On Sat, 5 May 2007 09:00:25 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:


"HK" wrote in message
...

I have an exciting day: my wife wants to buy a "fountain" for the garden,
to take advantage of the fact that I have an electrician coming next week
to do some wiring for my kitchenette. I think she thinks I am more than
willing to dig the 50' long, two foot deep trench it will take to bury the
wire. Right. First thing, I'll call the rental store for a Ditch Witch.

Outdoor "house voltage" wiring is a mystery to me. Can it be tapped off an
existing outdoor plug, or will it have to go to the panel?

I will get to the Greek festival this weekend. Dammit.



Sorta depends on how much power the fountain pump requires. Is it 120v or
220v?
Around here, the "ditch" is supposed to be 18" deep minimum.

If it's a light duty, 120v pump only drawing a few amps, I'd use direct
burial wire, #10 (due to the length) and tie it through an outdoor switch or
timer to a GFI protected outlet.

Eisboch


one thing... 14 ga can handle 15 amps, and a 50ft run is not far
considering how long most cable runs can be in a house. The pump will
likely only draw a few amps, so that makes the guage requirement even
less of a concern.

You'll be more than fine with 14, use 12 if you want. 10 would be WAY
overkill unless you're planning to rival the Bellagio.