Running electrical under ground

[MeNeedGarage]

I'm running electrical underground to my shop. The run will be approximately 300 '.

Is there any way to identify where my PVC sprinkler pipes are in the ground, so I can avoid cutting them and fixing them ?

 

[Cyberbear]

Running a 300" electrical conduit will require compensation for voltage drop. It may take some sophisticated equipment to find buried PVC, or use a metal rod to probe for the PVC pipe. What size conduit and wire?

 

[pyro3256]

you can try Dowsing. thats a long run! need to figure up your total expected amp load and the size your wire.

 

[rockwithjason]

Careful digging is the only way most people can do it. I have had some luck with dowsing. On new installs i bury a copper wire along with any line so i can locate it later

 

[Jinks]

Not really difficult. I use a metal probe along the route of the sprinkler line. Takes a few minutes to touch the pipe, then a few more probes along the pipe to be sure, or dig a small section up around the first contact.

 

[MeNeedGarage]

I'm getting help in figuring out all the electrical stuff. I'm only doing this one time so it has to be right. Between my electrical company and my electrician I'm sure they will be able to help me with the right answer. The guy from the electrical company seemed to be interested in working with my electrician to determine the maximum load. He said as if I was to turn everything on in the shop at once. I told him I wouldn't do that. He said he needs worse case scenario. Why would he be so interested in working with my electrician rather than me? I'm the one that know's whats going to be in my shop. Possibly me over thinking again.

 

[matt_i]

The power company has one main interest, they want to provide every electron you can use.

Obviously they want that for everyone, so there is some additive "demand" you are adding.

Next, they have to make sure the transformer you have at the street or pole can keep up with that demand, it costs them mega money to upgrade a transformer if that's needed but they want to incrementally pay back their investment in increased power sales over time.

Also, depending on region, the power company is likely responsible for the wiring going overhead or underground up to your meter base as well. So they need a max amperage draw to see if those conductors are correctly sized.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

OP- we need more info about your electrical feed to the shop.

Is the shop gonna have its own meter or are u doing a feed off of a house service panel??

 

[PeterT]

Depending on your soil, digging can really ****. I have 5 inches of topsoil than the hardest, ugliest clay earth you've ever seen and you literally need a pick axe 6 inches down and its slow digging.

I rented a trencher, cost me $100 worked great, when 24" down.

 

[Slowgsr]

Depending on your soil, digging can really ****. I have 5 inches of topsoil than the hardest, ugliest clay earth you've ever seen and you literally need a pick axe 6 inches down and its slow digging.

I rented a trencher, cost me $100 worked great, when 24" down.

The only trench I've ever dug by hand was on my own property. Only 150' to my shop, gas, hydro, water and communication. I had an apprentice help me on a holiday.

Shoulda gone to the shop and picked up the mini or the small trencher but I was feeling ambitious. Never again.

 

[volleyball]

I say just dig the hole and have some pvc pipe and couplers ready for a repair. Maybe you will get lucky and not break the pipe.

 

[slice]

Had same problem. Ran trencher thru sprinkler lines. They were cheap and easy to fix. Vs trying to find them.

 

[MeNeedGarage]

The pole has a transformer on it that is 75 KVA. The shop will have it's own meter, and a 200 Amp panel.

 

[theoldwizard1]

... The guy from the electrical company seemed to be interested in working with my electrician to determine the maximum load. He said as if I was to turn everything on in the shop at once. I told him I wouldn't do that.

The power company has one main interest, they want to provide every electron you can use.

Most "one man" home shops can work well on 60A feed from your house. The exception to that would be if you have two or more guys working at the same time. In a wood shop, you are likely to have a table saw and a dust collector running at the same time, but you won't running much of anything else. For metal work, a plasma cutter is usually the big load, because you have to run the compressor at the same time.

A/C is the big "gotcha". I always tell people you can turn off the A/C for the 15 minutes you are welding or plasma cutting. If it gets too hot, stop working and turn on the A/C !

 

[theoldwizard1]

The pole has a transformer on it that is 75 KVA. The shop will have it's own meter, and a 200 Amp panel.

Missed this. Your covered !

 

[Norcal]

You in PG&E, or SMUD, territory? I take this to be the PoCo feed, & you have to meet their standards, PG&E follows EUSERC standards & suspect that SMUD does also, get a copy of SMUD's requirements, or PG&E's greenbook, which is also avail online at www.pge.com . EUSERC requires a minimum of 3" conduit for underground services, even if it was 100 ampere.

For those who don't know, PG&E, Pacific Gas & Electric, (Pacific Graft & Extortion), SMUD, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, EUSERC, Electric Utility Service Equipment Requirements Committee. SMUD is a member according to EUSERC's website.

 

[pstnbly]

I'm getting help in figuring out all the electrical stuff. I'm only doing this one time so it has to be right. Between my electrical company and my electrician I'm sure they will be able to help me with the right answer. The guy from the electrical company seemed to be interested in working with my electrician to determine the maximum load. He said as if I was to turn everything on in the shop at once. I told him I wouldn't do that. He said he needs worse case scenario. Why would he be so interested in working with my electrician rather than me? I'm the one that know's whats going to be in my shop. Possibly me over thinking again.

No residential shop is calculated on "total load" that would be ridiculous. If I calculated my shop on "total load" it would be over 500 amps probably. I'm working from a 100 amp sub panel and never even get close to that.

 

[MeNeedGarage]

You in PG&E, or SMUD, territory? I take this to be the PoCo feed, & you have to meet their standards, PG&E follows EUSERC standards & suspect that SMUD does also, get a copy of SMUD's requirements, or PG&E's greenbook, which is also avail online at www.pge.com . EUSERC requires a minimum of 3" conduit for underground services, even if it was 100 ampere.

For those who don't know, PG&E, Pacific Gas & Electric, (Pacific Graft & Extortion), SMUD, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, EUSERC, Electric Utility Service Equipment Requirements Committee. SMUD is a member according to EUSERC's website.

Thank you. I have mud. The technician left me a SMUD manual that he said was their Bible. I would guess everything is in it.

Allen

 

[wyliesdiesels]

The pole has a transformer on it that is 75 KVA. The shop will have it's own meter, and a 200 Amp panel.

Thats huge for residential! How many customers are on this transformer?

 

[MeNeedGarage]

Thats huge for residential! How many customers are on this transformer?

Just my house!

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Damn! Thats WAY overkill!! Do u have an all electric house?

A house I use to live in had a 37.5Kva trany feeding 6 houses and the lineman from the PoCo said it was very large for the load...

 

[DC73]

I'm running electrical underground to my shop. The run will be approximately 300 '.

Is there any way to identify where my PVC sprinkler pipes are in the ground, so I can avoid cutting them and fixing them ?

You could hire a ditching contractor with a boring machine. They could drill a hole below the depth of the sprinkler lines and install a conduit in the hole. Another benefit of this method is there is no ditch to cave in later and no landscaping to repair. The drawback is cost, probably about $10 per foot.

As mentioned, you could also just go ahead and trench and then repair any cut lines later. If you go this route, I'd test the sprinkler system before covering up the ditch as it'll be easier to find the cut lines.

DC