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extending electrical to the shed

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DaOld Man:
I built a 12X16 shed about 6 years ago.
I wanted enough juice out there in case I decided to use a small welder (which I havent yet).
anyway, Its about 80 feet from the back of the house.
For power I ran 4 #6 AWG. Two hots, a neutral and a ground. I installed a 8 circuit breaker panel with a 50 amp double pole main breaker.
I ran 1 inch PVC buried in the ground for the power.
I also ran 2 3/4 inch conduits, 1 for telephone and Cat 5E lan cables, and another with 10 #12 spares.
The spares worked out pretty good, just in case I ever want to add something else the hard part is done. I did use 3 of the spares and mounted a switch by my back door that turns on a flood light mounted to the outside front of the shed. This lights up most of the backyard, and I tell you it has really been worth the extra cost. I can turn on/off  the flood lights from the house or from the shed.
My local code also required that I run the separate ground to the shed, and not bond ground to neutral just like Ed McCarron suggested.
I also attached the ground to the metal siding of the shed, and buried a 8 foot ground rod at the shed.
It seemed like overkill at the time, but you gotta do what you gotta do, plus I have not had lightning run in on anything since I did that.
I buried the PVC conduits about 18 inches in the ground, entered the house through the foundation blocks. I poured ready mix cement around the entry point to keep out varmints.
It all looks real good, no exposed wires between house and shed, so no worries about ice or tree limbs.
I wired two GFI plug circuits in the shed, plus fluorescent lights, and the flood lights.
I still have 3 spare spaces in the breaker panel, so if I break down and buy a small welder some day, it wont be hard at all to wire in.
Did all the work myself so i know it's right.
Good luck on your build, extra space is always a great thing to have.

Ed_McCarron:

--- Quote from: MonMotha on April 01, 2009, 06:10:35 pm ---If you have a 240V split-phase setup (as is common in US residential installations), you can run "40A worth" of 120V receptacles using only "20A worth" of neutral quite easily.  The neutral only has to carry the difference in current between the two split phases.  So, worst case, you're drawing 20A off one line and zero off the other, so you end up with 20A on the neutral.  If you load both phases evenly (resistive loads), you actually end up with the neutral carrying nothing: the current travels from one hot line, through the loads, to the other without ever needing to use the neutral.

--- End quote ---

Makes sense I guess.  Stick a hypothetical 20A lightbulb on each leg and it works out.  Just seems odd.

This is why I do control work and not residential wiring. :)

shardian:
As with most people, I know just enough about wiring to be dangerous.  ;)

ChadTower:

--- Quote from: shardian on April 02, 2009, 07:04:20 am ---As with most people, I know just enough about wiring to be dangerous.  ;)

--- End quote ---


Same here.  I have no idea what a phase is.

Ed_McCarron:

--- Quote from: ChadTower on April 02, 2009, 10:09:28 am ---
--- Quote from: shardian on April 02, 2009, 07:04:20 am ---As with most people, I know just enough about wiring to be dangerous.  ;)

--- End quote ---


Same here.  I have no idea what a phase is.

--- End quote ---



Oh, serious?

Your 240v power is really two 120v lines, 180 degrees out of phase with each other.  From either line to neutral/gnd, you get 120.  From line to line you get 240.

Switch to industrial apps and 480v/three phase becomes common.

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