- Find the cable path to reach an outside wall, such as through a basement or crawlspace.
- Install a box using a reciprocating saw or keyhole saw, cut a hole for a remodel box.
- Run pipe beneath the box, dig a trench deep enough to satisfy local codes.
- Connect wires and install a cover.
- Run wires from the switch to a GFCI receptacle and from there to the rest of the outlets or lights in your shed.
To run electrical wires outside underground to reach sheds, lights, patios, and other locations, follow safe wiring practices. Check with your local building department to determine if an electrical cable is suitable for outdoor use.
There are two ways to run electrical wire on the exterior walls of a house or other structure: using individual wires in a conduit system, such as intermediate conduit, rigid conduit, or insulated cables.
Improper installation can lead to water damage, so it’s important to ensure proper installation. Standard NM cable has a vinyl outer jacket and waterproof insulation around the individual conducting wires, but it is not intended for outdoor locations.
The best and shortest route for the cable would be around the outside of the house inside conduit at the point where the wires meet the wall. If possible, run the wires up to the attic, across, and back down, or down to the basement, across, and back up. If running room-to-room, pull the wire across the attic and back down the interior or exterior wall.
Use outdoor rated cables, measure twice and drill once, and avoid drilling all the way through the wall. Run wires inside rigid conduit using a hacksaw or pipe bender, and seal exit/entry holes neatly with silicone. If your house is paintable, slather the cable ASAP.
📹 How to Run Underground Power to a Shed the Easy Way
Welcome to the official April Wilkerson YouTube channel. I’m April and I’m the creator of Wilker Do’s. I’m not professional or have …
Can you run electrical cable outside?
In order to ensure electrical safety for long-term outdoor use, such as lighting lawns, a permanent solution is required for extension cables. It is not advisable to utilise basic cords for this purpose. An alternative solution is to utilise outdoor underground cables, which are capable of withstanding a range of external challenges and can be buried underground to eliminate the risk of electrocution.
Can you run electrical wire outside a wall?
Building owners often run wires to exterior features and secondary buildings, but leaving exposed wires exposed is not safe. To protect these wires from the elements, many choose to run them through an exterior wall with a conduit. A conduit provides a versatile tube for directing wiring and protects the wires from harmful environmental conditions. To run a cable through an exterior wall using a conduit, follow these steps: 1) Review the plan, 2) Turn off the power, 3) Install connectors, 4) Mark studs, 5) Drill a hole, 6) Cut and bend the conduit, 7) Check the hole, 8) Slide in the conduit, 9) Install supports, 10) Pull the wire through, 6) Cut and connect the wire, and 8) Seal Gaps.
How to hide outdoor extension cords?
The text provides guidance on the safe handling of Christmas decorations, with a particular emphasis on the importance of using extension cords with fresh, deep edging.
How to run network cable to outside building?
To protect your network and devices during adverse weather conditions, follow these steps:
- Choose a suitable cable.
- Drill a hole in the exterior wall.
- Bury the cable underground at a depth of 6-8 inches. Position the cable at least a safe distance from power lines or electrical interference sources.
- Run the cable to the desired area.
Once the cable is buried, it should be placed in a waterproof conduit, such as PVC or plastic pipe, buried underground at a depth of 6-8 inches. However, it is advisable to opt for weatherproofed ethernet cables specifically designed for outdoor use, as conduits may not provide sufficient protection during extreme weather conditions.
If burying the cable is not possible, choose a waterproof Cat 6 cable with a UV protective jacket to protect it from sunlight exposure, especially when running along the side of a house or across a roof.
How do you route wire through an exterior wall?
In preparation for the installation of conduit, it is necessary to first turn off the power and the circuit breaker at the service panel. The next step is to install the cable connectors, mark the studs, drill a hole in the wall for the conduit, cut and bend it, insert it into the hole, install conduit supports, and pull the wire through the conduit.
How to cover exposed electrical wires?
To address exposed wires in a circuit, it is essential to evaluate the circuit and determine the best solution. Sheathing is typically used to cover the wires, but replacing damaged wires or using an electrical enclosure may be more suitable. The decision to cover the wires depends on the circumstances, such as extra slack in the wires or potential damage to the sheathing. Once the circuit is analyzed, the most important step is to remove exposure.
Sheathing the wires with electrical tape, shrink wrap, or other insulating sheaths is often the easiest solution, especially for small sections of exposure that are not at high risk of being exposed again.
How to run power outside a house?
To extend power outdoors, install a receptacle back-to-back with one inside the house or drill through a basement or crawlspace wall to attach it on the side of a house using an extension ring. Position the receptacle at least 16 inches above the ground and use an in-use cover for weather protection. A wooden box can protect it from bumps from lawn mowers or children. Outdoor receptacles must be GFCI-protected and check local codes for approved cables, conduit, and boxes. The installation process takes about 2 hours, including cutting a pathway for the cable and patching walls.
How do I hide cable wires outside my house?
To hide outdoor wiring, it is recommended to have it buried and installed by a licensed electrician. One effective method is using a 12-inch deep PVC conduit, as it offers protection against physical damage. For interior or exterior lighting projects in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or surrounding areas, call Dean’s for Exterior Electrical Services. Their licensed and insured electricians can handle all electrical projects, repairs, breakers, panels, switches, and outlets, as well as any home wiring project. They can help find a solution to your outdoor wiring and enhance your space’s appearance.
How do I get Wi-Fi from my house to outbuilding?
To ensure your WiFi signal reaches your new space, consider using various methods such as WiFi boosters or extenders, Ethernet cables, point-to-point WiFi connections, or external access points. The best approach depends on the distance between your shed and the router and your setup requirements. If your network is robust enough, you can opt for a WiFi booster or extender or consider a Powerline Adapter.
