Multiple wiring runs to detached garage

[db-us]

Hello Everyone,

I am in need of advice on wiring. I am building a detached garage that is about 130 feet from my house. I want to run cat 5 for the security system (Elk), cat 5 for network and also cat5 for future expansion such as thermostats, motion detectors or whatever comes to mind in the future. Should I run individual cat5 cables or is there a multiple conductor cable that I should use instead? It will be buried underground but I can put it in conduit if needed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Davin

 

[jasv]

Hello Everyone,

I am in need of advice on wiring. I am building a detached garage that is about 130 feet from my house. I want to run cat 5 for the security system (Elk), cat 5 for network and also cat5 for future expansion such as thermostats, motion detectors or whatever comes to mind in the future. Should I run individual cat5 cables or is there a multiple conductor cable that I should use instead? It will be buried underground but I can put it in conduit if needed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Davin

I used the multi purpose cabling from smarthome listed here. So far, I've found it bulky, and expensive overkill. Hopefully, I will be glad I did it one day.

 

[rfdesq]

I would put a data bus hub in the garage, plug an M1XIN into it for your doors, motions, etc., also attach your thermostat controller to the DBH and run a single Cat 5 back to the main house and connect it to your M1 (several different ways depending on your situation). I would still run several Cat 5 or 6 or 7 cables back to the main house for future expandability. I'm a firm believer in conduit.

 

[DavidL]

I have the same situation. I ran a 4 inch convulated pipe in a ditch and put a pull cord and a few Cat5 and RG6 lines between house and barn. This was in same trench as a fresh water line. Should NOT be in same proximity as a power line, due to the good odds that there will be RF noise transferred between the power line and low voltage lines. Can be in same trench, just put them at different heights.

I have ELK I/O boxes on an RS485 line between house and barn. I also have RS485 thermostat line.
PC LAN, and a few extra Cat5 for just in case.

 

[db-us]

I have the same situation. I ran a 4 inch convulated pipe in a ditch and put a pull cord and a few Cat5 and RG6 lines between house and barn. This was in same trench as a fresh water line. Should NOT be in same proximity as a power line, due to the good odds that there will be RF noise transferred between the power line and low voltage lines. Can be in same trench, just put them at different heights.

I have ELK I/O boxes on an RS485 line between house and barn. I also have RS485 thermostat line.
PC LAN, and a few extra Cat5 for just in case.

Do you need to run a special type of cat5 when it is in a pipe under the ground?

 

[gcimmino]

What type of conduit are folks using for this purpose? I'm about to install a 25' underground run between buildings too.

I do agree that conduit with multiple individual cables and extra pull tapes/strings is the way to go.

What kind of separation is required when adding a 2nd conduit for 110v wiring in the same trench?

Thanks

 

[DavidL]

For a run of only 25 ft, there is "special" PVC pipe for this available at all HomeDepot / Lowes stores. It is in the electrical dept and typically comes in 10 ft lengths that is solvent welded toether.

Since my run was over 150 ft, I just used the 4 inch corrugated pipe (without holes) that is more often used for underground water distribution.

Seperation in a common trench between low voltage and high in my mind should be over 1 1/2 ft of dirt. Power has to be below 18 inches of dirt or so, depending on local electrical code. In my situation, my trench was 4 ft deep as I was running fresh water from house to barn and had to be below frost line. The low voltage is at the bottom of the trench, and high voltage is about 2 ft above that (2 ft down).

keep in mind most of this is covered by local electrical code. That is the place to ask the question. I have found the inspectors to be helpful with these types of questions and their opinion is actually what counts anyway.

 

[rfdesq]

What type of conduit are folks using for this purpose?

I use Schedule 40 gray electrical conduit 2 or 2 1/2" or Schedule 80 where there is any chance of mechanical damage. I use my regular Cat 6 for these underground runs.

 

[gcimmino]

Thanks rfdesq and DavidL!

Stay tuned for an upcoming post that will inquire about the new building's setup...

I'm expecting to use a DBH, an XIN, a KP2, 3 KPASs and a whole bunch of other stuff..

 

[db-us]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions. Based on the feedback, I plan on installing about 130 feet of gray 2 inch pvc pipe and running about 7 cat5s and 2 coaxes. I'll use the M1XIN and a DBH in the detached garage.

Thanks for the help,
Davin

 

[brotsten]

Thanks for the advice and suggestions. Based on the feedback, I plan on installing about 130 feet of gray 2 inch pvc pipe and running about 7 cat5s and 2 coaxes. I'll use the M1XIN and a DBH in the detached garage.

Thanks for the help,
Davin

Add a couple of pull strings for future proofing.

Brian