OT, Wiring question for new shop

what is concern to be avoided?

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

If worried about droop just test it. Worried about tensile strength, I don't see a problem unless a tree falls on it. Fastening at each end calls for some study though. These are flex points and I presume this will be solid conductor wire not happy to be flexed(in the breezes, or not). Maybe enclose each end in a flex shield?

Support

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

Power co. [here] allows maximum 45' from pole to structure.

Best cable it; you're asking too much of both the wire and the casing.

Also best to use stranded, rather than solid, wire.

What are you connecting to on that pole?

Re: OT, Wiring question for new shop

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

And make sure your pole is well-braced.

My old place had that

Mike L

when I lived in WA the PO had run power out to a shed the way you are describing. I looked at it many times and thought to myself that can not be legal or safe. I lived there five years and by the time I sold the house, the conductors where showing all the way to the shed, and blowing in the wind. The outer covering became so brittle and nasty it fell off in a wind storm.

I unhooked the end from the house and left it off when I sold it. I would not to do it in weather that is hotter or more humid or colder then WA because it will not last as long as you think.

Get the correct rated stuff to be strung in the air.

My two bits.

Re: OT, Wiring question for new shop

Pat Evans

Why not be safe and bury the wiring from house to a pole much nearer the shop?Then distance from pole to shop is manageable.

Re: Support

Keith Newton

Yep, I figured about half my run would be safe, or code.

As for going underground, I initially thought I would, but it will make it enough longer that instead of buying 150', I would be forced to buy the next size up, which is a 250' roll, plus make it harder to get the wire out of the breaker box, down under the floor, then back to a drop girder, over and down a post to the slab and out across 2' of concrete before getting to the yard.

Cutting a slit in that soil is easy enough, but when I get out to the shop, which may need to float up 8', would still need to go up a high pole, then have the wire sag down so it won't get too taunt whenever the building floats up.

I had already come to the conclusion that I could shorten that sagging part if just outside the shop wall I had a male plug with a female on the line coming in. If I used a little lighter connection to the pole than the house, if a tree falls across it would just pull loose rather than tear up the house end.

I already have a temporary job site power pole that I can use, without the meter loop.

Re: Support

John K Jordan

>>>As for going underground, I initially thought I would, but it will make it enough longer that instead of buying 150', I would be forced to buy the next size up, which is a 250' roll, plus make it harder to get the wire out of the breaker box, down under the floor, then ...

Can't you bring the wire out of the ground at the bottom of the pole and terminate in an exterior box? Then connect and run what you need up the pole and to the building. I'd probably up another exterior box on the outside of the building and make a connection there as well so I'd just have to go thru the wall once even if the other wiring changed.

As for making the connection from the pole, I've seen floating lake boat docks wired for 110v power. How do they do it to handle when the lake level goes up and down?

Re: Support

Keith Newton

I’ve built two floating docks down there with power outlets. For that I just ran the wire on the underside of the gangplank, so the length of the wire stays the same whether the water is low or 20’ up during a flood.

This building has collars at the corners that ride up pipes set in concrete.

Be careful power around water

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Two people have been killed at boat docks here. Somehow the power to the dock got in contact with the water. People in the water are more conductive than water and the current will pass through a person near the source. A safety solution is ground fault.

Re: Be careful power around water

Keith Newton

Yes, I use GFI breakers rather than the outlets. The outlets only seem to last a couple of years at best, so what seems like the cheaper solution turns out to be more expensive after a few changes, especially if you figure your time to replace them.