Electrical – Running Electrical to a Shed

circuit breakershedsubpanel

I have a shed in my backyard about 200ft from the house. I would like to run electrical to the shed to install 2 or 3 power outlets, and two LED lights for the inside.

Currently from the house to about 50ft from the house there is an exterior power outlet on a pole (no light on the pole, just the outlet). The line from the circuit breaker is completely dedicated to this one outlet the whole way — currently no forks or splices. It is a 12 gauge UF-B wire run connected to a 20 amp gfci breaker. It is not in conduit and looks about 2 to 2.5 feet deep.

I am wondering if I can continue the line from the power outlet 50ft from the house on more 12 gauge UF-B for another 150ft to the shed — which will have 2 or 3 power outlets and two LED lights for the inside. Or I am wondering if it would be required for me to have a dedicated line and a subpanel in the shed — and maybe heavier wire.

Thanks!

Best Answer

Generically I'd knee-jerk to conduit and 30A 240V service with a sub-panel, but if your needs are going to be adequately met by 20A 120V power and the loading is sufficiently low that the voltage drop from 200 ft of 12Ga wire won't be a huge issue, yes, you can do that.

Given the relative expense of digging a ditch once, and never having to dig it again if the small cost of conduit is added, I think direct burial is a terrible idea, so I'd use conduit and THWN at least for the extra 150 ft, and I'd contemplate using heavier wire than 12Ga for that 150ft to reduce voltage drop from the long run. At which point I'd be looking hard at just digging another 50 ft and doing the whole thing to a higher standard, but you may not think the way I do.

Harper will stop in to say the 3% voltage drop rule isn't a rule (and it's not, merely a guideline), but if you get close to 20A at 200 feet on 12Ga copper you'll be down 12 volts or more - over 10% of 120V service, and generally not a good plan. But if the actual shed use will be down below 10A the 5% or so loss is unlikely to be a problem, until someone loads it up fully despite your planned use.