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Underground or above ground wire

O

oj

Member
I'd like to take electrical power out to a cattle drinker in the pasture, it's about 1000 ft from the nearest breaker box. Only need power for the heater in the waterer, 110 volts, 1700 odd watts. I'm a little Leary of underground wire that far, just in case of breaks or failure. Anyone's thoughts?
 
If you leave your cable on the ground, then you're guaranteed to have problems. Bury it down two feet, make sure there are no rocks in the trench, and it won't give you trouble for a long time. The cable needs to be in conduit where it enters and exits the ground; it can be direct burial in the trench.

Use at least 8 gauge UF cable. You're going to get a lot of voltage drop over 1000 feet. 6 or even 4 gauge would be better.

It's been my experience that failures of direct-buried cable occur when it's buried too shallow.
 

Conduit would add about $250.00. If you decide to go with direct bury, and there are any rocks in your ground you should bed it in sand and put a few inches over it. That would cost you more than $250.00
 
> 15 amps. At 1000ft. Will need 2/0 wire.

2/0 copper or aluminum will keep the voltage drop to around 3 percent. But I think his heater can take a much higher voltage drop. 8 gauge copper yields a drop of around 20 percent, or 96 volts out for 120 volts in. That's about as low as you can go and still expect to get any heat out. 2 gauge aluminum USE might be a good compromise; a 10 percent drop.
 
If you can keep tract of where the wire is and not dig it up sometime there isn't anything wrong with an underground wire. It's otherwise safer. The problem I see is the voltage drop. You are needing a little over 14 amps at the end and that far I get a #2/0 wire.
 
1000 feet is just a long way to run 120V, I would agree with the comments on 240V, that would help.

How about 2 buck boost transformers and step it up to 480 to transmit, then back down?
 
Dad always ran his overhead electric conductors on opposite sides of the pole so that even if the insulation got bad conductors would short out.
 
OK,

If you took a 120 / 24 volt transformer and put it in backwards it would produce 600V, then one on the other end would drop back down to 120V. Standard wiring is rated for 600 volts, as long as the wattage of the transformer is within limits, that would be no issue, do not know if the transformers would be rated for 600 volts. I welcome input from others, as I have not done this, just thinking.
 
I would run 3/4" PVC conduit, 2 10ga conductors and a ground, no neutral.

The conduit will provide easy repair should it get damaged, also run it in 4 or more sections with above ground risers/pull stations for splicing.

Then find a 220v 1700 watt heater.

That will have a load around 8 amps, 10% voltage drop.
 
David, in theory it will work, but overkill for this application.

Another drawback would be raising the voltage would increase the chance of bleed through voltage when the conduit fills with water. We know how sensitive animals are to feeling the tingle.
 
If this waterer is in a permanent location (no plans to move it), could you heat it using geothermal?

I also saw some time back a solar heating device meant for cattle waterers. I'll try to look for it later.
 
It's a cattle drinker made out of a mining
tire, with a 5ft crib below for heat,
trouble is not really enough cattle using
it and double digit lows at night, tire is
frozen now. Just wanted some suplimental
heat to keep it open. Going to look at
propane for next winter.
 
Thanks for the idea, never even thought of that. Just googled some propane powered heaters, looks like an option. Thanks again.
 
I bought a trencher when the methane fields were going in here,, I dug and buried 25 miles or so of electric line, as long as you do not have a nick in the coating when you install it or drop a sharp rock on it and nick it you seldom of ever have a problem, in all of that I had one I had to go back in a week and dig out and repair, it was clear when I dug it up it was damaged in the spool of it at some point before I got it as you could see the mark from a forklift fork where they hit it loading it at some point. we used all AL wire,, size depended on the amp draw needed, BIG thing is to make sure the ditch is as level and smooth as you can keep it so when the ditch settles it does not pull at the ends,, I am still using what installed some 18 years ago with zero issues, its not rocket science but you do have to make sure of some things,, and it all starts with a well made ditch and approach at each end of the install
cnt
 
Just a thought, barb wire is cheaper and easier to install than electrical wire is.

Can you create a lane way for them to walk to the yard where you have power and I assume water.

The girls need some exercise in the winter, it helps reduce calving problems come spring.

I intentionally feed ours away from the water bowls to help keep them in shape.
 
Will the cattle be in the pasture all winter or just until the snow gets too deep for grazing?
 
The issue is not the wire or pipe, the issue is the size of wire required for the 1000 foot must be oversized so much.

Personally, I would not run 120V more than 300-400 foot.
 

In the late 60's we buried 2200 ft of #6 stranded copper wire to power a 1 1/2 hp pump, this pump pumped water from a spring back to our house.
5 years later we plowed into that wire has it had worked it's way up from 18-20 inches deep to 8 inches, in this area wire will work it's way up unless it's buried in conduit.
Other than making sure we didn't plow it up we didn't have any problems with the wire for 29 years when I had a well drilled.

If you go with underground put it in conduit.
Personally I prefer underground wiring.
 
. As previously stated a 240V or even a higher voltage heating element is in order . There are 480 and 600V units out there . Small transformers with 120/240 to 480 or 600 are a common as dirt.
Bury the power cable in 4” plastic drainage tile .
 
(quoted from post at 20:40:28 11/17/18) I would run 3/4" PVC conduit, 2 10ga conductors and a ground, no neutral.

The conduit will provide easy repair should it get damaged, also run it in 4 or more sections with above ground risers/pull stations for splicing.

Then find a 220v 1700 watt heater.

That will have a load around 8 amps, 10% voltage drop.
Click to expand...
ood plan & if can't find a 240v heater,just series two 120v heaters.
 
(quoted from post at 12:05:59 11/19/18) For a 3% voltage drop allowed by code the circuit calls for 2/0 copper at 1000 ft run.
Click to expand...

120 volt, 14 amp, 1000 ft is 2.75% drop with 1/0 copper, this is within the 3% requirement for a main circuit.
Branch circuit allows 5% drop which is a #3 copper for same volt, amp, length.
At 240 volt you can run smaller wire but savings would be minimal with the cost of adding another wire.
 
(quoted from post at 13:46:33 11/19/18)
(quoted from post at 12:05:59 11/19/18) For a 3% voltage drop allowed by code the circuit calls for 2/0 copper at 1000 ft run.
Click to expand...

120 volt, 14 amp, 1000 ft is 2.75% drop with 1/0 copper, this is within the 3% requirement for a main circuit.
Branch circuit allows 5% drop which is a #3 copper for same volt, amp, length.
At 240 volt you can run smaller wire but savings would be minimal with the cost of adding another wire.
Click to expand...

What is the difference in running a ground , neutral and a live line for 120V Vs. A ground and two live lines for 240?
 

Because if I was going to run a wire 1000 ft to a remote location I'd run the natural also, gives one the option of wiring in a outlet to temporally run a power tool or work light if you need to do any maintenance there.
 

Because if I was going to run a wire 1000 ft to a remote location I'd run the natural also, gives one the option of wiring in a outlet to temporally run a power tool or work light if you need to do any maintenance there.
 
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