Buy a booster or extender if your outbuilding is close to the house and your router is located. However, this is the cheapest option and may not be reliable. Connection issues may arise, so consider a different solution after spending money on a cheaper extender or repeater.
A Powerline Adapter is another affordable option, working by using a power cable to transmit your internet connection. However, this method may have interference problems and may result in connection or speed issues.
How do you run a power cord outside?
Outdoor extension cord safety is crucial, and it’s essential to choose the right cord for the job. Cords are not one-size-fits-all and should be rated to handle the wattage of all connected devices. Always plug outdoor extension cords into a GFCI outlet, which can be identified by TEST/RESET buttons and are typically found in the kitchen, bath, and garage. To ensure safety and prevent tripping hazards, select the correct length and store the cord properly indoors when not in use.
For long-term power solutions, such as lighting, lawn tools, or outbuilding power, a permanent power solution is needed. For lines not off the house, cable must be wired to a separate GFCI indoors and buried deep. This solution requires an electrician and is not DIY-friendly.
When running power outside, a GFCI-equipped outlet ensures safety and is required by code in areas exposed to moisture. Choose an outdoor-rated, weatherproof model with built-in, high-sensitivity GFCI and have spring-loaded covers to protect them from weather, pests, dirt, and moisture. GFCI protection is a smart addition, inexpensively and easily added in moisture-prone areas where electrocution is a higher risk.
📹 Shed Electrical Installation (How to Add Electricity to a Shed – DIY)
Disclaimer – This video is for Entertainment purposes only. Electrical work SHOULD ONLY be performed by a Licensed Electrician …
April, when running power to my shop build, My son had a piece of rag that he tied to some nylon string. He then went in to garage where the conduit was going to the main panel turned on the shop vac and it sucked that rag & string thru in about 2 seconds and he tied and taped the wire and pulled it back to the shop,the whole thing took just a couple mins.
I’m sure others may have said the same, but it’s not allowed to run NM cable (some call it Romex, which is a trade name) in conduit that goes outdoors. If you are using cable that’s rated for direct burial, you should be okay (but good to check with inspector). So the wire from the panel to the junction box should be non-NM and something like THHN wires, but not standard NM). I’m a master electrician and ICC licensed electrical inspector.
Good work! But I’ll add that 20 years ago I didn’t anticipate my similar project would be more permanent than I anticipated at the time. (My purpose then was to get power to a deicer at a livestock water tank.) During this period, the PVC outlet’s year-over-year exposure to the sun caused it to degrade and become chalky, brittle and inflexible. A little post movement during an unusually wet year with a super freeze cracked the riser pipe, and the hinged cover on the outlet box fell apart. If I had a do-over, I’d have gone with metal over PVC despite the added work.
Nice job! It is important to understand voltage and amperage needs to be considered when determining depth of wire. A residential 20 amp circuit using 12/2 copper underground rated cable can be installed at a 12″ depth as long as it is protected with GFCI device. Electrical codes can be more stringent depending on where you live so please consult an electrician or electrical inspector in your area. Also it is important to note that schedule 80 pvc should be used in this application.
Just did a similar project running 50 amp service from from “main” panel to my shop (who builds an 1,100 sq ft shop with only two 15 amp circuits?). I had to chase it across the entire attic in the house so I used 6 AWG Romex to the edge of the house with no conduit, then put a junction box to connect to 3/4 inch flexible conduit. The conduit came down the wall outside, buried two feet under ground for a 13 foot run across to the shop then up to an LB and into the shop, all one continuous 38′ bit of conduit and using 6AWG THHN. The shop is 32×32 concrete block. The conduit continues inside for the very short run to the sub panel (about 18″). I could have gotten away with an 18″ burial, or I could have used UF to simplify things a bit, but I’m glad I went the way I did. I had a good friend who is a licensed electrician help me with the attic work since I’m too old and inflexible for that rather cramped space. It was really just securing the Romex and splicing the Romex to the THHN in the junction box. He knocked it out in under an hour. Thankfully it was a reasonable cool Florida day in March with heavy cloud cover, so the attic wasn’t dangerously hot, which is the default setting for Florida. I did the trenching myself, and learned all about the surprisingly lax codes for PVC thickness and burial depth for irrigation in Florida. Don’t ask me how I know. Let’s just say that if you made a pipe out of Playdoh, it would be sturdier.
You didn’t put a service loop on the cable in the LB box. Where you used your foot to bend the conduit to the wall, heating the pipe with a torch would allow for you to bend the pipe to fit the contour of the wall. Also, the conduit where you fitted the male connnector, you can ream the inner edge to a smooth and tapered edge that’s no longer sharp.
Hi April, great article. I am wiring a new shed. When I attach my LB fitting to the outside of my home, and also the shed, and add a small length of pvc conduit to the LB fitting to get through my shed and also the rim joist of my home, can I switch over to a metal junction box on the inside of my shed and also the inside of my rim joist? From there, I would run to my breaker box for in the home. I would also run inside wire within my shed to any new outlets, switches, lights, etc. from the junction box in my shed. Thanks
Not including an advisory about the length of the wire run and amperage draw dictating the gauge of the wire needed can set a dangerous situation. As a clerk in the electrical department of a large DIY store, I had many customers who wanted to run 14 or 12 gauge wire in excess of 100′ to run shop equipment in an stand alone workshop. I calculated on one case that the fellow would need 4 gauge for what he was proposing. He accused me of trying to make more money off him. I told him that I was paid by the hour and I made the same if he bought the right wire, the wrong wire or no wire at all. Please consider adding such advice.
