Electric code

[ctafoya]

I am needing to run some power to my back yard. Does anyone know how deep I have to bury the conduit to be up to code?

 

Thanks.

[PRDATR]

6" for rigid or IMC and 18" for PVC. Rigid should be wrapped in most cities. What are you running to?

[HuntHarder]

Do yourself a favor and do not use rigid at 6" deep. When/if the pipe corrodes or gets damaged, you will have to run new conduit again to re-pull new wire. Use EMT above ground and transition to schedule 40 PVC underground and bury it at 18" deep.

[Swivelhead]

Do yourself a favor and do not use rigid at 6" deep. When/if the pipe corrodes or gets damaged, you will have to run new conduit again to re-pull new wire. Use EMT above ground and transition to schedule 40 PVC underground and bury it at 18" deep.

This ^^^^^

[muledeerarea33?]

Since all the electricians are in the room! I'll ask a question (hope you don't mind ctafoya) if money wasn't an option what would you run in you home? In the walls? If money was sorta an issue but not really, what would you use? If you ran #12 to every receptacle and light fixture and ran all 20a breakers would that be bad? Knowing some appliances and household items are rated 12.5 max amp. How would you wire YOUR house?

[Couzer]

I would run 10-2 if money was not a issue, or definitely 12-2 if it was sorta issue, 14-2 if it was a issue 😊. Just make sure you use the appropriate breaker for the gauge wire. Like do not use a 20 amp breaker with 14-2, that's no bueno!!!! 14-2 needs a 15 amp breaker, 12-2 needs a 20 amp breaker, and etc. also your recepticals need to be paired up with the correct gauge wire. All bathrooms, garage, outside and kitchens need to be at least 12-2.

[HuntHarder]

Running 12-2 romex instead of 14-2 gives you the ability to put the circuit on 20 amp breakers. This can be beneficial in some areas, but is completely over kill in others. Rather than having larger wire, simply add more circuits to each room. The biggest problem in most houses is to many outlets on one circuit. Lots of houses have both bathrooms on 1 20 amp breaker with a Single GFI protecting both. It is much better to have separate circuits for each bathroom to avoid overloading the circuit when a blow dryer is used in both bathrooms at the same time. Another huge problem with most houses is the lack of pig-tailing wires in each device box. Outlets give you the ability to feed in and out of them. This in turn, runs all the amperage of said circuit thru the actual device closest to the panel. It is a much better practice to pig tail the in and out runs in each box and have a single lead (i.e. hot leg, neutral and ground) going to the outlet this puts the outlet in parallel rather than series. Wiring a house in 10-2 IMO would be a complete waste of money and also make terminating to each device much more difficult if not impossible. Devices are rated for certain amperage, either 15a or 20a for most common receptacles. Using 10 gauge wire would mean you may not have enough screw left on the side of the outlet to fit 10 gauge wire behind it. Solid connections, limit the number of devices on each circuit, pig tail each device, avoid sharing neutrals and ensure you have a solid ground system at your panel (25 ohms or less) and your electrical system will be fine.

[Snapshot]

Here in in Tucson, I used insulated wire for underground use. No conduit, except at the riser. Code said I had to go 24" underground. I failed my first inspection, because the trench was only 22" deep.....yep, the inspector used his tape measure.

[pwrguy]

If money were no object definitely all plugs on 12 gauge circuits with just a few plugs per circuit. It is nice having the smaller (14) on lights as it is easier to make up and stuff into boxes. With the cost of copper and arc-fault breakers cost will always be an issue

[pwrguy]

To answer the OP. See table 300.5 of the NEC. There are some options if you GFI protect prior to going underground, best rule of thumb is to to go 18 inches and run in PVC. UF cable sucks and will sooner or later need to be repaired.

[wildwoody]

I'd go 12/2 mc cable, with metal boxes and hospital grade devices, wire all locations fail safe, and run my home runs under the slab in PVC (3/4") back to panel that way I can add a circuit or split a circuit now that were in the age of the circuit killing space heaters. The mc cable is for the rodents. just me if I had the money. 18" landscape and 24" in driving ares

[Coach]

 

 

[TOBY]

I am needing to run some power to my back yard. Does anyone know how deep I have to bury the conduit to be up to code?

Thanks.

How much power are you needing? Back yard shed? Lighting? What are your plans for the power? Are you putting a sub panel in a shed or just some convenience outlets and lighting?

[Edge]

My advice is to go 24" minimum for safety. You know where the line is buried but a future owner or handyman might find it the hard way.

[ctafoya]

Thanks for the input. I am just needing two outlets and 2 lights.