Alternative Power sources - Distance to Generator

Author

Distance to Generator

ddutton

2006-01-12, 7:21 pm

I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage.
I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size
wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to
carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge
batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size
wire also. Thanks.

SQLit

2006-01-12, 7:21 pm

"ddutton" <ddutton@sd68.bc.ca> wrote in message
news:1137106659.876872.217980@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage.
> I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size
> wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to
> carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge
> batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size
> wire also. Thanks.

200 feet is a fer piece for an extension cord.

http://www.electrician.com/vd_calculator.html

Based on 20 amps your going to need #8 wire. Yikes that will cost as much
as the genny.

I do not have a clue on the 12 v, but lower the voltage and keep the
distance you going to need some pretty good sized wire for it as well,
guessing #10 stranded, perferably MTW.

Hondas are pretty quiet it would be a lot easier to move the genny closer to
the house.

Bughunter

2006-01-12, 8:21 pm

You would be better off using a 120v powered battery charger near you
batteries than trying to run 200' of wire at 12v. You might consider running
some cat5 in the same channel in case you want to setup a remote starter.

"ddutton" <ddutton@sd68.bc.ca> wrote in message
news:1137106659.876872.217980@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage.
> I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size
> wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to
> carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge
> batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size
> wire also. Thanks.
>

meow2222@care2.com

2006-01-12, 11:21 pm

ddutton wrote:
> I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage.
> I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size
> wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to
> carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge
> batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size
> wire also. Thanks.

Running 12v over 200' isnt the best option. If you do do it, use a 4
wire remote voltage monitoring setup. This means its the v on the
battery thats regulated, not the v on the feed end. The v drop on the
cable will be substantial, and the cable heavy.

NT

JoeSP

2006-01-13, 4:21 am

"ddutton" <ddutton@sd68.bc.ca> wrote in message
news:1137106659.876872.217980@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage.
> I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size
> wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to
> carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge
> batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size
> wire also. Thanks.
>

12V DC can trickle-charge at 1 amp over a distance of 200 feet if you use 10
guage wire, with a loss of about 5%. For 2 amps, you would need 6-guage
wire (battery cable size) This is according to the power-loss tables
provided by this link: http://www.windsun.com/Hardware/Wire_Table.htm

To provide 3000W at 120V AC at 200', you would also need to use 6-guage
wire.

Mr Wizzard

2006-01-17, 3:21 am

"SQLit" <sqlit@qwest.net> wrote in message
news:JpBxf.69$wd4.3315@news.uswest.net...
>
> "ddutton" <ddutton@sd68.bc.ca> wrote in message
> news:1137106659.876872.217980@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> 200 feet is a fer piece for an extension cord.
>
> http://www.electrician.com/vd_calculator.html
>
> Based on 20 amps your going to need #8 wire. Yikes that will cost as much
> as the genny.

#8 at least, yeah. However, might consider aluminum.
Also, think it out - doesn't have to be "THHN" or any
thing formal. Shop around - Wall Mart, Harbor freight,
and the like has cheap extension cords - maybe a
"network" of cheap, inexpensive extension cords. What,
two, or three 14-gague cords soldered up, and taped up ?
For the 12-volts, your limited to 8 Amps, so 12-gague
would probably do it. Speaker cable maybe? 4-5 runs
of super cheap speaker cable might do it (if its gonna be
in conduit). 3500 is a lot of soup, so calculate it out. I've
seen 250-foot rools of Romex at HomeDepot for very
reasonable prices. Just might have to double up on the
smaller stuff.

>
> I do not have a clue on the 12 v, but lower the voltage and keep the
> distance you going to need some pretty good sized wire for it as well,
> guessing #10 stranded, perferably MTW.
>
> Hondas are pretty quiet it would be a lot easier to move the genny closer
to
> the house.
>
>

SQLit

2006-01-17, 11:21 am

"Mr Wizzard" <wiz@muffy-mail.com> wrote in message
news:zMqdndG1-LdCE1HeRVn-hQ@comcast.com...

-----------snipped--------------------------
> in conduit). 3500 is a lot of soup, so calculate it out. I've
> seen 250-foot rools of Romex at HomeDepot for very
> reasonable prices. Just might have to double up on the
> smaller stuff.

Mr Wizard, please dust off your copy of the NEC. The smallest conductor that
can be paralleled is 1/0. Parallel circuits can be complicated, and if not
installed properly problem occur when there is a fault.

Romex would not be a good choice underground. You would be looking for UF
cable for underground/outside use. Even UF will harden and crack when
exposed to direct sun light for a period of time.

--------------------------snipped----------------------------------

Vaughn

2006-01-17, 9:21 pm

"Mr Wizzard" <wiz@muffy-mail.com> wrote in message
news:zMqdndG1-LdCE1HeRVn-hQ@comcast.com...
>
>
> #8 at least, yeah. However, might consider aluminum.

OK, but you will need a larger size.

> Also, think it out - doesn't have to be "THHN" or any
> thing formal.

Actually, it does.

>Shop around - Wall Mart, Harbor freight,
> and the like has cheap extension cords - maybe a
> "network" of cheap, inexpensive extension cords. What,
> two, or three 14-gague cords soldered up, and taped up ?

Please don't do this! You don't need underground splices and if you are
going to all the trouble to dig a trench, you may as well do the job right and
use cable that is made for the application.

Don't dig a trench without putting conduit in the ground, even if you go
ahead and "direct bury" your cable right under the conduit (assuming it is type
UF or otherwise designated for direct bury) Digging that trench is a big job
and you don't want to ever dig it up again. PVC pipe is cheap and dropping it
in your open ditch is a trivial task. Think ahead! Water? TV coax? Telephone?
Compressed air? What if a something goes bad in the future? Put tubing in the
ground right now that will meet all of your future needs.

Vaughn

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