Home Improvement

has anyone ran cat6 rated for direct burial? i have looked at too many images of AI cable and reviews are all over the place. think i will need 50' from router under the house to a ground protector, then another 50' underground to the outbuilding.

Goatface said:

has anyone ran cat6 rated for direct burial? i have looked at too many images of AI cable and reviews are all over the place. think i will need 50' from router under the house to a ground protector, then another 50' underground to the outbuilding.

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Edit: I can't remember if I went over this already in this thread, so sorry if I am repeating myself.
I looked into it some years ago and decided a wireless bridge was cheaper and easier. When you are building your house it's even easier, as you can have them run a Cat-6 out to the eave of your house for it (or do it yourself), and it's PoE, so no other wires needed.

Since the camera people at IPCamtalk recommend factory joined male connectors, if you are going to use male connectors, I used appropriate lengths from Monoprice for all Cat-6 runs. That was probably overkill and could have used female connectors for the in wall runs, then patch cables for that last few inches to the devices. It adds connection points, but they should all be protected enough not to cause issues.

The Unifi/Ubiquity bridge is very nice and can go a long way (~9 miles), as long as it has a direct line of sight. This is their equivalent current bridge listed on the site. [Edit: finding their various products can be difficult. HERE is what I am using, since it doesn't need all the features of the more expensive "pro" version. They have other bridges in their nano line as well, like here and here.] They have other bridges and you might be able to find an older cheaper model, depending on how much data or devices you will be using. You don't need a router at the other end, just an access point.

The recommendations I found for buried Cat6 was using conduit and underground rated wire together. Not only that, I read reports of people's systems getting fried by close lightning strikes, when nothing else was hurt, so the recommendation was to put protection at each end of the run. After reading that, I moved on to a fiberoptic run instead, which still needed conduit, but didn't have the issue with lightning. Even ordered the fiber line and part of the connectors... before seeing the wireless bridge from unifi.

Edit: Here is a dude walking through setting up the similar multi-directional disk, if you want to see how involved it is (I've used other videos of his to set up my system):

Burren said:

Starting a garage remodel next week. Removing old epoxy (prior owner did it themselves and its awful) and having new epoxy put down with a thick clear coat on top. Fresh paint on walls. New LED lights in the ceilings. New garage doors with wall mounted motors and mostly vertical rails so they're higher up. And, a four post car storage lift on one side. Thankfully the ceilings are tall enough.
Probably going to add a mini-split or stand-alone AC unit for there too since it currently has no air system, which is pretty annoying for summers.

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I'd put some version of this down before I'd epoxy a garage floor.

LINK

Lots of companies make it in different colors. Easy install, long lasting, washable.

Goatface said:

has anyone ran cat6 rated for direct burial? i have looked at too many images of AI cable and reviews are all over the place. think i will need 50' from router under the house to a ground protector, then another 50' underground to the outbuilding.

Click to expand...

Yes I did it about 5 years ago and all is well, that said conduit would be the move if I ever did it again.

Goatface said:

has anyone ran cat6 rated for direct burial? i have looked at too many images of AI cable and reviews are all over the place. think i will need 50' from router under the house to a ground protector, then another 50' underground to the outbuilding.

Click to expand...

BrutulTM said:

If it's only 50 feet I'd put it in conduit. It won't cost that much and it will be a lot more protected. Plus if something does happen to it, you can just pull it out and replace it without digging up the yard again.

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Burns said:

Edit: I can't remember if I went over this already in this thread, so sorry if I am repeating myself.
I looked into it some years ago and decided a wireless bridge was cheaper and easier. When you are building your house it's even easier, as you can have them run a Cat-6 out to the eave of your house for it (or do it yourself), and it's PoE, so no other wires needed.

Since the camera people at IPCamtalk recommend factory joined male connectors, if you are going to use male connectors, I used appropriate lengths from Monoprice for all Cat-6 runs. That was probably overkill and could have used female connectors for the in wall runs, then patch cables for that last few inches to the devices. It adds connection points, but they should all be protected enough not to cause issues.

The Unifi/Ubiquity bridge is very nice and can go a long way (~9 miles), as long as it has a direct line of sight. This is their equivalent current bridge listed on the site. [Edit: finding their various products can be difficult. HERE is what I am using, since it doesn't need all the features of the more expensive "pro" version. They have other bridges in their nano line as well, like here and here.] They have other bridges and you might be able to find an older cheaper model, depending on how much data or devices you will be using. You don't need a router at the other end, just an access point.

The recommendations I found for buried Cat6 was using conduit and underground rated wire together. Not only that, I read reports of people's systems getting fried by close lightning strikes, when nothing else was hurt, so the recommendation was to put protection at each end of the run. After reading that, I moved on to a fiberoptic run instead, which still needed conduit, but didn't have the issue with lightning. Even ordered the fiber line and part of the connectors... before seeing the wireless bridge from unifi.

Edit: Here is a dude walking through setting up the similar multi-directional disk, if you want to see how involved it is (I've used other videos of his to set up my system):

Click to expand...

I use tons of Unifi, the airmax is what to use when your not using unifi network / management stuff- the Building bridge etc. is super awesome and for unifi networks - I have a UBB and its very stable even in rain

use conduit if you can, you can rent form HD/lows a small trench digger thing.

