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Old 08-30-2021, 09:01 AM   #1
rws262
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New 50 amp shore power

Installing a 50 amp receptacle off of an existing breaker box at the farm. Already has 50 amp power, but the run is 220 feet.

I've done a receptacle before but it was 10 feet off the box.

What wire would be recommended for such a long run? Aluminum or copper, direct burial or in conduit.

Any help is appreciated.
 
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Old 08-30-2021, 09:17 AM   #2
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I would run copper but it is very expensive right now. I think prices will come down. Aluminum will work. I ran standard wire to my camper over a hundred yards not under ground without conduit over 20 years ago. Just be careful to not get any rocks near it. A crosstie plant near us never uses underground wire with all the extreme use it gets with tractor trailers and big fork trucks that can carry a tractor trailer.
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Old 08-30-2021, 09:49 AM   #3
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For that length I would run #2 URD. It's a bear to wire to the outlet in the box, but you shouldnt have any issues with power. I just ran 130 ft for our 5th wheel, went with #2 because they were out of #4.
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Old 08-30-2021, 10:34 AM   #4
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Can you run it overhead in free air?


Aluminum Quadruplex aerial cable can be ran much, much cheaper than copper under ground.
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Old 08-30-2021, 10:39 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Creeker View Post
Can you run it overhead in free air?


Aluminum Quadruplex aerial cable can be ran much, much cheaper than copper under ground.
Yes you can run it over head. I'm not sure of the price of Ariel cable, the kind I used was aluminum.
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Old 08-30-2021, 01:39 PM   #6
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I ran aerial aluminum cable from my home place to a mobile home, or make that a trailer one time. The country said I needed a permit that they wouldn’t give me and I said I didn’t need anything so I ran the cable underground. Worked fine for 10 years until I build my present home 45 years ago.
Never did like someone telling me what I could do. It’s like what do you mean I can’t, I just did it.
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Old 08-30-2021, 02:10 PM   #7
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At 220’ you can use #4 copper or #2 Aluminum, I’d go underground PVC conduit. Any longer you would need to upsize the wire.
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Old 08-30-2021, 06:06 PM   #8
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Old 08-30-2021, 08:11 PM   #9
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Lots of good information on the WEB. I have just put in a 60amp sub panel using #6 wire with a 90’ run. 110/120 volt requires big wires especially over long distances. I think code say that anything over 100’ you have to upsize the cable. Might have to double that at over 200 feet. Last thing you need is lots of voltage drop. If you do go underground with conduit make sure your wire is rated THWN although my wire came rated THWN and THHN. If you look up the amperage in NEC you can usually find what size conduit, wire size for that distance and also ground cable size etc.
Good luck, be safe and get a permit or even hire an electrician.����

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Old 08-31-2021, 04:13 AM   #10
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My electrician is coming today to get started on 140’ underground of 2” conduit. I think he plans to use #4 aluminum. I am also dropping my overhead primary to underground. It’s only 54’ but it crosses my driveway. The first time I brought the Montana home I discovered I could not safely clear the line. I concreted a temporary pole to prop it up until I could get it changed to underground. Looking forward to taking my temp pole down.
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Old 09-01-2021, 08:29 AM   #11
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A lot of good replies. When buying copper wire, I've got 6 gauge for the two hots, but is it possible to use smaller wire for the neutral or ground?
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Old 09-01-2021, 10:23 AM   #12
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The neutral should be the same size as the hots. The neutral could possibly carry as little as zero amps (even if the hots are carrying full amps) to as much as the full rated current of one hot (if one hot was pulling max amps and the other hot pulling zero amps). That is a characteristic of split phase 120/240 vac power.

The ground can be smaller but I don’t remember the rule for sizing it.

6 ga is small for that distance. You could have a drop of over 5 volts at 25 amps or over 10 volts at 50 amps according to one voltage drop calculator I looked at.
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Old 09-01-2021, 10:47 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by BB_TX View Post
The neutral should be the same size as the hots. The neutral could possibly carry as little as zero amps (even if the hots are carrying full amps) to as much as the full rated current of one hot (if one hot was pulling max amps and the other hot pulling zero amps). That is a characteristic of split phase 120/240 vac power.

The ground can be smaller but I don’t remember the rule for sizing it.

6 ga is small for that distance. You could have a drop of over 5 volts at 25 amps or over 10 volts at 50 amps according to one voltage drop calculator I looked at.
Thanks for the response! I should have clarified that my run got a lot shorter and is now under 100'.
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Old 09-02-2021, 02:52 PM   #14
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One school of thought..Have enough service for someone to stay over, but not enough to stay LOL


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Old 09-05-2021, 06:37 PM   #15
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50 amp shore power

I checked with the electrical codes for my county and it said I needed to tun #4 copper in electrical pvc underground. This was about 25 years ago
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Old 09-05-2021, 09:45 PM   #16
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I checked the current NEC and you will need a minimum of 3 conductors, #8 THHN (#6 THHW is adequate). The underground conduit is 1.5” PVC schedule 40. The ground size is #10. I recommend installing an outdoor unfused disconnect ahead and next to the outlet (because of the distance from the panel breaker, an inexpensive plastic HVAC type will do).
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Old 09-06-2021, 03:53 AM   #17
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Hire a licensed electrician. 😳
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Old 09-06-2021, 07:29 AM   #18
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I would run 3 wire to the pedestal and set ground rods at the pedestal for the ground. It may be less expensive and it is permissible to do so.
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Old 09-06-2021, 08:02 AM   #19
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That's how I did mine, three wires from the breaker panel inside to my outside post and installed ground rods around the post. Because it was cheaper, I installed a breaker just before the 50 amp socket.
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Old 09-06-2021, 08:16 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pitman44 View Post
I would run 3 wire to the pedestal and set ground rods at the pedestal for the ground. It may be less expensive and it is permissible to do so.
I recently had a detached garage/shop building built and that is how the electrician ran the new wiring to it. Required a city permit and inspections so I could not do it myself.
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