Running power to a Garage- Need electricians help?

Question

I have a detached garage that is about 30 feet from my house. I want to run power to the garage. I plan on having a garage door opener, light, and 3 outlets. I dont plan on running any heavy equipment (maybe a small compressor). I though I could just bury some romex in 1.5" PVC pipe but I was told not to use romex as it is designed to run in a certain heat range.
I dont plan on using a sub-panel in the garage.
So here are my questions?
-How deep does the wire have to be buried?
-Would 12 gauge wire on a 20 amp breaker be sufficient or should I go with 10 gauge?
What are my options on burying the wire? What tipes of wire can be run in PVC and buried underground?
Any other tips would also be appreciated.
Thanks!

I have considered a sub panel but think it migh be a bit beyond my capabilities... also, its a good 100ft run of wire to the garage. 6 gauge might turn bout to be a bit pricey.. copper is expensive.
Do most recommend me using a sub-panel?

Answer 1

Some good idea's But they seem to have forgotten the NEC, If you run UF or URD(direct burial wire) you have to be 24" deep to the top of the conductor, If you run it in PVC you have to be 18" deep to the top of the conduit, you would be better off to put a sub-panel for a 60amp panel you would need either #6/4 UF for direct burial, If you ran PVC you would need #6 THWN x 3 strands and a #8 THWN for the ground, you need to keep in mind that if you set the sub Panel you have to also drive a 8' ground rod, with a #6 solid copper bare ground, If you run a couple of 20amp circuits to it instead, they have to be GFCI protected and if you run more than one 20amp you would also have to drive a Ground rod and run a #10 Ground to it from the J-box you set in your Garage If you do one 20amp circuit you don't need a ground rod...I hope this gives a lil more info

Answer 2

I beleive that if you are doing it, you should do it right. You mentioned running an air compressor. Most good compressors use a good amount of power, and with the run, your lighting will flicker and you will probably blow the circuit breaker to the garage all the time. Install a sub-panel & run #6 wire, #8 Minimum & a 60 amp main. You will then have 220V in the garage as well (use 1 black, 1 red, & 1 white for the neutral. You can run a 6' ground rod in the ground near the sub-panel for the green. The extra cost to do it this way is minimal as compared to re-doing it if your power is under rated in the future. It will also add to the resale value. The depth is area specific, check with your local code requirements. 18 inches is fairly standard. You can run the wires in PVC or use UF (underground feeder cable).

Answer 3

Make it easy and painless:
Put your pipe in 18 to 24 inches down( as deep as you can but don't sweat the 1 or 2 inches more or less).
Put your junction boxes on the walls (minimum 18 inches above ground) and connect your pipe.
Pull 3 individual # 10 wires through the pipe ( you can work easier with individual wires and there is less risk of damaging the wires as you pull them. Use # 10 so you have a little room for electrical surges)
Take pictures before you cover the pipe (use a tape measure to show the depth of the trench)
Install the breaker and the outlets in the garage and you are done!

Good luck!!!

Answer 4

In PVC you would run THHN. You can run direct burial wire UF instead of piping it.
You can probably get away with a # 12 UF (20 Amp).
Run 12/2 for one circuit or 12/3 for 2 circuits or 240Volts (probably not necessary).
Keep it at about 24 inches depth amd you should be fine.
Sleave it in PVC coming out of the house going in to the ground til you reach 24", and again when you're coming out of the ground up to the garage.
You won't need a panel in the garage, just come into a regular splice box.
Good luck

Answer 5

Call an electrician. Sounds like you have an older house and your electric service was not designed for the appliances you are adding. Problem 1 is your 100 amp service. That's not enough for you. An electrician will need to change you to 200 amp service and change out your breaker box. It's absolutely not a job you should attempt to do yourself. From there, I'm sure the electrician will be happy to answer all your other questions including what you can do yourself.

Answer 6

Check your local codes, but putting the wire down about 18 to 24" is fairly common. You can rent a trencher to dig the wire down. I would absolutely add a panel to the garage and run a heavy wire to meet your needs. If it were me, I would try to find someone to help me. You do the grunt work and they can hook up to your house panel. Do it right or you will regret it in many ways.

Answer 7

I think that as long as you're going to be digging a 30 foot trench, you might as well spend a little extra and put in the sub panel.
Most home centers will have books on electrical work. Find a good one that includes instructions on how to install a sub panel.
Install everything correctly and to code, that way you won't have to worry about any problems.
I believe you'll be better off in the long run.

Good luck.