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So, after some research, I decided to go with a double pole 60amp on my main panel with a #6-3 wire to feed my sub panel on a detached shed. The shed is 70 feet away.

MY question is, someone said to use URD rated and another said UF rated. As far as I am concerned, UF is not supposed to be in conduit while URD is.

I also thought wires that size already are stranded wire and not solid? while UF rated is solid?

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  • Are there any other markings on the URD cable? If not, NEC would not allow you to use it. If you're not covered by NEC, then check with the manufacturer of the cable to determine if it's rated for direct burial. – Tester101 Dec 12 '17 at 13:42
  • so I have not bought the cable yet. I halted when i found out when they said buy #6 URD rated and someone else said buy #6 UF rated. not sure if it was a mistake on their end and they meant URD rated – willcha65 Dec 12 '17 at 13:46
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    The consensus around here is to always use conduit. That way you only have to dig the trench once. Though I think a lot of the users come from the tech industry, so they prize efficiency over cost (or most anything else). If you want to use conduit, check the price of installing individual conductors rather than cable. Keep in mind that you're going to have to size the conduit based on the cable, which could force you to use larger conduit than if you ran individual conductors. Also, pulling cable through conduit is hard, so keep that in mind. – Tester101 Dec 12 '17 at 17:20
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    @willcha65 regarding the UF designation, think NMB that is rated for direct bury, no paper liner and full fill plastic jacket. If you are going to install a conduit, single strand conductor is the only way to go. (who wants to pull a cable through a conduit.) And the less expensive THHN insulated conductor is multi rated and is approved for your situation. – Paul Logan Dec 12 '17 at 19:56
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    UF is a cable, which has several wires bundled together and wrapped in a sheath. It is very stiff. THWN is a wire, and a single conductor, and quite flexible. It's perfectly legal to use a cable in conduit or raceway where wires are legal, but it'll be like wrestling a snake. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Dec 12 '17 at 22:23

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