American Locomotive
Well-known member
We're looking to run some power out to a barn - about 160 feet total run. Looking to do a 50A 240v service. So I'm thinking 6AWG copper or 2AWG aluminum wire would be appropriate. Unfortunately the home is a 1700s farm house, and the breaker panel is on the opposite side of the house that faces the barn. The basement is a rough-hewn-log and field-stone disaster, so running conduit throughout the basement would be a complete nightmare. Not impossible, but it would be very difficult.
So the plan was to do something like aluminum MHF to the barn, and then transition to 6-3 nm-b on either end with a junction box to simplify final connection. But then you need quite large boxes, the rather spendy connectors to make the copper-aluminum connection, and so on.
Then I remember reading something about "Teck cable" on here, and decided to look into it:
www.wireandcableyourway.com
So 6AWG copper, 3 conductor w/ground, pvc jacketed MC cable rated for direct burial. This cable appears to be able to do everything we want in a single run from the house to the barn. Yeah, it's about $1/foot more than aluminum options, but we completely eliminate the need for conduit, boxes, and expensive connectors to transition from different wire types. But we're basically talking an extra $160 to save tons of work and labor. Just one straight home run from the breaker panel to the barn...
...am I missing something? Is there any reason to NOT go this route?
So the plan was to do something like aluminum MHF to the barn, and then transition to 6-3 nm-b on either end with a junction box to simplify final connection. But then you need quite large boxes, the rather spendy connectors to make the copper-aluminum connection, and so on.
Then I remember reading something about "Teck cable" on here, and decided to look into it:
6-3C w/ Ground Type MC Cable, PVC Jacket, Interlocked Armor Power Cable
6-3C w/ Ground Type MC Cable, PVC Jacket, Interlocked Armor Power Cable
www.wireandcableyourway.com
So 6AWG copper, 3 conductor w/ground, pvc jacketed MC cable rated for direct burial. This cable appears to be able to do everything we want in a single run from the house to the barn. Yeah, it's about $1/foot more than aluminum options, but we completely eliminate the need for conduit, boxes, and expensive connectors to transition from different wire types. But we're basically talking an extra $160 to save tons of work and labor. Just one straight home run from the breaker panel to the barn...
...am I missing something? Is there any reason to NOT go this route?
