electric ?

[only one lay]

Previous coop was right next to garage-looped extension cord from each set of rafters for light and exhaust fan in summer. As happens with this illness a building about 30' from house is becoming the new and improved coop. It is larger,can have a bigger run constructed, and of course allow for MORE chickens. I would still like to have power there. Perfect world is underground. ideas on this? (saftey first /cost second-michigan winters ) thanks

 

[Omran]

Quote:
It is easier than what you think, yes underground electric is not that hard,because it is going to a chicken coop you can use 10 gage exterior wire(gray color) and run it under ground your self, may be rent a small trincher from home depot for about $75 for three hours and it will take you no time to dig the trinch and lay the wire, all what you need is about 18" below ground.

If you were around me I will do it for you I kind do that for a living.

Omran

 

[chookchick]

Yeah, just run some direct-burial wire (10-2 or 12-2) from near an outlet on the garage. If you are not handy with electrical hook-ups, have an electrician do the tie-in to your existing electrical and make an outlet in your new coop building. If you bury the wire yourself it should not cost you much at all. You might want to check with the electrician first to make sure the circuit can handle all the stuff you could possibly want to run off of it.

 

[Schroeder]

I have a quote to run electric to my coop, 175 ft from source. Here is the breakdown: $137 material, $280 labor, $350 trenching. This would be almost as much as I've spent on the entire coop! They insist the 10/2 wire needs to be run through 3/4 inch PVC. I have ten days until my day old chicks arrive and I'd planned to move them to the coop (with heat) at about 2 weeks of age.

Even if I rent a trencher and do that part myself I'm looking at almost $500. Another example of why you should figure the cost to build your new coop, and then double it! Maybe I'll try to do it myself, but I've never done anything more with electricity then to install light fixtures.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Definitely get an electrician to do it if you are not handy about this type of thing. If you are in city limits, they will have a code to be followed. If you try it yourself, I'd bury the wire in conduit (not really that hard to do).

I'd also put a breaker box in the coop as you will want lights and outlets on separate circuits. I did not install a breaker box in a shed and had lights and outlets on the same circuit. Whenever I turned on a skill saw, the fluorescent lights went out.

As Chookchick said, the electrician will size your circuit so it is heavy enough. A heater can draw a lot of current.

 

[jjparke]

Quote:
Careful schroeder. I am an electrician and I like to get paid for what I do. Don't you? Best thing to do is hire a local electrician. He will know what size wire and how to install it and hook everything up SAFELY.

 

[Schroeder]

Quote:
I know you're right, I just hate doubling the cost of my coop. Better safe than sorry though.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Outdoor romex does not need to be buried 18 inches nor does it
need to be in a conduit. If you put a plug on both sides then code
doesn't apply. Plug it into an outside outlet. Make sure the outside
plug is a GFI outlet and you will be fine. It will cost you less than $100
in materials and less than a day to do it.


I've run my barn lights, 1000 watts worth (all on), on a 100' 14guage
extention cord for the last year and a half. It works fine.
I have the conduit, wire, and subpanel but until I finish my landscaping I
can't bury it yet.

 

[cmom]

You can get direct burial wire but I did put mine in conduit. In the beginnig I used 12 ga. wire. Plug on one end and direct wired to the coop.

 

[only one lay]

Thanks I think the extension undergound like sounds good idea. Gfi on both ends and it can be dismanteled easy.
thanks