1:45 can also buy fittings to allow for different bends, if don’t wanna flex the conduit like this (sweep 90s, (also called elbows), street, bell ends, saddle bends, etc); and if don’t want to buy the different fittings (or can’t find), you can heat up and bend the conduit yourself (pvc only, as emt not gonna be heated and bend, gotta use a bender; and ABS doesn’t heat well and wouldn’t even try it, imo)…..just a tip for ppl if feel weird about flexing the conduit how April did.
Not sure how I feel about that strap on the outside. Leaving polymers in a stretched configuration can lead to creep, or in the winter could snap. PVC may be slightly resistive I don’t feel like consulting my textbooks over it but just something to consider. I am sure they make small curve segments for the PVC.
Your first run of Romex to the GFCI is a code no-no, even inside of PVC conduit. NM cable (ROMEX) is not permitted in damp or wet locations (NEC 334.12B) and the inside of raceways (including PVC conduit) located outdoors is considered a wet location per NEC 300.9. Your first run should be UF cable or individual THWN conductors. If the latter, the individual conductors should be placed in conduit all the way to the source panel.
It would have been nice to show how you wired that into the breaker box. Once in the shed, that wire could go anywhere; into a sub-panel, into a single outlet, into a lighting setup, but wiring it into the breaker box at the source is pretty much the only option (unless, maybe, you are connecting to an existing plug?).
Code for how deep to run your conductor is 24 inches without protection. If the run is under a sidewalk, driveway, etc you may have it 12 inches under such protection. Recheck the NEC. I did when I ran power to my shed a year a year ago. It had not changed since I was in a NEC class back in the 90’s.
In my state, conduit can’t have Romex in it. It has to be THHN individual wires. Also, PVC or direct burial Romex has to be down 20 inches, unless you have concrete above it. And you left out the part about the building inspector having to measure and approve your trench depth before you fill it in. But of course, every place can have different rules and procedures. It pays to find out your area rules.
Very interesting to see different electric standards across the world! This wouldn’t be legal here in the UK. Might be worth specifying in your article which standards you come under when doing work on electrical work so people don’t get (unintentionally) misled into doing something dangerous because they trusted you.
4:45 haven’t finished perusal the vid (so it’s possible what about to add as a tip was used) Another TIP for outside or anywhere using conduit or fittings or penetrating structures w/ holes and want to seal up holes for bug protection and weather……DUCT SEAL. Great stuff that has been around and used for very long time, and comes in bricks or small tubs (similar to spackle containers, but I’d pay for the brick kind as usually cost usually less when compared to amount getting, and can use in many different places and save it for future use). Also, yes, “can” fire stop and caulk the penetrations and in some areas I’d go that route, but say inside an LB, Duct Seal is what want to use, NOT any type of product that comes in caulk tube, imo, as can be difficult & messy. Also, yes, for ppl who gonna ask or want to know, can use the correct rated spray foam type material for inside electrics, fittings to seal up holes/air gaps, and then can caulk with exterior sealant etc….around the LB for more protection). Ok, back to the vid😁✌🏻
If you are going to go that shallow, best to place a layer of sand over the wire then concrete patio blocks over the sand so that if anyone hits it with a shovel, they will know something is down there. Yes the GFCI will shut off the power, but who wants to go through the trouble of fixing a cut cable?
Hey April, Great article. The nice thing about PVC is if you run into this later on with a project again, you could use a heat gun and apply a slight offset off the metal building over the concrete lip into the ground (1:43). By just applying a few minutes of heat along the pipe, you can shape it without any fittings. I used to do this when I was an apprentice electrician years ago, and it would work great on jobs.
Nice job. The only thing I saw that was not correct is you ran standard NM-b cable from the inside to the box that will have the GFCI. NM cable is not rated for wet locations and any conduit installed outside is considered a wet location due to condensation. To get around this you can run the cable directly into the back of the box that will have the GFCI.
There is flexible conduit, outdoor rated. I used that to run AC, along with outdoor-rated speaker wire, out to my shed. The great benefits: a) flexibility allows you to maneuver around large underground obstacles; b) zero underground junctions, so no leakage or seepage of water into your conduit. It’s been a godsend for Xmas lighting, as well as for outdoor stereo audio. I can run a powered subwoofer. The garden sounds amazing
Nice article again 👍 Consider adding also Ethernet cable whenever you run cables between or in buildings, it comes in sooooo handy if you need to expand your Wi-Fi on your property … yes, Wi-Fi mesh works, but there are many draw-backs, so good ol‘ wire is a good thing to put in. If you can use cat7, from my experience it’s not much more expensive than cat6(a), but shields against all kinds of interferences 😉 Cheers 🥂
Hey April I am a beginner woodworker from New Zealand and I have watched I think all of your articles. I cant thank you enough for all your talant and know how. You explain everything so beginners like me can do anything when it comes to woodworking. I have subcribed to your website and look forward to seeing alot more articles once again thank you.
Just FYI if you want to meet code yes the conduit is correct but the Direct bury cable is not at the correct depth. if it was in conduit the whole way you would need to use individual Wires. but with the Direct bury cable it needs to be 36″ or under 2″ of Concrete to be up to code because it is not in conduit. Just thought you and your viewers should be aware….Louis.
Every electrical article I’ve ever watched will state “if your not comfortable doing this work, call in an electrician”, which is sound advice. However, anyone can do the manual labor (digging trenches, running the wire, backfilling) prior to calling in the electrician, thus saving a ton of money. Had a project similar and ran a line 75’ from a house panel to a garage. Found out the code requirements, did the labor and then call the electrician. He was happy, because I had set up everything for him and all he had to do was set the wires in proper order. Saved 15 hundred on the project by doing some of the work myself.
