it all by hand.

(edit) hand dig around any areas of concern or utility markings.

 

[jondrew55]

You may have plans to remove or discontinue the use of it before you sell the house, but if you get hit by a beer truck, and someone else sells the house, and the buyer goes to put in a swimming pool…

I'm still dead?