Question for someone smarter than me

[zero2080]

OK Im running service to my newly built garage. The cable is 2-2-2-4 direct burial I would like to run it straight into my basement underground. I was thinking drilling out block installing electrical PVC through block, cement around to seal pvc then silicon inside conduit to seal around cable. My question is does this pass code? Also can I run it straight to my main panel once in the basement not in conduit?

 

[D KRAGER]

Once in your basement it needs to stay in conduit all the way to the breaker panel.

 

[zero2080]

Thanks for the response. So does that also mean my main service entrance cable as well has to be in conduit inside the house? Why is this if its ok to be in wet conditions but not inside the home uncovered? So how would you do this run 2" pvc conduit through block over to the panel? Or is there another methed. Thanks for your help.

 

[D KRAGER]

Well unless there is another coating around the individual wires (kind of like romex) is should be in conduit. The reason being that it could get damaged by someone driving a nail pinching it ect. When the cable is in the ground, nothing can damage it.

 

[D KRAGER]

Yea just run some 2" conduit from were it comes in over to the breaker panel.

 

[BillK]

zero,
Unless the ground is extremely dry in your area, or you dont care about moisture getting into the basement, I personally would not run the cable through the block wall below ground level. It is almost impossible to totally waterproof it for the long run. I would run it underground up to the house then come up the wall in conduit and into the basement above ground level.

Just my opinion,

 

[John Dillinger]

I am a electrician by trade and I DO NOT USE DIRECT BURIAL CABLE FOR ANY PURPOSE. No more than what it costs direct burial in PVC is the only way to go. Ask your self what am I going to do in 10 years when the direct burial cable goes bad and I have to dig up the yard to replace it. With conduit and wire just pull it out and pull new in. As for what to do in the basement use 4 wire SE cable and set a junction box and some rated split bolts / Burndys with Pentrox and tighten them up like there is no tomarrow then cover them with 1 rap of backwards 88 or 33 some 130C and then more 88 or 33 applied the regular way and you will be fine.
JD

 

[tcianci]

Nyaaa! Nyaaa! I read your question anyway, even though I'm not smarter than you!

 

[bimmer1980]

I'm not an electrician, but it was fairly easy to run 2" conduit for my new sub panel in the garage.... here are some pics of where the conduit enters the basement wall and ties into the mail electrical panel.....

pulling 4 conductors of 2# copper was a one man job. It was far easier than I thought it was going to be....

running the conduit under the driveway--a royal pain.... but that's covered in a different thread...

also, don't forget a second conduit run for the future.....

best of luck!

 

[r4sberg]

I purchase the direct burial too after being advised from some guy at the Home Depot. At the time it was significantly cheaper than copper. The HD guy also told me I could run it through my crawl space without conduit. Well, after finding out the lie about conduit I took the wire back to Home Depot, they gladly refunded my money. For about $40 more I bought 100' of copper to do the job. The copper was so much easier to work with and I am so much more comfortable knowing there is copper underneath my be at night, not direct burial aluminum!