You didn’t even need the LB’s as you could’ve used the outlet boxes as the LB’s and eliminated the LB’s entirely (LB’s aren’t cheap ~ $6 to $12 ea.). You would just mount the outlet boxes over top the holes you drilled with a short stub of pvc pipe coming out the back of the box and into the buildings. You could then either put another outlet in the box going into the shed or just blanked it off with a weather proof blank plate. UF cable not installed in conduit has to be at least 18″ below grade. If installed in conduit I believe it can be installed at 12″ below grade but don’t hold me to that as I don’t have the code book in front of me at the moment.
A real electrician would install all the conduit and then pull the cable in not like this amateur . Here in Australia none of this could legally happen as all fixed electrical work must be carried out by a LICENCED Electrician or Electrical Contractor It is a shame that You Tube censors some things but allows this to be shown in Australia.
Thanks for repeatedly mentioning codes. It’s generally not a problem doing your own work, so not strictly following code is not an issue. There a two main reasons I at least check with local authorities. 1. Codes exist to protect us and our neighbors. 2. You may have trouble selling your home, or have to take a big price hit, if codes are not followed. I recently had to a home for about half the actual value. One of the major factors was that I had an outbuilding that it didn’t meet codes, and had to be torn down.
That was UF cable wasn’t it? It didn’t look like Romex. The Minimum Covering Requirements for UF Cable General installation – bury UF cable 24 inches deep. 2 Inches of Concrete Covering when UF cable is buried 18 Inches Deep. 4 Inch Slab, No Vehicles – 18 Inch Depth. Under a Street – 24 Inch Depth. Under a Driveway – 18 Inch Depth.
THHN/THHW is much easier to pull through conduit. By not prebending the vertical first, you are preloading the strap/screws going into your metal skin. This leads to the screws pulling out when ever the building/ground vibrates due to wind/seismic/vehicular movement. Running conduit the entire way is FAR superior to running direct burial cable. Been there, done it, regretted it.
In Australia we need to be 600mm minimum deep with warning tape 100mm above the conduit. Also pull your cable through first then make you joins. It makes for a much easier and quicker job without the struggle. Anyway different regulations for different states and countries. Good to see your having a go and not scared to get your hands dirty 😊well done and look forward to seeing your next job 👍👍
It is good to check local codes. You mention the depth using pvc and a gfci but looks like you only used that to get into the trench and actually ran the UF cable by itself in the trench. Here, that would be more like 24″ deep. They do sell fittings for rigid conduit that are compression so no bending or threading needed.
A nice “minimum code” instal. Let me explain what I would do differently, and why. (PS: The wire she used is grey in color, so it might actually be rated UF. Not all UF is flat!) Rule of thumb: If you can see that elbow above grade, you’re not deep enough. Dig a few inches deeper, so you can rest your pipe on a nice bed of sand ( rocks can cause damage over time). You want the run to be deeper than a casual shovel bite or any sprinkler lines. I’d run pipe all the way, and pull individual wires. Individual wires are easier to pull than a fat cable. I’d oversized the pipe, so the pull is easier and there’s space should I ever need to upgrade. Using PVC primer really helps the glue to stick. I encourage running a second pipe, at least 3/4″, alongside. That will be useful should you later want to run alarm, data, or other low voltage lines there. I also like to have a small panel at the shed. You will want a ground rod if there’s more than one circuit. There should be a disconnect switch on the outside of the shed.
Yep ran such a line with underground #10 cable and conduit, out to my pond and on to my outbuilding. So my next door neighbor runs an extension cord thru the fence and uses my electricity at his outbuilding. Im gonna have to break the line at the pond and rig a way to disconnect the rest of the line till its needed.
I’ve never fully understood the attraction of UF cable. If you have already dug the trench, why not use PVC the whole way? In my estimation, this allows wire to be upsized when needed without digging a new trench. Plus, UF cable is so challenging to cut and work with, not to mention its lack of mechanical protection. But that’s my little nitpick. I appreciate how well you presented everything.
I dont know what the NEC is where you are, but it is not recommended to run romex in conduit, it can get really hot being that it cant breath, the sheath on the romex needs to breath, romex is intended to be run on its own, that’s why the sheath is put on it, when running in conduit you should use THHN/THWN wire.
Great job on the wiring. (I see a couple of people are not sure you’re up to spec for U.S.) but the physical installation you did was still well done and some good tips aswell for DIYers! (U.S. electrics is way different to U.K. anyway, as our electrical standards are unbelievably over-engineered for safety and update every year!) But appreciate all your hard work in ALL your articles.. always a top job and easy to follow your projects! Cheers from London 👍🏴🇬🇧
I am a retired bored EC so, here ya go 🙂 1) There is no special cement for conduit. PVC is PVC. If you found a label that said for conduit, it is a marketing gimmick. 2) You could have used the receptacle box to turn the corner into the building. You could have done the same thing at the shed to have a receptacle on the outside. 3) There is no code to protect the wiring as it enters the PVC. That MA is much sharper than the conduit 4) Romex (NM cable) is against code in your outside conduit. (Only a technical foul IMO) 5) You should have pushed the short end of the UF in thru the conduit 🙂 6) Although legal, unprotected cable is very vulnerable to damage. Besides rocks, gophers and moles can chew into it. It’d worth a few more dollars to run PVC all the way. Bottom line, the installation is good but some of your facts were wrong. 🙂 Also, you don’t want me to critique your terminations in the panel 🙂
Aside from the glaring code violation involving running interior-rated wiring to an external outlet, we couldn’t help but notice that there was no mention of the permitting and inspection process required by most municipalities when making alterations or additions to electrical service panels. Adding circuits to a breaker box isn’t quite the same as swapping out a defective light switch, and weekend warriors shouldn’t be misled to believe they can run electrical circuits without following proper procedures. Was the Romex dangling from the top of the subpanel at the beginning of the article the wiring you stuffed into the LB, or was that a completely different code violation?
