This is my power line trench from my house to new garage…yes the BX25D is a pain with having to keep turning the seat but the back saving work it did was more than worth a little annoyance. Just a memory now…
How to dig a trench
- Thread starter Chris11
- Start date
OK, where's the rocks, boulders and tree roots in YOUR soil ???? lol.
Nice job !!
On the next 'big dig', try the 'push forward using BH' technique. Yes, there is a learning curve,but it's faster than twirling the seat around, and around and around and.......
Nice job !!
On the next 'big dig', try the 'push forward using BH' technique. Yes, there is a learning curve,but it's faster than twirling the seat around, and around and around and.......
Mostly SANDY on my property…I failed to mention (as I forgot) I had used my ripper tooth with trenching attachment. Had to zoom my backhoe to see it…that was a product from BRO-TEK. Still have it but have not used it since that day in August 2014.
I'm hoping you put the wire in conduit...just in case......
the 'soil' is 'funny' here..
I have GREAT 'dirt'...zero stones or rocks...
Guy 1/4 mile south east away has pits of coarse sand
His neighbour, literally 1000' west, ROCKS, boulders, stones,
pretty sure that's where one of the glaciers 'made a delivery'.....
the 'soil' is 'funny' here..
I have GREAT 'dirt'...zero stones or rocks...
Guy 1/4 mile south east away has pits of coarse sand
His neighbour, literally 1000' west, ROCKS, boulders, stones,
pretty sure that's where one of the glaciers 'made a delivery'.....
No conduit. Direct burial wire (brother is a master electrician).
nbryan
Well-known member
Equipment
B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
I'm no electrician but have been watching some threads on other venues about this, as I buried a "direct burial" rated CAT6 cable inside a 1" poly pipe across our yard, only about 12" deep. It's low voltage and replaceable so not worried about future damage from unaware digging.
It's been 1 1/2 years and no issues.
But those forums brought up things like pipe being a water magnet, they'll eventually fill at a low spot just from condensation over time without any leaks even. Is it better to have thedata cable against soil not inside a possibly, or even likely, tube full of water?
I ALWAYS recommend conduit. (Pipe). Your underground cable will always be sitting in water, whether it is in pipe or not. Ground water is always there. The wire / cables underground rated insulation protects it from water. Conduit serves two essential purposes. Physical protection, and makes the wire or cable easily replaced if it ever fails, without having to re-dig anything. There is absolutely no downside to installing conduit.
I agree with the two purposes served, however one downside is cost!
NO groundwater around my house/garage. We have very good drainage with very SANDY SOIL, DRY BASEMENT with house on a hill well above any groundwater. Conduit is not necessary in my scenario.
Lil Foot
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
When I installed the power line to my house the inspector requested, but did not require, that I run it in conduit. His reasoning was that any large rocks could damage the cable if they were dropped back into the trench during back fill. I chose to cover the cable in sand and used care to not put any large rocks near the cable when I closed the trench. My reason for not using conduit was that the cable would stay cooler in the ground and have less voltage drop. It is a 650 foot run from the transformer on the pole to the service entrance on my house. It has been over 30 years and I have not had any problems with that cable.
I never said it was a requirement. The NEC allows for direct burial cable, and therefore, is adequate. However, the NEC also allows for aluminum conductors, and I always advise against those, too. To each their own. I'm glad you are happy with your installation.
fried1765
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Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
I have done three direct burial installations for myself (one inspected, two not).
All were done with copper cable.
One is 40 years old, two are 30 years old.
I do not use aluminum wire for electricity....anywhere!
If doing the work today, I would probably use conduit.
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The service wire coming into a new home is always in conduit. Folks think the conduit keeps dry on the inside. Look at the power pole where the conduit originates, it's open. Over time that line will have water in it.
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It's not about the groundwater. It's about protecting the line, and being able to replace it, with no digging, if needed.
And, in some cases, it's about adding a [fill in the blank] someday in that second empty conduit you ran.
A neighbour down the road listened to me. I said' might be a good idea to to toss in some extra conduit' when he was getting 200A serice(required for EV ). I was kinda surprised to see FOUR conduits next day !
4" for 200A, 2" for cable, 2" for fibre AND 4" for future 3 phase power !
He decided cost of conduit, even if he never used it was a LOT cheaper than than having to cut and dig up his new paved driveway.
BTW local code requires hydro feeds to run down the service pole, into a sand pit, through 4" horizontal conduit,4' deep, into another sandpit,then up wall to meter base at 'eye level'. Sure makes it easy to dig trenches.
4" for 200A, 2" for cable, 2" for fibre AND 4" for future 3 phase power !
He decided cost of conduit, even if he never used it was a LOT cheaper than than having to cut and dig up his new paved driveway.
BTW local code requires hydro feeds to run down the service pole, into a sand pit, through 4" horizontal conduit,4' deep, into another sandpit,then up wall to meter base at 'eye level'. Sure makes it easy to dig trenches.
fried1765
Well-known member
Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
"Sand pit" at each end, because it is assumed the conduit is likely to collect water at some point?
Of course conduit collects water. I can't stress this enough- don't get hung up on wire "sitting in water". It doesn't hurt it, at all. Wire is designed to sit in water. Our huge cable vaults at our power plant have thousands of wires in them, each carrying 6900 volts, are COMPLETELY FULL of ground water at all times, with zero issues. The vaults are 15 feet underground, in Florida where our water table is average 2 feet below grade. Water doesn't damage wire. Shovels and backhoes do.
One thing I did not see mentioned is preserving the topsoil (although not in this case). By digging up just the top soil and setting it to one side of the trench and setting the subsoil on the other side of the trench you can keep plants growing in topsoil into the future. If your topsoil is 18" deep dig down about 18" to get the topsoil off then remove the subsoil. When the color changes you are past the topsoil. This preserves your organic matter If your topsoil is 12 feet deep there is no concern about cross contamination.