Long run - PVC questions

[8NTX]

I am getting ready to dig a line to run electric to my boathouse, a distance of 620 ft. A master electrician has agreed to design the system for me and hook everything up. My job is to trench and run the heavy lines that will be required. Direct bury is out since we have gophers. I do have a couple of fairly sharp turns, but will try to straighten out the one 90 deg. turn because I know this will be impossible to fish the lines. Due to heavy woods and other constraints, the line will not be straight, but full of sharp turns and curves. Questions:

- How flexible is the gray PVC?
- Will a 2" pipe hold 2-#4 wires, 1-#6, and 1-#8 ?
- I plan to buy a 200 ft. fish tape and do about 180 ft. at a time; will I be able to tie the wires together and fish once in each length? Or will I have to do each length 4 times?

Thanks.

[kactuskid]

PVC is not really flexible, it can be bent, but a special heating device is used, not a torch. Your 2" piping is fine for your wire to fit in, I hope your electrician advised of the wire size as that long of a run the wires would be derated for use. Also make sure the wire you install is rated for use in wet areas. You will also need someone to help you in feeding the cable while one pulls. Here are a few links that may help you out a bit, hopefully other's will reply

http://www.alanwire.com/tech/conduit.html

http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm/5-424/chap5.htm

http://www.essexep.com/electrical/handiwire/literature/WC%20Selection%20Chart.pdf

[8NTX]

Direct burial wire would be nice, but there are too many gophers around and I'm afraid it wouldn't last a week. There is no way to get around the sharp curves, bends, and turns in this run. What would you recommend, short of the special device to bend the Sched. 40 PVC? Any other options here? And the electrician recommends the #4 wire, although the voltage drop calculators I have seen say #2.

[irregularjoe]

620 feet?
Boy do you have a job in front of you.
What amperage do you plan on sending to the boathouse? That, along with the distance determines the correct wire size. What type of load is going to be on the boathouse?

Did you ever see OHM'S mother in LAW?...... SHOCKING!

[irregularjoe]

"I plan to buy a 200 ft. fish tape and do about 180 ft. at a time; will I be able to tie the wires together and fish once in each length? Or will I have to do each length 4 times?"......

Not sure what you mean there. But you definately cannot make connections inside the pipe.
It either has to be one continuous run, or you can connect the pipes with above ground waterproof boxes and make connections there.



Did you ever see OHM'S mother in LAW?...... SHOCKING!

[8NTX]

These plans keep evolving, so bear with me. It doesn't help that my electrician who said he would design and hook-up everything now won't return my calls.

My needs at boathouse (sub-panel 40 ft. away from hoist):

13.5 amp, 1HP hoist
1-flourescent work light
1-60w fixture
1-double floodlight fixture
1-110v receptacle

along the trail:
5-double floodlight fixtures (last 300 ft. of run)

From the advice here and elsewhere, I've decided to run 3-#2awg wires (includes 1 neutral) plus a #8 ground, in 2" PVC. There is a 90deg. turn at about 280 ft. into the run, so I'm thinking about an elbow pull (removable plate, 90 deg. elbow) at this point. Then I guess I will pig-tail to each trail light at a box and pull from there?