Running Cable to Garage

[tinkering]

We are going to run Teck90 or ACWU cable underground from house to garage. There will be just a 60A breaker in the house and garage for now but want to lay a large enough cable to carry 100A in the future. We have approximately 60 ft of ACWU #3/0 aluminum to make the run. It is about 2" in diameter, the 3/0 conductors are close to 1/2" so it's over sized which will make it a little more work to install.
Some answers to my questions might make it easier.
- With the cable being just under 2" diameter what diameter does the PVC conduit have to be up to the LB fitting? Is 2 1/2" good enough? 4" seems like overkill.
- We need to run the 3/0 into a transition box, then come out of the box with #3AWG because the 3/0 won't fit the panel.
If I can't tame this configuration down a bit, maybe we'll just buy some ACWU with #3AWG copper.

 

[norcal]

Using a 6X6 box is WAAAAAY too small for 3/0, it would be like stuffing 20 pounds of poop in a 5 pound bag, while I like Polaris connectors because they are simple & clean, they are not cheap, but split bolts (Kearnys) are not cheap either & they still have to be insulated, unlike Polaris connectors.

 

[davesparks]

Do you not use DIN terminals over there?

If I was joining a large cable to a smaller one in such a situation I'd use an enclosure with bolted type DIN terminals in it.
If the cable isn't too far oversized I would use reducing pin lugs on it to fit the terminals.

Or even use an incomer for the DB which has bolted terminals and fit a spreader box to the DB.

 

[telectrix]

or he could try wire nuts. an American delicacy.

 

[Megawatt]

We are going to run Teck90 or ACWU cable underground from house to garage. There will be just a 60A breaker in the house and garage for now but want to lay a large enough cable to carry 100A in the future. We have approximately 60 ft of ACWU #3/0 aluminum to make the run. It is about 2" in diameter, the 3/0 conductors are close to 1/2" so it's over sized which will make it a little more work to install.
Some answers to my questions might make it easier.

• With the cable being just under 2" diameter what diameter does the PVC conduit have to be up to the LB fitting? Is 2 1/2" good enough? 4" seems like overkill.
• We need to run the 3/0 into a transition box, then come out of the box with #3AWG because the 3/0 won't fit the panel.

If I can't tame this configuration down a bit, maybe we'll just buy some ACWU with #3AWG copper.

@tinkering Three 3/0 aluminum is it in a jacket of some kind please don’t use an LB, you will wish you wouldn’t have done that use 12x12x6 PVC box rated for out door use you can easily use a 2 inch conduit and like me I have been Known to cut the jacket off and just used the wires. Good luck

 

[tinkering]

Using a 6X6 box is WAAAAAY too small for 3/0, it would be like stuffing 20 pounds of poop in a 5 pound bag, while I like Polaris connectors because they are simple & clean, they are not cheap, but split bolts (Kearnys) are not cheap either & they still have to be insulated, unlike Polaris connectors.

I looked into the Polaris connectors. Amazon has them for not that much more that split bolts sometimes sell for, I think. Polaris connectors are the way I will go in the future.
[automerge]1570652061[/automerge]

I looked into the Polaris connectors. Amazon has them for not that much more than split bolts sometimes sell for, I think. Polaris connectors are the way I will go in the future.

It looks like Polaris connectors might use less box space than split bolts too.
[automerge]1570652715[/automerge]

@tinkering Three 3/0 aluminum is it in a jacket of some kind please don’t use an LB, you will wish you wouldn’t have done that use 12x12x6 PVC box rated for out door use you can easily use a 2 inch conduit and like me I have been Known to cut the jacket off and just used the wires. Good luck

Would maybe even a slightly smaller box than 12x12x6 be enough with the space saved by using the Polaris connectors??
Thanks for the insight on cutting the armor back. The wires will be inside the 2" pvc stand pipe, so they could run up into the transition box without the armor but would it be required that the armor be bonded at both ends?

 

[Megawatt]

I looked into the Polaris connectors. Amazon has them for not that much more that split bolts sometimes sell for, I think. Polaris connectors are the way I will go in the future.
[automerge]1570652061[/automerge]

It looks like Polaris connectors might use less box space than split bolts too.
[automerge]1570652715[/automerge]

Would maybe even a slightly smaller box than 12x12x6 be enough with the space saved by using the Polaris connectors??
Thanks for the insight on cutting the armor back. The wires will be inside the 2" pvc stand pipe, so they could run up into the transition box without the armor but would it be required that the armor be bonded at both ends?

Polaris connectors I think are underground approved

 

[Megawatt]

I looked into the Polaris connectors. Amazon has them for not that much more that split bolts sometimes sell for, I think. Polaris connectors are the way I will go in the future.
[automerge]1570652061[/automerge]

It looks like Polaris connectors might use less box space than split bolts too.
[automerge]1570652715[/automerge]

Would maybe even a slightly smaller box than 12x12x6 be enough with the space saved by using the Polaris connectors??
Thanks for the insight on cutting the armor back. The wires will be inside the 2" pvc stand pipe, so they could run up into the transition box without the armor but would it be required that the armor be bonded at both ends?

No it will not require bonding on both ends if you take the jacket of then it’s just 3 wires. The only reason that the NEC requires bonding is because of the armor the wires are in just strip the armor of and with using PVC conduit and PVC boxes there is nothing to bond to

 

[tinkering]

No it will not require bonding on both ends if you take the jacket of then it’s just 3 wires. The only reason that the NEC requires bonding is because of the armor the wires are in just strip the armor of and with using PVC conduit and PVC boxes there is nothing to bond to

That's excellent. Thanks Megawatt. So after the armor is stripped it's simply 3 conductors and a ground in PVC conduit. Thanks for sharing that info??

 

[Megawatt]

That's excellent. Thanks Megawatt. So after the armor is stripped it's simply 3 conductors and a ground in PVC conduit. Thanks for sharing that info??

@tinkering you are quite welcome good luck and let me know how it’s going

 

[Megawatt]

We are going to run Teck90 or ACWU cable underground from house to garage. There will be just a 60A breaker in the house and garage for now but want to lay a large enough cable to carry 100A in the future. We have approximately 60 ft of ACWU #3/0 aluminum to make the run. It is about 2" in diameter, the 3/0 conductors are close to 1/2" so it's over sized which will make it a little more work to install.
Some answers to my questions might make it easier.

• With the cable being just under 2" diameter what diameter does the PVC conduit have to be up to the LB fitting? Is 2 1/2" good enough? 4" seems like overkill.
• We need to run the 3/0 into a transition box, then come out of the box with #3AWG because the 3/0 won't fit the panel.

If I can't tame this configuration down a bit, maybe we'll just buy some ACWU with #3AWG copper.

You will need 2 inch PVC conduit and yes you can splice with # 3 and I’m telling you to over size your LB because it a b—— to pull wire through that, maybe 21/2 or 3 inch