Making electrical wire longer

[grsthegreat]

If its not a driveway, you can use simple bury boxes.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Not allowed, use a box.

However, all bets are off for my dad.

 

[WranglerX]

I'm not sure you can use wire nuts on 2 AWG THHN proper connection would be a butt splice crimp connection.

THis post was edited to say use split bolts and rubber tape and plastic tape instead of wire nuts........

 

[WinterDeere]

If its not a driveway, you can use simple bury boxes.

View attachment 2178918

Those boxes shown in the first attachment / two images are solid, but the green one is for irrigation only.

You might want to check code requirements on these direct burial boxes, first to see if they're only for pass-thru and service loops, and second to see what type of splicing hardware is allowed if they are used for splicing.

I have two direct burial boxes, the same model as that beige one shown in the top right of @grsthegreat's image, one for low voltage and the other is line voltage. They were installed under prior ownership, and the prior guy was very not DIY, he had pro's do 100% of the work on this house. But the splices all corroded pretty badly over the course of 20 years.

Whatever electrician set the boxes just had them in dirt, and did a terrible job with the install overall. Inside was a total rat's nest, and the boxes were both cock-eyed and full of mud. So I dug them out, dug a large well around and below them, filled the well with 2B crushed stone for maximum drainage, re-set the boxes, and then re-did all the connections with wet-location splices. All wires got traced and labeled, while I was at it. Hopefully that lasts more than 20 years, but we will see.

 

[grsthegreat]

Those green boxes are actually rated for electrical also…not sure about one in photo, but i have used them in past my electrical house sells them. Lid says electrical imprinted on it. They also sell traffic rated concrete ones.

 

[Drstrangeglove]

I would never put a splice underground. Unless it fiber optics. I have been in telco for nearly 40 years and have never seen a splice be waterproof. If it's below ground, it will get water in it.

 

[grsthegreat]

Well, ive done underground splices for over 30 years….never had a call back. Even the utility companies here do them, no issues.

 

[DarkBlack]

As far as I know it has to be in a box. Unless this will work?

View attachment 2178915

That’s funny

 

[newbury]

I would never put a splice underground. Unless it fiber optics. I have been in telco for nearly 40 years and have never seen a splice be waterproof. If it's below ground, it will get water in it.

Well, ive done underground splices for over 30 years….never had a call back. Even the utility companies here do them, no issues.

Could the difference be in climate? Alabama versus North Idaho?

 

[DarkBlack]

I need to reroute an electrical conduit and will end up making it 2 or 3 feet longer. I hate to replace 4 wires that are 65' long with ones that are 68' long. Is it legal (as in code compliant) to use a crimper to join 2 wires in a butt splice if they are inside a conduit? Amazon has a 10 ton barrel crimper that I would use and these wires are #2 THHN. The splices would be staggered so they're not all in the same place in the conduit.

Note: To replace the wire is about $1k, the crimper and splice barrels are about $50 which is what prompts this question.

If you really only need 2-3’ feet longer, that should locate your extension connection short end, either in your supply panel, or your downstream panel or box.

Normally you would have a couple feet of excess on both ends for making nice sweeping turns into your terminations. If you make your wire turn radius to the minimum allowed, into the smaller of the two panels, this should easily place the other end of the cable within the larger panel box, where you can do your extension connection within your panel.
If not, because you’re actually more than 2-3’ short, then you can add a sub panel next to your main, for a lot less than $1k.
I don’t understand this talk of underground splicing, it’s not like the length issue is going to end up , midway,underground.