#2 URD through Conduit

[TRC51]

What the?

OK... try again. I am running a service to my garage. I was torn between needed a 60 amp service and 100 amp. I really have no need for 100amp... right now, but a lift and bigger compressor could be down the road with some other adders. Anyway, so for now I am choosing to run #2 Aluminum URD (price benefit) throgh conduit so that if I so choose to upgrade, I can just pull the wire through and not have to dig it all up again. #2 URD should also be good for 80amp breakered amps.

That said, what I really need to know is... will #2 URD pull through 2" conduit relatively easily. I was told to use 2" because it larger than most use already, but I also know #2 Aluminum is larger than copper. I want to be sure I am using big enough conduit to drag it through there should I need to pull it later on.

Thanks in advance. Any additional suggestions are welcome, but be warned that I am an electrical ignoramus.... so please use English whenever possible.

Travis

 

[rodnok1]

It depends on how far, how many turns when it comes to pulling wires. Use wire lube and it'll go easier. How far do you have to run it. If it was me I would use 2" just to make my life easier, it would fit into 1 1/2, just harder to pull.

 

[Aceman]

The number of bends and length of the run are factors also. #2 URD should pull alright, but if you can find individual conductors rather than URD(which is 3-4 conductors woven together to make one large cable) it might make it a bit easier. Make sure the URD you buy says RHH, RHH-2, etc on it. If it's straight URD cable with none of those markings, it can't legally be pulled into a building. It's strictly for power co. use.

Be darn careful you don't nick the cables when you pull them in. You'll be repairing it in short order if you do.

 

[bradleys]

You also don't have to pull by hand. The electricians who pulled my new service on Tuesday used their pickup truck to pull the wires. There were two 350 MCM wires and a 4/0 wire in a triplex cable (which I assume was URD although I didn't look closely).

They mounted a pulley above the conduit on the pole to change the "up" direction to "sideways". The journeyman slowly backed the truck, and the apprentice fed the wires at the meter base end. They said the main thing is to keep a light touch on the throttle so the pull rope wouldn't break.

Disclaimer - I don't know if pulling by pickup truck is technically OK, but that's what they did.

 

[TRC51]

I am probably going to run 2" conduit regardless of the wire and then 3/4" for phone and cable next to it.

If not URD, can you suggest what I could run for single conductor for 60amp and still not too pricey?

Thanks gents,

Travis

 

[bradleys]

You might consider a two inch conduit for phone and cable. You may want to run some cat 5 wire for internet, or ... who knows? You don't mention how far you have to run. Here in Seattle, ten foot 3/4 conduit costs $0.98 and 2 inch conduit costs $3.78. Even if you need to run 100 feet, that's only $28.00 extra. It will give you seven times the internal space cross section.

 

[imavanner2]

I would run xhhw in the conduit.
chris

 

[TRC51]

Sorry. I am going out 120ft.

What is xhhw?

 

[Brandon_K]

You also don't have to pull by hand. The electricians who pulled my new service on Tuesday used their pickup truck to pull the wires. There were two 350 MCM wires and a 4/0 wire in a triplex cable (which I assume was URD although I didn't look closely).

They mounted a pulley above the conduit on the pole to change the "up" direction to "sideways". The journeyman slowly backed the truck, and the apprentice fed the wires at the meter base end. They said the main thing is to keep a light touch on the throttle so the pull rope wouldn't break.

Disclaimer - I don't know if pulling by pickup truck is technically OK, but that's what they did.

Is that for a shop or a house? I would love to have a 250-300A service in my shop And quite common to use a pickup to pull fat cable, they also make pulling machines to do it as well when you can't line up your truck for whatever reason (like inside..)

You might consider a two inch conduit for phone and cable. You may want to run some cat 5 wire for internet, or ... who knows? You don't mention how far you have to run. Here in Seattle, ten foot 3/4 conduit costs $0.98 and 2 inch conduit costs $3.78. Even if you need to run 100 feet, that's only $28.00 extra. It will give you seven times the internal space cross section.

[edit] nevermind [/edit]

Sorry. I am going out 120ft.

What is xhhw?

A type of insulation. Polyethelene High Heat Water resistant. Basically a poly jacket rated to 75C in wet or 90C in dry.

 

[bradleys]

Is that for a shop or a house? I would love to have a 250-300A service in my shop

Brandon,

It's for a shop. We looked at various options to power the shop. I'm fortunate that I have a nice pole in my yard, with my own transformer. The power comes in on the 7200 volt primary from the power company. The distance from the shop to the house would be the same 100 feet as from the shop directly to the pole.

To run to the house - probable 50 amp service
1. trench
2. conduit
3. new panel in house
4. my electrician runs the power cable

To run to the pole - 200 amp service
1. trench
2. conduit
3. meter box
4. the power company runs the power cable

I figure it cost about $500 more to install the new service, versus getting power from the house. It was well worth it for the extra 150 amps.

 

[Brandon_K]

I would have certainly gone the same route myself. Did you ask about 3 phase? I can't see the picture clear enough to see if you have all 3 phases going to your pole. Of course, that would have required a new can, in which case that would have made it much more costly than the route you took. Forget I asked, lol.

 

[bradleys]

Three phase power would have cost $8,000 for transformers and $30,000 to bring the extra two phases from a mile north of me. That's not too bad compared to the $116,000 that the phone company wanted to run DSL (although, in fairness, the phone guy ran the numbers "just for fun".)

The conduits are one 3" for mains power, one 1" for a backfeed of generator power via transfer switch to computers and electronics in the house, and two 2-1/2" for data, phone, TV, beer plumbing, or whatever. We were originally going to only run one 2-1/2", with the other 2-1/2" for mains power. The power company changed their requirement to the 3", and we had room in the trench, so we just left the extra 2-1/2".

 

[TRC51]

#2 URD goes through 2" really well.... even reasonably well on the 90's. Cat 5 and phone would be better through 1/5" instead of 1", but it worked. Hopefully I won't be touching that one again.

THanks for the help guys.