Take it from a master electrician. If you are doing 60A or less, you are probably using romex for these INSIDE the structure. Never outside. Just stub it out of your shop or other structure into a 6X6X4″ 3R box. Pipe the whole way from A to B starting and ending with a 3R box. PVC is fine. 1-1/4″ is the smallest I recommend EVER. 2″ preferred, because most people end up upgrading later. Bury the pipe at least 18″ because damage happens. You drive over it with a tractor, or something settles and you are in for it. Pull THHN or XHHW. Too many people damage UF trying to make their splices. It is jacketed wire in a full sheath, and they nick the jackets to bare wire way too often. Cant tell you how many fires I have had to fix in those splice points. This way, 2 years down the line when you want to upsize, you can pull 2246 URD and have 100A available for whatever the structure is.
What you do is push it through the elbow before you glue it to the conduit then it makes it easier to pull through, then glue it when the cable is all pulled all the way through. To protect the underground conduit from accidental damage you should dig the trench at least 24 inches deep as pvc does not give good mechanical protection, if not cover it with concrete and lay down electrical caution tape over the length of the trench as a warning if any one should dig anywhere near the trench. You should also check the continuity and megger the cable before you close the trench in case you damaged it when you pulled it through the conduit.
You cant run romex in conduit. You got to peel the jacket and just run the conductors inside the conduit. You are allowed to bury romex but I do not advise it since it can become damaged, flooded, or chewed by rodents. Always a good idea to provide some sort of protection when burying cables. Also a good idea is to paint the pvc conduit as they become brittle with sunlight.
Thanks for the article! You did a wonderful job building that shed and you gave us a lot of ideas on how to run electric to our sheds. My advice to those interested in doing their own electric would be to watch a lot of articles on this subject and read all of the associated comments. You will find a wealth of knowledge in the comment section and get an idea of what Andrew did right and where Andrew could have improved on his installation. To those who are critical of his work, I suggest that you help the rest of us by putting out your own articles on this subject. Thanks again for the work you put into this, Andrew. We all can learn from our mistakes, but we can never learn without attempting to try our hand at it.
Buried conduit is considered a wet environment in code, so that UF-B was mandatory once you were in the buried conduit. Honestly seems like you might as well have started with UF-B. NEC does not demand 24″ in all circumstances, that is the deepest general recommendation. One way you could have done this is to put a GFCI or dual function breaker at the panel, and run UF-B right from the main panel to your shed branch circuit.
@6:10 No, if you’re going to use non-metallic sheathed cable in underground conduit for some reason, it must be type UF. The interior of conduit outside or underground is considered a wet location (they always end up with some water in them). But it makes no sense to run UF in conduit; it’s expensive and a pain to work with. Cheaper and easier to run individual 12 gauge THWN wires. Also, you cannot run the wires/cables as you go. NEC 300.18(A) says the conduit must be installed as a complete run before running any conductors. This helps ensure you don’t have too many bends and/or the conduit isn’t too small.
Good article. I believe it is against code to run Romex through conduit. My understanding is that you must use THHN or similar. It’s also my understanding that if conduit has >360* on bends there needs to be a junction box, not sure if you have that many or not. I counted 4 x 90* so that may be within the rule.
Andrew, obviously you are a great DIYer, but an electrician you are not and don’t appear to know NEC code. Instructing others how to install something governed by codes and not being trained, it’s just not a good plan. For those wanting to meet the NEC requirements: the code requires a disconnect means for separate buildings. a gfic recept is not usually rated as a disconnect for a separate building (just a switch where you put the gfic recept would do. A heat gun making those 90’s not so sharp would help. A bushing is required where the romex enters the conduit. UF cable in pvc is overkill, it just makes it needlessly difficult to install and strip it at a small pvc box. Your shed is gorgeous, looks great.
Huge rookie mistake at 9:18. NEVER fasten two wires onto a single terminal on a switch or receptacle! Always join them to a third, single wire using a wire connector, then wrap that single wire around the terminal. You espouse doing things to code, but that double-wrapped wire will fail code inspections pretty much everywhere.
ProTip- always add a spare conduit, you can use this for low volt, telecomm, or if the other conduit fails, you can use the second one, you wont easily get another chance to trench later on. CodeTip- Most circuits are required to be 18 inches down in pvc, not 12 inches. Thats only an exception for GFCI protected wiring ProTip- Its very for the GFCI to nuissance trip in years to come, because water ALWAYS gets into the conduit, if the wire gets damaged at some point, you will lose power without the GFCI. You dont want to be chained to a GFCI for power, they are not reliable long term Look up the ‘NEC burial depth chart’ and make sure its from the last few years to be certain (also your not supposed to use romex in outdoor conduit, but as long as it doesnt go underground, its not a huge deal)
Jesus Christ, this is why people who are not licensed electricians should not be posting “how to” articles of work they are not qualified to do. This article contains numerous code violations and some of the worst electrical work possible. You need to take this article down before some homeowner tries to follow along with these shenanigans and hurts themselves.
When I read the National Electric Code (NEC) the conduit had to be fully assembled before the wire was pulled through. If you plan on storing gas powered equipment in the shed then read the part of the code that explains when explosion proof fittings are needed. Generally the plan is developed and drawn so that with the aid of the drawing and parts list a permit can be issued. No permit means your home owners insurance may not pay if something goes wrong.
