Electricians, What gauge wire?

[dcs13]

Need to run a line to a barn. It's about 200 feet from the main box at the house. I'm only going to run a few lights at the most, maybe a fan. So , what gauge wire should I drop?
I have a spare breaker on the main box. Planning on a cut off box at the barn .

[jw33]

http://www.cerrowire.com/ampacity-charts

Size it according to the rating of the circuit breaker you are going to use to feed the barn with.

[8mpg]

I ran a 6ga UF wire about 150' and was going for 50amps. If you are running just lights and a fan, a 15a circuit would probably be enough.

This is a great voltage drop calculator and will recommend wire size

http://www.southwire.com/support/voltage-drop-calculator.htm

You are much better off running 220v out there to a circuit breaker box. Use something like a 6/2 or 8/2 wire using the black and white wires as hots and use the ground as the ground. Dont forget to put in a grounding rod near the barn and ground the breaker box

[ram57ta]

I would suggest either 2 circuits using 10/2 OR better....using one 10/3 with a ground. Using 10/3 gives you 2 circuits (1 for lights and plugs maybe, the other for whatever else you might want to use thats 110V) and they share the neutral and ground. If you're going to go thru the trouble of pulling wire that far in the first place go ahead and future proof it by adding a second circuit so you dont end up kicking yourself later.
If you want to add 220v you give yourself the option of using A/C units, heaters, etc. Several ways it can be done but keep the future in mind.

[dcs13]

Thanks guys its a horse barn, so A/C and heat are not going to happen. Looks like I need to run a 6 gauge wire. Dang that stuff is expensive.

[fordracing19]

Thats cheap stuff compared to what I ran to my house for 400A service.

[8mpg]

Thanks guys its a horse barn, so A/C and heat are not going to happen. Looks like I need to run a 6 gauge wire. Dang that stuff is expensive.

yep...I forgot where I got mine, but there are local electrical shops that sell to consumers. Their prices are better than lowes

Found the place I got it from:
https://www.elliottelectric.com/Prod...c=UF62WG&v=COP $1.19/ft vs Lowes at $3.xx/ft. They are local but didnt have enough locally so I had to pay shipping from Houston or something. $20 shipping or so. Hell of a lot cheaper than big box

Thats cheap stuff compared to what I ran to my house for 400A service.

No joke. I only ran 200 amp but $3/ft per wire for 2/0 copper was expensive. It cost me $600 for the electrician to do it

[fordracing19]

Mine was $4k cost and was bid by dads suppliers. The cost of country living.

[8mpg]

Mine was $4k cost and was bid by dads suppliers. The cost of country living.

LOL... Im just talking from the meter to the circuit breaker box. From the pole to the house is always expensive.

[fordracing19]

I did a remote mount meter at the pole and went underground to the panel inside. Coserv wanted 10k to run underground from the pole. I had already paind them 8k I think to install several poles and the transformer.

[TeeShock]

Do you have 2 extra breakers at the main board? Why not run a 208v/2 pole breaker and a #10 feeder

[STANGGT40]

I'd run a #1 aluminum on 100/2 breaker to a 100 amp milo panel. You could also put a #6 on a 50/2 breaker. Aluminum is pretty cheap, though (compared to cu), so I'd go with the #1.

The above would be really more than you need, if you're just planning on a few lights and a fan, but it would allow for future stuff. If you just plan on a few lights a nod a fan (never anything else), you could get away with as little as a 20/1 breaker and #12 cu wire. You could even do a direct burial 12/2, if you don't want to run conduit.

[dcs13]

THanks for the replies. I may see what the Co Op will charge to drop a new line. Not sure what the lowest monthly charge is. They usually dont charge a lot to drop a line this close. That would give me a full power breaker box. I could pass the monthly charge on to the renters.