Mining for...

[revchris]

Somehow, most projects require at least one, and usually two trips to Menards. Today's project required trips to two Menards before I even got started (the east side store was out of 1½" conduit couplers, and plumbing ones are a slightly different size so that you can't interchange them easily).

I'm currently digging a 20" deep trench in the back yard from the house to the garage. Into that trench will go one run of ½" PVC electrical conduit and one run of 1½" PVC conduit. I had been contemplating using rigid pipe, because it'd mean less digging (I'd only need 8" deep, I think), but Menards doesn't carry enough useful parts.

I've got most of the digging done, I need to take the last five feet or so down another foot and then I can start laying pipe.

I had been going to run 1", but for the small amount extra for 1½" I can run romex out to the garage if I want instead of single conductor THHN, and I have a lot of room to add more later. I also decided not to put a panel in the garage. That will probably come back to haunt me at some point, but there it is.

Comments

[revchris.livejournal.com]

I saw a recommendation for using silicone caulk instead of mortar, but I've seen mortar used enough that it's probably just fine.

The biggest problem I had with the trench was getting back out of it - when you have creaky knees and are standing in the bottom of a trench that's a minimum of 20" deep....