I’m actually surprised your electrician didn’t put in a GFCI breaker in the panel knowing that everything that circuit will feed is outside, in fact I believe the NEC mandates that GFCI protection must begin at or before the transition point from interior to exterior in a branch circuit. That 20 amp single circuit feeding your shed is kind of small, that only leaves enough power for lights and a few small power tools like a circular saw or jig saw. I would have ran an 80 or 100 amp feed to the shed and put a small sub panel out there and branched everything off of that, but I also have a drill press, 60 gallon compressor, a 2 HP table saw, and a 5000 btu window A/C in my shed/shop which is much more than most homeowners normally have.
Andrew, Love the easy to follow step by step. Regarding pulling the cable through the conduit, what I would offer as a tip: Since you performed the appropriate sweeping bends, this is super easy to pull romex through… Fully glue and bury your conduit… Option A: pull mule tape or 1/4″ nylon rope through the conduit as you go. Option B: fully assemble all the way to just before your junction boxes and using a vacuum, you can suck the mule tape through the full length by tying a large cotton ball to the end of your mule tape/nylon rope. once the rope is in the conduit, you can use conduit lube to pull your electrical through the fully buried line… and since it’s buried, it won’t budge. Knowing that you did this build completely by yourself, the way you did it is perfectly acceptable considering you only had a single pair of hands, but you can save yourself a decent chunk of time sucking mule tape, then pulling cable through lubed conduit. Cheers, great article!
Non metallic sheath cable is not rated for wet locations. This is a code violation. If you would’ve ran UF cable (sleeved with PVC conduit) outside under the deck you would be good. And you should’ve used expansion fittings transitioning out of the ground to the structure. When the ground moves it expands and contracts, it will pull PVC apart.
#2 Conduit has to be built then wire pulled! The glue will melt the sheathing on the cable. you will nick the cable doing it that way and it will be compromised. All conduits underground will have water in them no matter how much glue you put on the conduit, If you nicked the wire (which you did) is compromised.
That shed looks great. The electrical comments were very helpful. I see why you did it the way you did. My only comments are that i would have put the switches on the inside and used smart switches to set up timers and to be able to control them remotely. Do you have to use fire blocking rated caulk or spray foam for that penetration to your basement? I’m not sure when that applies.
You did nice work and it works for you but much of it is illegal. It’s one thing to do stuff for yourself but doing a how to article to teach other people to do it wrong is something else. When you run conduit you should minimize the bends and by code you are not allowed more than 360 degrees of bends between openings such as boxes and conduit bodies. And since you used UF cable that is difficult to pull anyway that wire will never come out, if it fails the whole run will have to be torn out and replaced. I know you did it a section at a time but technically that’s illegal too since the code requires the raceway system to be complete before installing wire. You also can’t glue your conduit to the wall, a conduit strap is required. The other big mistake you made was installing your switch and lighting outlet boxes so that they are recessed. The box has to be flush with the surface of the wall or slightly protruding so that the cover or fixture mount to the face of the box. By having them recessed you have introduced combustible material to the inside of the space where your wire terminations are made, the most likely place for an arcing fault to occur and start a fire. Arc faults are several thousand degrees, more than enough to ignite your wood composite siding. Sorry, I’m not trying to be a nit picker just being critical but this was a how to article. The electrical code is a very complicated thing and takes years to learn and constant updating and re-education. Enjoy your shed, it looks great.
As this is how to add electricity to a shed and not run a wire, I will add that you can also add a battery system, possibly with solar to recharge it. (Called Portable power.) What it costs is offset by it’s simplicity and may be better for some people. It might be cheaper also. You do have to recharge it. Either by carrying for smaller systems or wheeling it to a power source or adding a solar source to recharge it where it sits. He states 120V x20 amps= 2400 watts There are systems much larger than this.
Why would you push Romex down PVC? Set a junction box and pull THHN through it until you get to the direct burial cable. Set another weatherproof box there and tie in the UF cable there or run more PVC and use THHN. Romex in PVC is a horrible waste of conduit space. In a piece of 3/4″ PVC, you can safely put 15 #12 THHN in it.
that cable insulation can degrade. I’ve seen you use that glue on pvc and was creating a mess in some areas. I wouldn’t trust those hands working around it. Cable insulation glued to pipe tears while installing is a pretty big risk if you end up pulling too hard. If you want to update electrical in the future, you’re going to be really fighting with the wiring and breaking the joints off your conduit even though its underground.
All of the electrical (blue) “boxes” (circular and rectangular) on the exterior walls of the shed should be mounted flush with the exterior wall. So, neither the box for the double switches or any of the boxes for the exterior lights comply with electrical codes. And they’re all fire hazards and potential shock hazards. Other than that (and running the wrong type of wire out of the house), good article.
Your shed turned out great! These articles gave me some good tips while I’ve been building mine. I’m just about to do my electrical also and am trying to figure out if I can use romex inside. I was thinking of using the metal clad aluminum (MC cable) instead of romex since it will be permanently exposed. I really do not want to run conduit everywhere.
I would have ran extra amperage to shed and used stranded wire. Would hope wires could be pulled through conduit if necessary. Switches for exterior lights on shed should be installed inside house. Wouldn’t have to run outside when the lights needed to be turned off. Good job on keeping burial depth in mind though.
