Ask Me Help Desk - Electrical service to detached garage

I am having a detached garage build and would like to have a 60 AMP electrical service. I will take 60 amps off my existing 150 AMP house panel. The length of the wiring to the garage will be approximately 70 feet. If I use direct burial cable what size should it be? If I use conduit what size and type of wire. Can I put a phone line in the same trench if I put both in conduit? If so how much separation must there be between the conduit?

Assuming copper wire. Type UF for direct burial. Type THWN in conduit. You will need a 4 wire feeder. H,H,G,N

If copper, #4. (H,H,N). You can use #8 for ground.

You will need a ground rod.

You will need a disconnect. You can use the breaker on the panel. It CAN be rated higher than the 60 A feeder breaker.

Thoughts on the phone thing:

You might consider 2 coax + 2 cat 5E cables. Ethernet, telephone and TV.

They cannot be in the same conduit. It is suggested that they be 6" away from parallel AC lines and are OK if they cross.

You can ignore the 6" rule, if you use shielded cable. Only ground the shield of the CAT5E at one end. Preferably the sourceing end or the house end.

Use direct burial RG-6 or the CAT5E or run 2 separate conduits 6" apart.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid

Assuming copper wire. Type UF for direct burial. Type THWN in conduit. You will need a 4 wire feeder. H,H,G,N

If copper, #4. (H,H,N). You can use #8 for ground.

You will need a ground rod.

You will need a disconnect. You can use the breaker on the panel. It CAN be rated higher than the 60 A feeder breaker.

Thoughts on the phone thing:

You might consider 2 coax + 2 cat 5E cables. Ethernet, telephone and TV.

They cannot be in the same conduit. It is suggested that they be 6" away from parallel AC lines and are OK if they cross.

You can ignore the 6" rule, if you use shielded cable. Only ground the shield of the CAT5E at one end. Preferably the sourceing end or the house end.

Use direct burial RG-6 or the CAT5E or run 2 separate conduits 6" apart.

Thanks for your help and advise!!