150' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

[mountain_man]

150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

Have an existing horse barn about 150' from the house. Will be using a backhoe to dig a trench about 5' deep to get below the frost line for water.

Since I only want to do this once, can anyone provide generally accepted code separation distances for the following (all in the same trench)? Or should I be considering separate trenches?

-water
-electric (100 amp service)
-phone (2 lines - any advice on wire gauge?)
-and possibly a natural gas line - low pressure (future heating).
-I'll probably run some RG-6 for future camera/CATV and probably an extra conduit as well (future cat5? or MM fiber).

Any advice appreciated. Thanks

 

[Egon]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone

Codes may vary from locality to locality.

Best to talk to the local inspector when you are applying for permits or such like.

Egon

 

[JohnMiller3]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( …Have an existing horse barn about 150' from the house. Will be using a backhoe to dig a trench about 5' deep… -I'll probably run some RG-6 for future camera/CATV and probably an extra conduit as well (future cat5? or MM fiber)…

-electric (100 amp service)… )</font>

Wow… that’s some hi-tech barn you’ve got there… CAT 5 and optic fibers… /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Building codes will vary, but mostly low wiring trenches are down ~ 18”-24”, some with high current / low current lines separate placement (phone line vs. 120 vac electric line)… and of course water lines below the frost line ~ 48”…

Instead of buying the more expensive “underground” electric cable… why not string that line on a pole (150’ short run) and besides being “open air cooled” for smaller gauge wire and go to 150-200 amp service… (mount at the highest point of poles),

...and buy a combo RG6/Cat5/Phone cable and mount low on the pole(s)

...and leave the trench for the water/gas lines according to your local code...

But, get some advise on the local code to prevent digging it back up… or worse... “shock” …/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

I was going to do the same thing when it was suggested to me that if you have to work on any one line, you need to dig up everything. After 10 years underground it gets confusing and when you add vegitation, it gets dificult to seperate what is what.

For example, your water line breaks, you have to dig it up, but you also have power and other wires to deal with during the repair.

In my area of Texas I have no codes, I can legally build anything I want on my land. I'm seperating water from power by the width of a dirt road.

Good Luck,
Eddie

 

[avorancher]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

Just did it out here in Southern Cal. (where the regulators have regulators). I had to dig two 600ft. trenches, one for the water and another for the wiring. High voltage and low voltage lines had to have separate conduit also they share the same ditch. No frost out here, so I only had to go 18" to 24" deep.

I decided to put in a couple junction boxes for the electric so I could tap into it and troubleshoot if needed. Watch out for the total length of your cat5 run... I think it is about 300 ft. before requiring repeaters (includes all the inside wiring length also which can add up fast)

 

[mountain_man]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

Thanks for the info. Of course I'll be checking with local code inspectors, I just wanted to get an idea of what was common. Above ground pole(s) are not an option due to esthetics (wifey says NO WAY). It looks like I'll likely be digging two trenches - one trench at 5' for water and gas (both buried at same depth for future digging up), the other trench at 2' for power and low voltage lines. When (an if) I do consider data, the Cat5 limit is 100 meters (300' + patch cables), however differing ground potentials (and lightning strikes) are more of an issue (affecting data and equipment) than length (mm fiber doesn't have the problem).

Can you tell me, how far apart were the two trenches? How far apart were the high voltage and low voltage lines? What was your water pressure and what kind of water line did you use. Appreciate the help.

 

[cowboydoc]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

I sure do agree with your wife about overhead lines. Way too easy to catch something on and they seem to have problems alot more than underground lines do. Not to mention they are alot safer as well. My best friend was killed in high school when he lifted up an irrigation pipe and hit an overhead line.

 

[Egon]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone

Buried sure does look better.

Grain augers have hit a few overhead lines too.

Egon

 

[Currmudgeon]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

I think the two trenches are a good idea. I like to bury electrical with 30 inches of cover.

If you can afford it, consider adding an empty conduit or two to the trench. Then it's easy to pull in new conductors or some new telecom gagetry that hasn't been invented yet.

 

[PaulT]

Re: 150\' trench House to Barn water-electric-phone-gas

Two things to consider in addition to all the other good ideas.

1 - Around here a gas line must be in a sand lined trench to keep the rocks from piercing the line. It must be inspected.

2 - I am building a barn, and I believe I will only pull RG6 direct burial cable, and put another cable modem in the barn. This eliminates the need for CAT5, which will be a pain when one pair goes bad down the road. Of course, this solution only works if you are on a cable modem connection /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

BTW, are there any issues to contend with regarding ground potential differences when running TV cable with HS internet 300 ft away and about 25 ft higher in elevation?