No means of disconnect on the building. NM used in wet location. No warning tape in the ditch. Boxes not flush to exterior siding. Connector into the reddot 2 gang box? Was that a T&B 3210? Funny how it’s a against code for us electricians to coach homeowners on their DIY project but unlicensed YT creators can just spew away whatever they please. If you’re going to release these “Look what I did!” articles, please do your homework. If you’re perusal to learn, take with an extremely large grain of salt. Pick up a copy of the current NEC and you’ll start to understand. Nothing against homeowners doing their own work at all. It’s simply that a mis-installed window might not seal out the cold. A wrongly installed door might stick shut in a year. Plumbing might drain slowly if not correctly installed. Poorly installed electrical work has and will kill someone. No joke
I have a question: 1. If I use conduit (pvc) do I use wire or can the romex go inside. 2. for the exposed part, can I use the electrical pvc conduit or do I use the metal? 3. The reason is I am asking is because I have to go from outside wall to burying. I do not want to have to buy different wire I guess
2 minutes into it and it’s already wrong. Have you ever heard of the NEC or this thing called Amendments to the NEC relative to your specific area of State, County and City? There’s also the UBC with relative amendments which may or may not impact the height of your shed and set-backs from property lines. One of my neighbors had to bulldoze his entire home down because he figured he didn’t have to comply with local building codes. Turned out, he did. Shucks…now it’s at 3 minutes in and I can’t keep perusal. Way too many mistakes. I hope amateurs read all these comments and learn before they try to do what this guy did.
Romex can’t be in conduit outdoors, should of been wire rated for that application. Another thing you’re not allowed to do is pull wire as your building the raceway. You’re suppose to build it and then pull the wire through Can cause damage to wire. These things might seem minor but when you’re putting out content for other diyers to do you should do a bit more research and make sure you’re 100% on doing the install correctly.
YEs folks, always check with a local electrician to make sure you aren’t engineering a code violations as code does in fact change and there may be considerations to where you live. As of today, prior to perusal this article, I found another that specifies that NMC (non metallic/Romex etc.) can not be run inside ANY conduit once it transitions to a wet location…for example, if the conduit/pvc goes outside, your wires inside must be THHN and NOT even just stripped NMC/Romex!
Im sorry you put this article out. You probably had good intention. We are dealing with electricity. Electricity will kill you, if not done correctly. I have been an electrician for 27 years. I know what I’m talking about. It’s obvious you got wrong information. Please don’t put articles out if you have no clue what your doing.
No real or proper electrician had any part or approval of this article. Here’s why; 1. Sloppy wire run to exterior, no support, no staples, you can see a nail holding the wire in one spot. 2. Missing panel knock out, shouldn’t have been left like this especially by an electrician. 3. No J box where wire exits the house to switch an approved exterior grade wire, this is where romex should’ve ended. 4.THHN is the preferred wire for pvc conduit because of ease of install and amount occupied space. UF direct burial cable could be used here as its not against code, but the conduit would have to upsized as it should not exceed 40% of the conduits volume. 5. GFCI is not just black and white wires there’s also “line” and “load” configureration which are very important for proper protection, also you can clearly see the ground wire was not attached to the oulet itself. 6. Changing from pvc conduit to metal box means box must now be properly grounded. 7. Conduit should’ve all been installed first empty and not have more than four 90 degree bends, to a pull point, LB fitting or J box, then the wire fished or pulled through afterwards. 8. Expansion couplers should be used on long conduit run under the deck and where it enters and exits the ground at both locations. 9. There must be conduit clips/straps within 12 inches of boxes or LB fittings. 10. Electrical line burial tape should’ve been placed over conduit run at about half depth when backfilling. 11. Romex should not be exposed in shed, as it’s now subject to damage and or critters, he should’ve continued with conduit (rigid or flexible) or armoured cable instead.
Total fail. 405 degrees in conduit run. Only allowed 360 degrees. Romex have twists in it. The light boxes are not flush with outside wall. Notching corner of 2 x 4 with out using metal plate for protecting wire. No romex connector on bell box. Your romex NM-B may not be installed in the PVC cause it is now classified as a wet/damp location. Code requires conduit to be a complete system then you pull in the conductors. Total Hack job!!!!!!
That 12 inches is from the top of the conduit. Not the depth of the trench. You needed almost a 13 inch trench for 1/2 pvc and a smidge over 13 inches for 3/4 inch pvc. Also too many bends in the conduit. I countes at least 4 90 bends and 45 degree kick. No disconnect for the power in the shed. Wrong box for exterior lights. Looks like you failed inspection sir! Dig that shit up. Lol
I don’t know who are the ‘likes’ of this article but I assume to be just the curious (without basic knowledge and don’t like steps/procedures to follow). This guy is using wrong and/or unecessary materials making the choices for the job difficult to understand. He is using the wrong wire, expensive conduit, and expensive(not necessary for the job) boxes, outlets, etc. On top of that he provides no explanation why he used those materials. He is all over the place and it would be impossible for one to take such a project based on his demo.
My building has 10 uf in the air from the house to a drip loop into the top under the overhang to a small sub panel. 220 volts available. Runs a well pump, lights and receptacle. No way will i waste my time running just one 12 gauge wire to my building(shed). Would have done underground but i would have had to dig all the way around the house and under the driveway.
Hmm, I didn’t know that you did not need an electricians license let alone a contractors license to undertake electrical work in America. Not once did I see mention of any rules or regulations or how you calculated the correct size wire based on you load. The conduit you used look remarkedly like normal household conduit and not underground conduit. When you were finished who examined your work to ensure it complied with all state and federal requirements.
After reading a fraction of the remarks I have decided to hire a licensed electrician to wire my shed. Andrew, my advice is to hire a licensed electrician; show him this article and have it brought up to code. Afterwards, sell the rights to this article to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) which writes the NEC . They can use as a training article. Hopefully water doesn’t get into the tubing and cause a short, especially since you poured concrete.
