Undersidewalk Cord

[slamdvw]

It was a beautiful day here in Wyoming. Looking at a pile of SO cord I had laying around, figured I better finish a project I started a while back.

For Christmas Lights, on the other side of the sidewalk, I ran a cord under the sidewalk to eliminate the tripping hazard. The original intent was to have the cord, then finish it like I did here.

After my roommate ran over the semi coiled cord with the lawnmower, I figured I better finish the project.

File legend:
Cords.jpg - cords laying across walk
Newparts.jpg - new parts needed
newparts2.jpg - same as above
outlets.jpg - shot of outlet boxes installed
outletswired.jpg - same as above

Cords laying across the sidewalk: tripping hazard.

New parts to be installed. Irrigation valve boxes. Outlet boxes bolted to the side of the plastic one. Mounted as high as possible.

[slamdvw]

I was being cheap and bought the wrong size control boxes... the small round ones. Needed more room.

Then to 'secure' the lid to keep the copper thieves installed a allen head screw.

File legend:

notbig.jpg - round control boxes... not big enough
ready.jpg - cord coiled and ready for use.
ready2.jpg - outlets standing ready.
lidon.jpb - all finished.

Im guessing 50 feet of 14-2 w/ground SO cord was rescued from the salvage pile in the making of this project.

There is a GFI installed. Should take care of any problems should they arise.

Not welding, I know. Just a helpful hint. kinda. Thanks for looking.

[DSW]

Good idea and I applaud your effort. Unfortunately your material choices leave something to be desired.

SJ cord is not rated for direct burial I believe ( I could be wrong, never thought to burry it.). UF might have been a better choice. Even conduit may fill with water buried so I would still have used UF even if I had installed condiut. The boxes should have been outdoor rated with water proof connectors. They will quickly rust in those pits and the connections will get damp. I think I see the GFCI in one of the gang boxes so I'll give you that, however it should be up where you are suppling power from as opposed to here in the pit.

I can not tell if this is just an "extension cord" that you will plug in at the house or is designed to have power hardwired. If it is hard wired I would make some major changes. In the event of a heavy rain / downpour those pits will most likely fill with water, submerging those boxes. A GFCI at the house will be required at a minimum. I would also prefer to see all the boxes with water tight fittings/ exterior boxes. I would also like to see stone below the pit as well as in it to lessen the chance that this will fill. To be honest I doubt that this would meet code regardless, I would be curious to here a regulars electrician's opinion.

As I said at the begining it looks like a creative way to bypass the cords on the ground problem. Looks like you put a good deal of effort into it. If it is just an elaborate extension cord you might be ok. Just be careful.

[MoonRise]

Like DSW mentioned, nice idea but wrong materials and execution of that idea.

You can't use "cord" in a permanent application and you can't use "cord" in an out-of-sight application. You can't run "cord" in conduit (it's out-of-sight), and you can't bury "cord" (it's out-of-sight AND not rated for burial).

An irrigation control box is not rated/listed for use in wiring, you should use an outdoor wet-use rated wiring box.

The metal outlet boxes you used are not rated for wet or outdoor or underground use.

Like I said at the beginning, nice idea but wrong materials.

To do it right and SAFELY, you have to use the right materials in the right way. That means using outdoor wet-rated boxes and conduit and wire/cable (notice I did NOT say "cord") and mount them all properly.

IIRC, any outdoor outlet is supposed to be 18 inches (?) above ground, so you have to mount the outlet up on a post/pedestal/wall/etc (not on a tree!!!). There is an exemption for the outdoor 'seasonal' extension-cord-with-outlets-on-a-spike thingy. You have to use water-proof electrical boxes and conduit coming up out of the ground/dirt (I don't think outdoor water-proof 'flex' is rated for burial, but I don't know for sure). Underground you have to be a certain depth, and also use either UF cable or wires in conduit (with the appropriate water-proof ends/transitions/etc).

Your 'solution' reduces the lawnmower-cutting-the-extension-cord problem and the sidewalk-trip-hazard problem, but it is unsafe and not right.

Redo it and do it right. Please.

[slamdvw]

Duly noted.

Never gave it much thought other than the seasonal use. Back to the drawing board.

Thanks for the guidance!

[onewyr]

he could continue to use the ground box if his outlet boxes were bell boxes or some other form of weather proof box

[Me!]

Best bet is to go seasonal with it. Put a conduit in and remove the cords and boxes when not in use.
Weather proof should be used all PVC would be best. Regardless of what you use it will be wet due to condensation. Hand holes are a tough spot.

[Sandy]

I'm just curious if you've tried out yet. A GFCI in metallic boxes down in an inconvenient location like that, I'd be surprised if you could get down on your hands and knees and plug something in with out tripping the dern thing.

You're probably better off in Wy than a lot of places but here you would open that box and find it full of condensate rain and useless.

[onewyr]

another thing that would help is dig a pocket about 6" around and about a foot deeper than the box and por "P" gravel down in it then set the box and pull it up to the right hieght. the gravel will help alot with drainage.

[Broccoli1]

Originally Posted by onewyr

another thing that would help is dig a pocket about 6" around and about a foot deeper than the box and por "P" gravel down in it then set the box and pull it up to the right hieght. the gravel will help alot with drainage.

Throwing good money after a bad idea well good idea but wrong execution


Outdoor receptacles need to be weather proof

[Norcal01]

Installing any receptacles below grade is a bad idea, bell boxes* will corrode and not rated or designed to be submerged. Flexable cords must not be used as a subsitute for perm. wiring.

* The casting even in close contact with soil will fail.

[Oldiron2]

When did they start putting SIDEWALKS in WYOMING ???

I always thought someday I could retire to a place where......


And LAWNMOWERS TOO ???

[Burnit]

Originally Posted by Oldiron2

When did they start putting SIDEWALKS in WYOMING ???

I always thought someday I could retire to a place where......


And LAWNMOWERS TOO ???

X2, I wanted to keep Wyoming this wild wonderful place in my head, sidewalks? Whats next? A KIA dealership?

I was kinda hoping everybody had old pickups with rifles in the rear window and that a trailer on 1000 acres was "suburban"