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Powderedmaggot · 03-04-2005, 08:51 PM

You do not need a sub panel. If all you plan are a few lights and receptacles all you need is one 15 amp circuit. I don't know the US electrical code but in Canada you would need 2 conductor #14AWG cable (a cable is a group of wires (conductors) in a common casing) with sheathing rated for direct burial. We call it NMWU (the WU is for Wet Underground) It is like loomex (can't remember what you's call it in the US) but it has a thicker plastic coating and thicker insulation on the wires. If you suspect you may want to run lights and a saw or something run 2 circuits (3 conductor cable) to a regular octagonal junction box with a blank coverplate, split the circuits out of the box to your lights and receptacles.

I would hesitate to connect to an existing light circuit because it may already be loaded to the nuts. If you overload it you may repeatedly trip your breaker. Installing breakers in a panel is easy if you take one circuit all you need is a 15 amp single pole breaker. Connect the ground (bare copper) wire to the ground bus in the panel, connect the white wire to the neutral bus, connect the black wire to the breaker then push the breaker into place. Typically the wire end of the breaker clips onto a plastic (or painted metal) bar that is not energized then you push the other side onto the hot bus. Work on a hot panel is ot hard or dangerous if you pear rubber soled shoes and only have one hand in the panel and the other in your pocket you will not get zapped dead even if you try to.

Your trench should be minimum 24 inches deep in areas where there is no vehicular traffic, if you are crossing a driveway you have to go deeper (36") by code. Where you pop up out of the ground it is a good idea to put the cable in a conduit of some sort to keep the mice from eating the insulation and keep the weedeater from wailing the hell out of it. Those may not apply but if there is any doubt slide a short peice of black water line over it.

In Canada we have a book called "The elecrical code simpified" that runs about $11 that covers everything you need to kow to build a house and then some. Go down to home depot or a building supply store and ask if they have a simplified code book for residential instalations. Have a read and if you feel comfortable fly at it.

A 40 or 60 amp feed and panel is serious overkill. Not many years ago entire houses had 60 amp services for the entire house. To give you some idea, until recently my 1500 sq ft house only had 100amps, I could run all the lights, 2 ranges, 3 freezers, 2 electric water tanks, stereo, computer.....at the same time.

If you run 3 conductor #14AWG cable you can have 2 15 amp circuits. The Canadian Electrical code allows max. 80% loading on a circuit wich would allow 14 100watt ligh bulbs and one 40 watt bulb on each circuit. That's probably enough lights for your sheds with an entire circuit left over for the electric bong, stereo and chop saw.

03-04-2005, 08:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
Powderedmaggot Banned	You do not need a sub panel. If all you plan are a few lights and receptacles all you need is one 15 amp circuit. I don't know the US electrical code but in Canada you would need 2 conductor #14AWG cable (a cable is a group of wires (conductors) in a common casing) with sheathing rated for direct burial. We call it NMWU (the WU is for Wet Underground) It is like loomex (can't remember what you's call it in the US) but it has a thicker plastic coating and thicker insulation on the wires. If you suspect you may want to run lights and a saw or something run 2 circuits (3 conductor cable) to a regular octagonal junction box with a blank coverplate, split the circuits out of the box to your lights and receptacles. I would hesitate to connect to an existing light circuit because it may already be loaded to the nuts. If you overload it you may repeatedly trip your breaker. Installing breakers in a panel is easy if you take one circuit all you need is a 15 amp single pole breaker. Connect the ground (bare copper) wire to the ground bus in the panel, connect the white wire to the neutral bus, connect the black wire to the breaker then push the breaker into place. Typically the wire end of the breaker clips onto a plastic (or painted metal) bar that is not energized then you push the other side onto the hot bus. Work on a hot panel is ot hard or dangerous if you pear rubber soled shoes and only have one hand in the panel and the other in your pocket you will not get zapped dead even if you try to. Your trench should be minimum 24 inches deep in areas where there is no vehicular traffic, if you are crossing a driveway you have to go deeper (36") by code. Where you pop up out of the ground it is a good idea to put the cable in a conduit of some sort to keep the mice from eating the insulation and keep the weedeater from wailing the hell out of it. Those may not apply but if there is any doubt slide a short peice of black water line over it. In Canada we have a book called "The elecrical code simpified" that runs about $11 that covers everything you need to kow to build a house and then some. Go down to home depot or a building supply store and ask if they have a simplified code book for residential instalations. Have a read and if you feel comfortable fly at it. A 40 or 60 amp feed and panel is serious overkill. Not many years ago entire houses had 60 amp services for the entire house. To give you some idea, until recently my 1500 sq ft house only had 100amps, I could run all the lights, 2 ranges, 3 freezers, 2 electric water tanks, stereo, computer.....at the same time. If you run 3 conductor #14AWG cable you can have 2 15 amp circuits. The Canadian Electrical code allows max. 80% loading on a circuit wich would allow 14 100watt ligh bulbs and one 40 watt bulb on each circuit. That's probably enough lights for your sheds with an entire circuit left over for the electric bong, stereo and chop saw.