[AJD] Barn Electric Service, was Late A Roll-o-...

[Tom in N Texas]

John,

Sorry, I can't help with a source for a temporary barn.

What caught my eye was the 400 foot run of your electric service to the 
permanent barn. I suspect you know that long service runs require 
extra-large wire to avoid excessive Voltage drop.

When I ran the service to my barn, I installed #3 AWG wire in the 
underground service. I installed a 70 Amp circuit breaker at the house. I 
think this is enough to run a small  electric welder. I'm sorry that I 
don't remember the calculations to determine the wire  size for long runs. 
To maintain a reasonable Voltage drop, you should probably double the wire 
AREA each time you double the distance.

I think the rule of thumb for the first hundred feet is to go up two AWG 
numbers. A twenty-Amp service is normally wired with #12 AWG. So go up two 
wire sizes says use #10 AWG for a hundred foot run.

Now, double the AREA for two hundred feet. Then double it again for four 
hundred feet. I'm sorry I don't have a wire table handy to tell you what 
wire size that is. We're installing new carpets and all my books are packed.

That would give you two twenty-Amp circuits, barely enough for some lights 
and one tool at a time. The cost would be prohibitive, of installing a 
service large enough for a welder, let alone 200 Amperes. The only way 
would be to have your electric company install a power line and a 
transformer at the barn.

Hope this helps a little bit. I'm sorry it's not sufficient.

Tom in North Texas

-----------------------------------------------
At 09:20 AM 10/3/05 , you wrote:
>All,
>
>Can anybody point me to a website that sells temporary inexpensive
>garage/barn kits made from tarp material.  I need a place to keep my 49
>BW out of weather and large enough to work in.  Right now it's partially
>dismantled and under tarps since Summer of '04.
>
>I did buy a portable garage for my wife's van from Costco for around
>$170 that should last for about 3 years till the tarp starts to break
>down from sun. I was thinking of using something like this unless there
>is a better idea out there..
>
>I also wonder if there's a cheap site to buy wire for the underground
>service to our future barn pad (where the tractor is stored now). I need
>to run 240v from a 200 amp service underground about 400 ft through a 1"
>conduit.
>
>Thanks for any advice..
>
>John Kania
>
>Sunnybrook, California

Tom in N Texas, KC5INU,  tdulin at pulse.net, "Nothing Runs like a JD MT Deere",
1949 John Deere MT, JD No. 50 Box Blade,  1954 JD No. 5 Sickle-Bar Mower,
1975 JD 214 Lawn Tractor, 1918-22 JD Dain Horse-Drawn Sickle-Bar Mower