Why would you document an unsafe, amateur, code violating electrical installation and then send it out over YouTube? If there was any doubt that your skill level wasn’t up to the task you confirmed it for all of us to see. And your “electrician” gave you a thumbs up on the installation!? Time to fire both of you.
you can’t run standard romex outdoors has to be UF or THHN in conduit so your electrician should’ve set a box right after the romex left the house and changed it over to the aforementioned wire. That romex will break down over time as water intrudes inside the conduit cause water will get inside it eventually. Not sure why your electrician did that because he should’ve known he can’t do that from the start.
Awesome production. Fast so as to maintain attention but ohhhh so wrong. But hey! A half million views, so although I know it’s unsafe, you must be right because you are popular. There’s a thing called NEC put out by NFPA. While jurisdictions must adopt it and have competent enforcement of it following it is simply a “good idea”. As everyone says, no romex in conduit. Not only is out door conduit considered a wet environment, romex just isn’t allowed in conduit due to heat concerns. Consideration must be given to length of the run. I added power to my attached garage and had to select the cable based on the distance from breaker panel to the sub. Again it was noted the boxes must ve flush with surfaces or have extenders. Very important for FIRE safety. If you go the UF direct burial method you actually are supposed to have a certain amount of sand below and above the cable so no rocks contact the cable. Direct burial, when done correctly is far more expensive and time consuming than conduit. NEXT, I’m stepping off my soap box, somebody else go.
Good ideas and information, but terrible execution- Romex in conduit is not to code, you need to apply glue to both the pipe and the inside of the bell end and insert the pipe into the bell completely, twisting and holding for at least 5 seconds to get a secure joint. 2 circuits, 1 for lights and one for power would be the best setup, as @kpd3308 states below.
He talks about consulting an electrician, but then shows doing lots of stuff that an electrician would not gave recommended if he followed NEC. A short list—NM cable in a wet location his yellow wire coming out of his house. NM cable in conduit-allowed under special conditions for short runs. Direct burial wire UF un conduit see above- not by NEC for length of run. And the list goes on
I’m sure others who actually know the NEC have already corrected you about the minimum cover required when using pvc. You should do all the research possible to avoid causing someone to have a failed inspection. Twelve inch is only allowed if there is also 2 inches of concrete on top. It must be 18 inches otherwise.
WOW ROMEX IT CONDOIT . YOU ALL DO RELIZE THAT ROMEX IN CONDOIT IS BAD BECAUSE ROMEX CAN GIT VERY HOT. IF YOU USED UFB WIRE IT IS RATED TO BE IN CONDOIT AND BE UNDER GORUND. MORE IMFO CHECK YOUR LOCAL ELECTRICL CODE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT HE IS RIGHT. AND YES I KNOW I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SPELL CONDOIT. AND I DO NOT CARE DUE TO ALL OF THE DIY PEOPLE PISSING ME OFF. O AND IF YOU ARE WONDRING WHAT IS THE DIFFRINCE BETWEAN ROMEX AND UFB WIRE IS UFB WIRE IS WETHER PROF AND ROMEX IS INDOOR RATED BIG DIFFRINCE.
1) Never trust your life to a non contact voltage tester. 2) That is not a 1/2″ drill bit 3) NM cable is not allowed outside. (Only a technical foul IMO) 4) Stuffing cable thru PVC is a PITA :). An electrician would have pulled in individual wires I will give you a C for the overall job because it’s not horrible. :). If you were to have used individual conductors and not so many bends, you could add circuits later and you would have gotten a B 🙂
I had the contractor on my addition put in a designated 20 amp breaker with an outlet outside so that I could run power later on. Its now later on and Im not sure what gauge was used to route to the first outlet. Given the work they did on the rest I suspect its the bare minimum, likely 12ga, maybe even 14 ga. Total length from box to shed is gonna be about 100ft of run. Im worried I might need to rewire the initial run to 6ga wire. Thoughts?
I bought a house in 2000, it had the water well in the front yard, about 50 feet from the street, and the pump and tank was also located there. The house sat about 300 feet further back from the street, and to power the water pump, the previous owner had romex suspended from the oak trees running all the way back to the house, entering the front living room through a hole in the floor, with the romex connecting to a lamp corp with wire nuts, then inserted into the electrical outlet in the wall of the living room! …face palm/shakes head/ rolles eyes!! I installed UFC down about 3′ (ditchwitch) and a proper 20A breaker in the electrical box. Took be a whole weekend to do…oaktree roots!
Just before you article came up I viewed “#1 DIY Electric Mistake – Can you use Romex Wire in Conduit?” He said you can not run Romex in conduit in ‘DAMP’ locations. I believe grass grows in DAMP locations. youtube.com/watch?v=PZFJkXfThUg Silicone rubber is hydroscopic. Which means the inside face of the rubber can be wet. So the question is the life of the paint since wood is also hydroscopic.
I just bought a house that has power going to the shed its a 20 amp breaker and they followed the same guidelines on the depth so I know now by perusal this article that my shed is safe and the guys who did the work knew what they were doing. I enjoy perusal the different articles of each project very educational. TY
Hi. Can you help me out? I tiled bathroom and didnt dry epoxy water properly after grouting. There is no Physical stuff on the surface but seems like there is a haze in pores that wont come off no matter what i hit it with from standard shelves. Kerapoxy cleaner, Pci durapox finish, heat, acetone, alcohol, vinegar didnt work. i scrubbed it with stainless pad for pans or copper tubes but it did not come off. (the epoxy grout in joints did react but haze did not) Any tips for removing that haze where drop of epoxy water rolled down please ? thank you very much.
Ths is bad. There is no way an electrician actually looked at this and said it was ok. There are so many code violations here. You can’t run NM-B outside even in conduit. Cables not secured properly. Doubling up ground wires under the receptacle screws. Not being able to pull the wire through the conduit. Open hole in the panel box. On and on…