BUT as people have mentioned... use these


or


or whatever brand you want- but those things are great- lightning strikes can travel far underground - a strike a few miles away can find your copper and endpoint goes poof.

these things will tripp or get burned and you replace them, and maybe re-terminate your copper

keep a few feet service loop at each end, happy dappy.

Wife suddenly got hair up her ass wanting to run to the store tommorow to start buying shit because she watched a youtube video. Project needs worked on but need a exact plan first.

Looking to do this somewhat responsibly but somewhat Wakandanh rigged, it is non hoa country after all.

She has a pre made shed we bought her to be a bitch barn for her stained glass making etc hobbies. Already have some insulation, a window ac unit etc sitting in there. She is wanting to go thru with insulation/boarding it to be a proper mini apartment.

Todays post on it is about the electric. I originally said simplest was outdoor rated heavy duty extension cord through a hole into the unit and then cut and ran to a few outlet boxes. She at one point thought she wanted it to have it's own electrical panel. And I think we are now at somewhere in the middle. Plan was major wiring finished by a sparky, but we try to do some of the prep like digging the trench to it and putting outlet boxes in place etc.

There is an outlet on a deck right next to it, then around the corner of the house is the service panel which has a outlet. I'm not certain which circuits feed either outlet so that has to be figured out if we end up using them. We had added a breaker for the pool, there's at least one 220 that feeds the garage where it got split to 110's... Or maybe it was opposite and they had 2 110's feeding a 220 compressor which went when it sold seeing as I dont have a 220 outlet (shop has it's own little electrical panel I havn't looked in since we bought it)

I am not an electrical guy at all. So there's that added amount of ignorance to the whole thing.


Short version, debating trying to heavy duty extension feed this little 8x12 shack off 1 or 2 110 circuits, or go thru with seeing if we have the space to add it's own breaker. If the latter, not sure if there's a need to do conduit if it's the right outdoor rated heavy gauge wiring sunk low enough, though I'd rather not try to dig 30 feet of 2foot trench. The pool we had only buried like 6-8 inches. So maybe can get away with shallower if it's in some metal or pvc piping though if load high at all maybe that could trap too much heat?

Red square bottom left outlet on deck by french doors, blue square the shed, right red square where back door/electrical panel w/ an outlet is.

That seems awful retarded, cost way more, for less reliable draw if she's pulling decent juice on glass equipment/ac etc for days at a time

BrutulTM said:

I'd put a small panel in there if I were you. I don't know electrical codes and I live in the sticks so I don't have to follow them, but if it was me, I would give it a dedicated 240 breaker in the house (30 amps or so) and run a line in PVC conduit to a small sub panel. One breaker for the lights, one for the outlets, and space to add a couple more in the future if you need them. Burying it 6 or 8 inches deep would be fine. There's really nothing difficult in this job. An electrician will probably charge you a couple grand to do it but IMO it could easily be done via YouTube University.

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House box is technically outside anyways. That was some of the discussion is if she would ever need 240 in there, I dont see what could need it. She said maybe a kiln, but that seems too hot sketchy anyways. Just was trying to keep cost down and not be throwing entire new panels up and all that. Just one breaker to kill the whole hut, run sodering iron/small saws, lights and the ac/space heater.

BrutulTM said:

Just the space heater will take 3/4 of your power on a single breaker. You don't need 240 but it just makes it easier because you can run a single wire and connect multiple breakers to it with a balanced load. Also maybe you will get divorced and throw her shit out one day and want to put a big ass table saw in there or something. The "entire new panel" will cost you less than $50, plus the cost of a couple of breakers.

https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Square-D-Homeline-100-Amp-6-Space-12-Circuit-Indoor-Surface-Mount-Main-Lug-Load-Center-with-Cover-HOM612L100SCP/100190554?g_store=&source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&fp=ggl&pla&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-LNC-GGL-Multi-Multi-NA-NA-NA-PLA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-CON-NA-CLV_Test_Increase&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-LNC-GGL-Multi-Multi-NA-NA-NA-PLA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-CON-NA-CLV_Test_Increase-21382214621-164392120558-2278509895092&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21382214621&gbraid=0AAAAADq61UdKHlW5XMJ5MxN1yR1GF9bTr&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz9_QBhD_ARIsADnSCfBm9ojhcxM16rQtknku0WnHCbVtNy86CKHIiFn1e1KpcTwInZBXYpwaAsp0EALw_wcB

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Yknow people say that, and all my life different houses, never managed to trip any 15/20 amp breakers running space heaters on same circuit like currently a computer/deep freeze/heater in the winter and similiar examples. Close to the edge sure, maybe the space heater just isn't that big. I have my doubts how much winter use it would see, so mainly the small ac would be biggest draw.

But possibly splitting the load at the shack I guess would make sense. Certainly a full doing it right approach vs trying to get by what is really required.

Horror story time. In an emergency, I ran 150 feet or so of extension cord from that one outlet across grass and snow to a little tin shed to keep a scalped emu warm with 2 space heaters. Sure a week later when crisis was over one of the connections in the 3 cords was a little crispy. Think I had a tiny 3rd but that was flipping breaker.

I've wired outlets like once long ago, was intimidating enough, messing with house panel and breakers etc is just very intimidating, I hate electricity, been shocked enough time in my life w/ bad aquarium equipment etc.