· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> Observatories Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) Achernar Postmaster Reged: 02/25/06 Loc: Mobile, Alabama, USA Re: Buried Extension chord? [Re: Magellan]       #5620657 - 01/13/13 12:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I advise against it, you would be a lot better off burying 3/4" or 1" PVC conduit and pulling #10 wire through it. Or you can use cable that is made for direct burial. Whatever wire you do use, make sure the insulation is rated for a wet location, because a buried conduit is always a wet location. They will fill with water, and some types of insulation degrade in the presence of water. An electrical cord is most definitely not made to withstand immersion in water. The upsized wire adds little to the cost, but reduces voltage drop that will occur when electrical power is sent for any real distance through wires. At the end, install a weather tight box with a CGCI outlet in it with a cover that snaps closed when you unplug the cord from it. Bury the conduit below frost depth as well, and consult your country's electrical codes to ensure a safe installation. Taras Post Extras:       SkipW sage Reged: 02/03/11 Loc: Oklahoma, USA Re: Buried Extension chord? [Re: Achernar]       #5623622 - 01/14/13 11:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   ^^^ What he said. Post Extras:       Brent Campbell sage Reged: 02/09/10 Loc: Olympia, WA Re: Buried Extension chord? [Re: SkipW]       #5625711 - 01/16/13 07:20 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Scary to use an electrical cord. Like the previous poster had said it would cost the same to do it right verses doing it wrong. Forget conduit the whole length, use conduit at the ends of the run with "sweeps" (Sections of PVC conduit with a flared end) with short pieces of conduit leading up to the outlet AND DIRECT BURIAL WIRE. Check the local codes but for the US I believe it has to be buried 24" below ground. Canada has different and much more strict codes so check with your local building departmet. Use a gfi outlet unless the circuit that you are tapping into already has one. It depends on the specific house if you can tap into an existing circuit or have to run a new one. If you don't know what to do then (professional) experienced help is the way to go- and its much cheaper than hospital visits. As for drilling holes. Any house can have a hole drilled into it. Its how you weatherproof the house afterwards that counts. If you are really concerned about drilling holes in the walls you can simply dig under the foundation. Most foundations on the west coast are only about 24" below grade, the east coast 5 feet or more. Simply dig until you hit the footing tunnel underneath, run your cable, then bury it back again. Easy-except for the digging. You may want to use a length of conduit to protect the cable under the foundation in case it shifts. Edited by Brent Campbell (01/16/13 10:27 AM) Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 5 registered and 10 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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