hecubus
Jul 28, 2008, 10:54 AM
Hi,
I'm planning to run a pair of circuits to the backyard for an above ground pool. The pool pump + salt cell requires a 20 amp @ 120 volts circuit, and I calculated that #8 AWG conductors are required to keep the voltage drop below 3%; the run is about 190 feet. The second circuit will only be #10 AWG conductors since it only supplies a few 15A convenience outlets on the deck.
I'm located in Ontario, Canada. I also plan on pulling a permit and will have the work inspected.
My questions are as follows:
1) Am I being too conservative with the wire sizing, i.e. would a voltage drop of say, 4% instead of 3% be generally aceptable? The manual for the pump motor indicates that a 10% variation of the input voltage is acceptable, but I'm wondering about general practices and whether the Canadian Electrical Code (or Ontario Electrical Safety Code) mandates a maximum volatage drop?
2) The ground loop for our geothermal heating/cooling system lies in the area where the electrical cables will be buried. I have already accidentally punctured the pipes for the ground loop during this project, and it's VERY expensive to repair. Theoretically, the ground loop pipes should be buried between 3' to 5' (or more) but there are no guarantees especially if the bedrock depth varies significantly. So, in summary, I really want to avoid digging a "deep" trench in the vicinity of the ground loop pipes, and thus am looking for alternatives to direct burial of NMWU cable.
If I utilize PVC conduit what is the minimum burial depth of the conduit? Are there any other alternatives, e.g. armoured cable, and if so, what are the minimal burial depths?
Thanks in advance!
I'm planning to run a pair of circuits to the backyard for an above ground pool. The pool pump + salt cell requires a 20 amp @ 120 volts circuit, and I calculated that #8 AWG conductors are required to keep the voltage drop below 3%; the run is about 190 feet. The second circuit will only be #10 AWG conductors since it only supplies a few 15A convenience outlets on the deck.
I'm located in Ontario, Canada. I also plan on pulling a permit and will have the work inspected.
My questions are as follows:
1) Am I being too conservative with the wire sizing, i.e. would a voltage drop of say, 4% instead of 3% be generally aceptable? The manual for the pump motor indicates that a 10% variation of the input voltage is acceptable, but I'm wondering about general practices and whether the Canadian Electrical Code (or Ontario Electrical Safety Code) mandates a maximum volatage drop?
2) The ground loop for our geothermal heating/cooling system lies in the area where the electrical cables will be buried. I have already accidentally punctured the pipes for the ground loop during this project, and it's VERY expensive to repair. Theoretically, the ground loop pipes should be buried between 3' to 5' (or more) but there are no guarantees especially if the bedrock depth varies significantly. So, in summary, I really want to avoid digging a "deep" trench in the vicinity of the ground loop pipes, and thus am looking for alternatives to direct burial of NMWU cable.
If I utilize PVC conduit what is the minimum burial depth of the conduit? Are there any other alternatives, e.g. armoured cable, and if so, what are the minimal burial depths?
Thanks in advance!