Electric Cable Depths In Ground
Wiring in pvc conduit must have at least.
Electric cable depths in ground. In this diy guide you will learn about the required depths that utility supply pipes and cables such as water pipes gas pipes and electrical supply cables need to be buried to in order to reduce the risk of damage when excavating and digging in the ground. If your cables are operating a 120 volt circuit protected by a circuit breaker rated at 20 amps or less and have a ground fault circuit interrupter to protect the underground segment of the cable you may reduce the burial depth of your cables. Underground cable for running electrical power to a remote location can be installed at different depths depending on the type of conduit and type of wire used. Electrical cable depth options.
Underground electrical cable burial depths building safety division. Residential electrical code examples for underground. Decide how much digging you re prepared to do which determines the type of wire you need to use. The generally applicable depth is 12 inches or you can reduce it to 6 inches if you protect the.
To the point of termination above ground. The national electric code nec sets the required burial depth of electric wire in rigid non metallic conduit such as pvc at 18 inches. Uf cable can be direct buried without conduit with a minimum of 24 inches of earth cover. Wiring buried inside rigid metal rmc or intermediate metal imc conduit must have at least 6 inches of earth cover.
Underground utility depths for water gas and electricity supply pipes and cables. In order to protect the public and prevent damage to underground electrical infrastructure the california electrical code prescribes burial depths for underground cable wire installations. Type uf cable is the most commonly used nonmetallic cable for residential outdoor wiring runs. This table shows the minimum depths to top of apparatus a within the diagram above minimum apparatus depth unmade ground verges and footway mm carriageway road mm agricultural mm lv cables 450 600 1000 11kv cables 600 750 1000 33kv cables 800 900 1100.
Electrical wire encased in pvc conduit. National electrical code nec 300 5 generally cables approved for direct burial shall have a minimum cover of 24 inches. The national electrical code nec recommends a maximum voltage drop of 3 percent for individual household circuits known as branch circuits this is a good goal to shoot for when sizing the conductors for an underground cable the following are the maximum lengths of cable you can use while still maintaining a 3 percent voltage drop for the given wire size awg and. Sizing the conductors.
Burial depths vary depending on the location and type of conductors installed. Keep in mind though that any uf cable used in above ground applications should be run through conduit where it can be damaged. The greater of the depths required.