46
votes
Accepted
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
You got a bad roll of the dice. Very good ideas and attempts that would work in more normal soil conditions. The problem is, if you continue then you will likely undermine the soil because that small ...
- 5,739
33
votes
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
Change your wiring method
You started with non-metallic jacketed cable, requiring 500mm of cover. That's similar to the US where cover must be 24" for that type of cable.
However, the US has other ...
30
votes
How do I place electrical conduit under a creek?
Just grab a shovel and have a go at it.
Seriously, given that we're talking about a mere 4 feet (and a bit) and 24 inches aren't that deep either, I can't imagine it being worth the hassle to bring a ...
- 2,367
23
votes
Accepted
Does it matter if my underground conduit overlaps or crosses over existing conduits?
Crossing existing utilities is no problem; it happens all the time. Just be careful when digging. There is probably a prescribed margin to either side of the marks within which digging must be done ...
- 32.1k
20
votes
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
Too narrow to be practical in soil with normal obstacles.
Some may advise renting machinery, though most typical "trenchers" are likely to have an expensive "oops" when they meet your buried debris. ...
- 223k
16
votes
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
I have dug hundreds of trench’s in my life and never seen one so narrow , wow. I use a narrow spade maybe 6” to 8” or . 2 meters wide to go down 18” max, and a full width of 10” or .25m wide to go ...
- 103k
14
votes
How do I place electrical conduit under a creek?
Sounds like the first thing you need to do is get out there and dig a test hole. Find out what the subsurface soil is like, just how high is the ground water, and just how quickly does a hole refill ...
- 32.1k
13
votes
Accepted
Can you bury coax internet cables above power cables?
Many of your questions are moot as the power company will most likely come, trench to the depth they want. Put the box needed where they want it. ( For some corporate legal reasons it shouldn't go on ...
- 38.8k
11
votes
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
Having done this to pull 40A 220v back to my workshop, you're digging too narrow a trench. Get a shovel out and dig the trench at least the shovel-width. You're going to want to go down at least 18&...
- 111
10
votes
What do I use for backfilling septic pipe leaving my home?
I'd use pea gravel, sand, or flowable fill. You want to avoid settling which could cause stress on the pipe and possibly break it or cause it to leak. So fill materials that need little to no ...
- 23.5k
9
votes
Does it matter if my underground conduit overlaps or crosses over existing conduits?
You can put your new underground line at that location. Where it may get tough is the depth of the trench: if the existing lines are just at 18 or 24”, depending on your run. If you are using UF you ...
- 103k
9
votes
Does a water-filled trench protect against freezing?
If the pipe is at the bottom of the trench, the water above will protect it from freezing to some extent. You see the same effect in a shallow pond, where the surface freezes first and the lowest ...
- 1,027
8
votes
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
My answer assumes you are certain there's nothing significant or structural buried under there and it's just backfilled with construction waste over the years. As a kid I dug my fair share of trenches ...
- 89
8
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Appropriate conduit for several data cables underground over 300' run
Speaking as someone who does a LOT of data cables...
Pray to your deity of choice regarding (lack of) lightning nearby. The extent to which I prefer fiber optic for outside data runs is influenced by ...
- 223k
8
votes
How do I place electrical conduit under a creek?
One option that may make this much easier is to hire a local horizontal directional drilling company who can drill and then pull a conduit under the creek.
- 23.5k
7
votes
How to backfill trench under slab in Los Angeles
You need to use a tamper and tamp each 6"-12" of fill as you go:
It is also important that you have a plan to tie the new concrete to the existing slab, to help prevent independent movement....
- 36.4k
6
votes
Appropriate conduit for several data cables underground over 300' run
The upside of data cables is there's no limit to how many you can run in one conduit -- no 310.15(b)(3) thermal current limits (PoE may change that), and no 225.30(D) limits on multiple circuits. ...
6
votes
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
Long way around?
There used to be something in your back yard. Maybe a number of somethings over the years; I understand people have lived in the UK for some time. Maybe your direct line to the ...
- 6,623
5
votes
Need for water pressure regulator when increasing supply line
The size of the line has no bearing on the pressure except under flow. You will get the same pressure from a 1/2" line or a 2" line when the flow is off.
When you are drawing water, however,...
- 23.5k
4
votes
How do I place electrical conduit under a creek?
You could do a "cut and cover".
Using plywood, make a roadbed for your backhoe to get to the dig site. Of course, you'll only need to do this for the portion of the journey that is soft ...
- 47.9k
4
votes
How do I place electrical conduit under a creek?
You could dig the trench in sections and use concrete forming cylinders, placed vertically, as trench plates.
These tubes can be lowered as you dig down, and pumped dry if water becomes problematic ...
- 16k
4
votes
Accepted
How do I place electrical conduit under a creek?
First, the conduit must be fully constructed end to end, signed off by inspector, backfilled and tamped before any wires are placed in the conduit. NEC 300.18.
People accustomed to Romex or direct ...
4
votes
How do I place electrical conduit under a creek?
Do the job in two parts. First, the left hand 2' of the creek. (The other half is identical).
Take some 18mm (3/4") plywood. Don't worry about waterproof material, it won't be there long enough ...
- 630
4
votes
Accepted
Running fiber between buildings. How to enter enter/exit building with proper bend radius?
For your stub from underground, use large-diameter sweeps instead of standard 90 degree bends. For ease of pulling think at least double your min. bend radius.
When entering the building, run the ...
- 7,200
4
votes
DWV vs Schedule 40
Neither Schedule 40 nor DWV rated pipe is required, in most instances, for gravity drainage of storm water. Thinner pipe with SDR ratings, commonly called "drain and sewer pipe", is ...
- 3,767
3
votes
How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office
I see your question is tagged UK, and I recently had power run to an outbuilding in the UK too. In my case, the work was notifiable under Part P, as it was the installation of a new circuit. I hired a ...
- 569
3
votes
What do I use for backfilling septic pipe leaving my home?
P2604.1 Trenching and Bedding
Where trenches are excavated such that the bottom of the trench forms the bed for the pipe, solid and continuous load-bearing support shall be provided between joints. ...
- 13.5k
3
votes
Keeping Large Channel Trench Drain Clear
If leaves are the only thing getting it it will take years to decades. Leaves decompose down to aobut 1/50th their volume. The usually problem with a drain is sand and dirt.
That said: The grate ...
- 3,759
3
votes
Does it matter if my underground conduit overlaps or crosses over existing conduits?
Some tips here on the types of utilities beneath those marks
Red is usually power, and the power company provides buried wires (not cable) in most cases. It will likely be 2/0 or 1/0 direct bury wire ...
- 25.7k
3
votes
Does a water-filled trench protect against freezing?
Depending on how the day and night temperatures go then that trench could freeze solid, but it may not.
One way to protect the pipe is to have water always flowing in it…
- 28.1k
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