Pole Building -- Electrical Question

[dcyrilc]

The transformer is about 500 to 600 feet away on the otherside of the property. see pic.

My recommendation would be to run either a 2" or 3" schedual 40 PVC conduit with an in gound pull box at the half way point. This allows you to size your wiring as needed. The pull box makes it easier to pull the cable. A second conduit would give you path for low voltage (Cat-5 or phone). Also, if you think you might ever want water in that area, it is a good time to run a future water pipe while you have the ditch open.

We run conduit for water, power, and low voltage to every building, even if we don't plan to use it at the time the ditch is dug. We eventually used every one of them. It sure beat digging another ditch later. We installed pull boxes every 100-150 feet wich gave us break off locations for future buildings as well. A pull line installed in the conduit with the cable easily allows additional cables to be added later if desired.

 

[dcyrilc]

Model T Ford which had a rather unfortunate accident in Washington D.C. (1922)!

The larger picture helped. In the small picture, it almost looked like it had front tracks. I see now it's the front wheels. Still a unique picture! I like it.

 

[BungeeII]

The larger picture helped. In the small picture, it almost looked like it had front tracks. I see now it's the front wheels. Still a unique picture! I like it.

I've always thought that was some strange tractor with tracks on a snowy path.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I'm building a pole buidling in about two months and plan on running electricity to it before next winter. Would #10 wire be as good as I need and should I run two wires? Here is some more information:

• I plan on dropping in additional breaker in the house fuse box and connecting the pole buidling to the house and putting in a small fuse box at the barn
• The buidling will be about 400 feet from my house
• I will run lights most of the time and a fan in the summer and maybe a tv/radio
• I will also run a compressor and possibly a small table saw and small hand tools and probably a charger for my tractor on occasions.
• No plan to hook up heater as I have a wood buring stove

Is this going to burn up the wires or my house or the barn?

My situation is similar to yours. I had a pole building built for me this last fall (30 by 48). I did a little write up with pictures (Pole building construction pictures). With respect to the electrical I decided right away to install a new (100A) service with a meter for my new building. I did this because I plan to put a 220 volt welder and other power drawing equipment. It cost about $8 a month to have a meter.

I had the engineer from our local power company come out and evaluate my needs. I had one power pole on my property near my house 400 feet from the transformer which was on the power line main run. It was 300 feet from that pole to my intended building. They decided that the existing transformer was too far from my new building, so they put in 3 new poles. They replaced the pole where the transformer currently was and took off the transformer. They replaced the pole by my house and put the transformer on it. And put in a pole close to where I was building my building. I guess poles must be cheap, because they did all this at no cost. Because of snow issues, I ran the power from the last pole underground to the building about a 50 run.

Anyway I did most of the electrical work with the help of a journeyman electrician friend of mine. In order to get the meter hooked up, I had to have the electrical inspected. I spend about $1,100 on the electrical materials (4 - 20A 110 circuits, 1 60A 220 and 1 30A 220 circuit).