"Dig a 600mm trench for power" to the front gate: How??

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Batman

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#120957 19-Jun-2013 16:56

Got a gater to have a look at our place and he says hmm you need a 600mm trench to bury power cables to power a front gate ... it's gonna cost a lot ... shakes his head

So ... we have some small trees some paved driveway ...

I'm guessing we won't pay to get this done but hypothetically is it possible to DIY these things?

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#839630 19-Jun-2013 17:08

How long? What is the soil (Clay, gravel, sand...)?

You could do it with a spade (try get a narrow one) but would be a lot of effort. Might be a good job for Student Job Search.

Could hire a 'ditch witch' - a cross between a rotary hoe and a chainsaw. Come to think of it, not sure if you can hire them on account of being so dangerous, but wouldn't take a contractor too long with one of them.

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#839631 19-Jun-2013 17:08

i dug a 600mm trench for my gas lines to come in. grab a shovel and get cracking :-)

and, if you live in a rocky area like me, be prepared to bust out a kango and start breaking rocks too :'(

some bloke with a small trenching digger might be able to do it faster and not be too expensive

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#839632 19-Jun-2013 17:09

Yes you can do it yourself, it does not have to be in a straight line, The cable will have to be in conduit so will have to accomidate that.
You could get a company to thust the cable, they can go through tree roots and under pathways.
Another option which I see a lot is solar panels and lower voltage systems to open gates.

I know enough to be dangerous

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#839633 19-Jun-2013 17:10

what about sealed driveway type stuff to traverse?

that would put it in the too hard basket?

wellygary

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#839634 19-Jun-2013 17:11

How far are we talking about, is it 10 metres or 100 metres?

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#839635 19-Jun-2013 17:13

In short, yes, it is possible to DIY a trench.

You may have to hire a concrete cutter if you need to cross a drive though.

Stay away from the trees if possible.

Have a look at getting the cable/s thrust underground, you will have to pay but a much neater and quicker job.

I have a similar project coming up, my 18 year old son is going to be volunteering for the job.....

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls

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#839654 19-Jun-2013 17:24

ok :D I will return to this thread should we decide to go ahead :D

good to know that the mitre 10 DIY spirit is alive amongst GZers!

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#839675 19-Jun-2013 18:08

Go to a hire center and get a chain digger. You will have a 600m trench in under half an hour. Wont cost a ridiculous amount either. The conduit and cable will cost more than the hire cost.

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#839697 19-Jun-2013 18:25

Hire a chain/trench digger, or put it in a heavy duty orange pipe on the surface (not light duty).

You can never have enough Volvos!

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#839710 19-Jun-2013 18:39

Niel: Hire a chain/trench digger, or put it in a heavy duty orange pipe on the surface (not light duty).

Can you get UV stabilised orange conduit? Pretty sure only grey is good for external.

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#839735 19-Jun-2013 19:14

wellygary: How far are we talking about, is it 10 metres or 100 metres?

about 30m

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#839793 19-Jun-2013 20:13

600mm deep at least, 150mm wide, either run it in conduit with the orange plastic tape above it, or without conduit use magslab.

As far as hiring a trencher, good idea, but very easy to go right thru your incoming mains, phone line, water, sewage without even knowing it, best bet is a spade

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#839830 19-Jun-2013 20:45

Make sure you know where all your utilities are buried! Get a ditch spade and go for it.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

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#840667 20-Jun-2013 22:44

chevrolux:
Niel: Hire a chain/trench digger, or put it in a heavy duty orange pipe on the surface (not light duty).

Can you get UV stabilised orange conduit? Pretty sure only grey is good for external.

The other day when I checked the wiring rules it talked a lot about underground cable requirements, but then basically just said cables on the surface are excluded from requirements. I would run the orange conduit to make it clear for everyone it is electricity, not water. And heavy duty as you want it to have better strength.

UV degradation is on the surface (little penetration). Over time it goes deeper only as cracks form (and exposes fresh plastic). White/grey pipe will reflect more UV, orange will absorb more and fade. But for surface wiring you are not protecting against diggers, you are only providing basic mechanical protection/safety.

Come to think about it, the right stuff to use on the surface is probably corrugated conduit (as used for aircons etc.). And you would likely have to attach it to something rigid like the house wall and/or a fence.

So far I could not find a definitive statement on what is allowed for outdoor surface wiring. Anyone that can quote a standard/legislation?

But why do you (the OP) use a mains gate motor? There are both 12V and 24V motors available, and often they are faster than mains motors (according to spec sheets). You can also battery backup power them. Look up Easy Gate who sells DIY kits.

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#840674 20-Jun-2013 23:12

Niel:
chevrolux:
Niel: Hire a chain/trench digger, or put it in a heavy duty orange pipe on the surface (not light duty).

Can you get UV stabilised orange conduit? Pretty sure only grey is good for external.

The other day when I checked the wiring rules it talked a lot about underground cable requirements, but then basically just said cables on the surface are excluded from requirements. I would run the orange conduit to make it clear for everyone it is electricity, not water. And heavy duty as you want it to have better strength.

UV degradation is on the surface (little penetration). Over time it goes deeper only as cracks form (and exposes fresh plastic). White/grey pipe will reflect more UV, orange will absorb more and fade. But for surface wiring you are not protecting against diggers, you are only providing basic mechanical protection/safety.

Come to think about it, the right stuff to use on the surface is probably corrugated conduit (as used for aircons etc.). And you would likely have to attach it to something rigid like the house wall and/or a fence.

So far I could not find a definitive statement on what is allowed for outdoor surface wiring. Anyone that can quote a standard/legislation?

But why do you (the OP) use a mains gate motor? There are both 12V and 24V motors available, and often they are faster than mains motors (according to spec sheets). You can also battery backup power them. Look up Easy Gate who sells DIY kits.

hmm I will ask an electrician for the rules I guess

Why mains powered? Poor sunnage as lots of trees surrounding my section to use solar. Battery is an option I guess but the gater didn't offer that option.

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