Prject mod the Shed. Electric

[deltl1ks]

For years, I've used a few drop cords from the house to the shed. This weekend I finally started doing something I've wanted to do for a while.

Since the SHED is now paid for I can mod it. I went out and bought some electric supplies.

Started with a 125Amp panel box, a 60 Amp breaker for now that I installed in the house panel box. Bought some 10-3 wire 45 feet. I wished I would have bought fifty but it is what it is.

Digged and Dugged for two days a trench (shovel and pick) about 30-35 feet long to the Shed 18-24 inches deep and installed my 10-3 wire in a flex pipe. Since I was here I decided to install two nic cables and one TV cable in a separate flex pipe for future mods.

Computer, TV and Phone. Yes I have wireless, and yes a laptop works in the shed and yes I have cordless phones and they work in the shed but the wires are there if I ever need or want it.

Connected the 10-3 wire to the house 60 amp breaker in house panel box. Connected the other end to the panel box in the shed after installing in one inch flex pipe. Original thought was to have the panel box eye level but I did not have enough wire. Rather then buying more wire I moved it down closer to the floor. It's about two feet off the floor. This is actually ok because I plan to have a cabinet there so the panel box will be hidden in the cabinet. I'll just cut a hole in the cabinet so I can access the panel box. This keeps the kids from messing with it. Then off to installing the 20 amp breakers for the lights and sockets. Currently I have a light switch and three outlets. One outlet is in the rafters because I have one set of florescent lights that plug into an outlet. Flip the switch and lights, yey… Installed a motion detection light on the entry of the shed. I thought about putting another one at the corner of the house, or basement door of the house.
We have lights in the shed now with juice.
Next more lighting, more outlets, heat, Ac, couch, TV Internet etc.

[BikePilot]

I put a subpanel in my shed in my old house. Proved super handy. Wired up lights, power for the pond pumps, 220v for the air compressor, etc.

They make skinny little shovels for digging skinny trenches for just such things. I used one and it worked well.

[deltl1ks]

Yeah, I used a standard shovel. The trench shovel was 20 bucks. Bought the pick instead. I had to bust through rock.

We call them niggor rocks. NO pun intended, they are stubborn, hard arse rocks and most of the time they are very big rocks. I had to chisel two away to get the foundation of my house done on two corners back in 2001. They ate up a 1K bit which I had to pay for.

Once I get an actual decent Air compressor, I'll have the things in place to wire it. All I'll need is a 30Amp breaker.

[1crock]

I did the same to my attached garage. Made it much easier to install the outlets for more lights, the compressor, a welder, etc. A 125 amp box should be more than enough.

[Schiben]

Nice job! I wanna do this for my garage too. I've got one 20A breaker in the basement box for the garage now and it's only hooked up to one outlet. I'd love to run natural gas out there for winter heat as well.

[Steve TLS]

No need for a license over there?

[ITSMESTEVE]

I was wondering the same thing?
I do all the work myself,then get a mate who is licensed to check it and make the connection to the distribution board.
I also buy the gear through his account with all appropriate discounts

[cb93cobra]

You don't NEED a license to do work on your personal property, commercial properties are another matter.

But, you are supposed to get a permit, and have it inspected by a state inspector (in most states that I know of anyway), not that everybody does, but unpermitted work can cause issues when selling a property.

[BikePilot]

No no license required as far as I'm aware to do your own stuff in the states for anything house related that I can think of (except maybe recovering freon from the AC system, but I think even that you can do yourself if you have the equipment). Some places (I think this goes by county) might require that you go to the local govt office to get a permit (you give them money, they give you a permit, no real checking up, just another way to bilk the tax payer of a few bucks). We are no longer the land of the free, but maybe still free-er than most

When I was looking at houses in VA to buy probably 95% of them had unpermitted work. It wasn't an issue to me (and I think most buyers) unless it was major work (like a serious structural change to the house or a large addition). I never checked and I doubt many others would either for permits relating to a shed, but I'd still get the permit to just to keep everything on the up and up. The critical approval is for the footprint of whatever you buy so as to be sure it doesn't encroach on any building limitations (often you can't build within 10' of the edge of your property or some such nonsense).

[Steve TLS]

All electrical work here is supposed to be done by a licensed person, and paper work submitted for each job.

...
When I was looking at houses in VA to buy probably 95% of them had unpermitted work. It wasn't an issue to me (and I think most buyers) unless it was major work (like a serious structural change to the house or a large addition). I never checked and I doubt many others would either for permits relating to a shed, but I'd still get the permit to just to keep everything on the up and up. The critical approval is for the footprint of whatever you buy so as to be sure it doesn't encroach on any building limitations (often you can't build within 10' of the edge of your property or some such nonsense).

How do you fair when you try and make a house or contents inusrance claim and the non permit works are responsible? You still get compensated?

There's still an empty shell of a house across the road from me that burnt down because on non compliant wiring. It's still an empty brick shell years later because the insurance company wouldn't and didn't have to pay out.