Power and phone lines for the shop - meeting the NEC

It's one of the many different hats I wear, but occupies the majority of my time.

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

In this modern world...and unless you have a specific need for a corded phone...I wouldn't run a phone line at all. Just get a good cordless phone.

Yes.

But, as Bruce emitted, you should check into your LOCAL codes. The NEC doesn't need to be adapted by your local governing body...and is often edited/changed for a particular area.

Make sure you run the proper class of wire inside that pipe.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

You can find the code on the Internet, Bob.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

Any special reason why yer runnin' the wire inside that pipe? You don't need to, ya know. There's easier and cheaper ways to accomplish what you want to do.

You might even want to just put a drop right at the garage.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

Hypothetical...and almost impossible...but...

Rodent gets into pipe...eats thru hot wire and phone wire in same location...they touch...yer on the phone.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

The wireless (G) connection to my shop works...175 foot from the wireless access point in the house Plus I needed a signal booster (B)..because no one markets one for G yet ... ???? plus 2 Radio Shack 5 Db antenna's....on the Booster... signal varies from good to very good...without the booster or antenna I got very poor or no signal depending on how many drill bits I had left on the drill press table... LOL

Bob G.

Common for phone, and cable in western NC.

The run is from the main box inside the house to a detached garage. Part of the run is outside. I'm only putting the wire in pipe where its outside. I guess I just feel more comfortable with it being put inside of something and pipe is cheap.

Bob

I've found where I can buy it. But I've googled all over the place looking for excerpts of it. Any help?

Bob

You may find some interpretations on the net but the NEC is a copyrighted NFPA document and they are very protective of their property. You would have a better chance of keeping bootleg copies of Win/XP on your site than to keep the NEC up there for long.

Uh, I got your point Bruce, though its a bit exaggerated. Your example won't even be 40 amps and just for a second or two. The motors will be about

Heck, I find myself being argumentative and I'll get off the tone. The cost is not the issue. I ran what I thought was ample. But I'm running a hobby shop in my home in a city neighborhood. I guess that's the main difference. I just can't see spending money on something I'll never come anywhere near using.

Bob

I am cordless phone poor. I own two cordless headsets, a multi-phone seimens system, a standard cordless phone - 6 in all, both 2.4 ghz and 900 mhz. None of the works reliably in the shop from a base unit in the house. The only cure for this is a phone wire to the shop.

Bob

My local Public Library has several copies.

Unfortunately they're in the reference section.

Better than not having access, or having to buy one.

Well, it used to be the 100A feed to the pool, but when the backhoe guy tore through that digging the footings for the addition, we decided to put the pool on the 200A panel that fed the old side of the house (since that side of the house no longer has a kitchen), and run the

Now, you might ask, why do I have a 600A service panel (5' wide, 6' tall and 16" deep, made of 3/16" steel plate) that has 200, 200 and 100 amp subfeeds coming off it ? The answer is: when I added a pool about a decade ago, I wanted enough power for the eventual addition and shop, and the pool has 6 pumps (8.5 HP total) and 1500W of lights, and I thought "600A" meant 300A on each side. D'oh !

$12K and a pole-mounted transformer upgrade later, I had underground service and enough power to run a large commercial AM radio station. Oh well. And the 600A service box is right next to the new front door. So we put a fake tree near it and a little ceramic jaguar (cat) on it.

Fortunately we only pay for what we use, but in the summer in AZ, that can be over $400.

That's consistent with what I've found looking around.

Thanks, Bob

Duh! I usually fail to remember the library. The internet has ruined me. I'll check it out.

Thanks, Bob

OK, here's my fiew on this. In Canada the local code says it's OK to have the 'wires in the same trench, as long as they're in separate conduits. So in one trench, I put water line( good 5/8 garden hose),in 4" weeper conduit,backfilled 6 inshes,then 100A service feed,again in 4" NON weeper conductor piping,backfilled 6",then another 4" nonweeping conductor in which I run TV coax and 2 CAT5 cables,backfilled 6 inches with gravel,then good topsoil. The CAT5 wires are for phone lines and alarm system. Sure it's overkill,but the big conduits give me EASY access for 'upgrade' or repairs and everything is now in the shop IF I want it in the future... hth jay

I can see why. I pulled one single wire (10/3) through 1.5" conduit. A total of four bends, and a run of about 75'. I don't think there's any way I could ever get the *tape* back through that conduit to pull a second, let alone actually manage to force another wire into there.

I'm sure pros would fare better. I'm just saying I had no idea what an all-consuming bitch it is to pull wire through conduit.