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I need ideas for running an exterior outlet dan 08-12-2007
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Posted by dan on August 12, 2007, 9:15 am
I'm going to add an outside plug so my wife (Sergeant Christmas) can
put up her Christmas lights. The power box is on the front side of my
house. The building code calls for 24" down if not in conduit or 18" in
conduit. I thought about running the line attached to the house along
the bottom where the ground meets the house. I don't like this for the
following reasons:

1) Looks like a "rigged" job seeing conduit on the side of a house.
2) I have trim that sticks out and would require bends (further
standing out) in the conduit.

The house is concrete block so making holes is not an option.

Digging a trench would be tight and I have two septic lines and tree
roots to watch. (Are there any mini trenchers?)

Any ideas?

--


Posted by RBM on August 12, 2007, 9:22 am
could you not drill through a knockout in the back of an interior outlet,
through the block and mount a raintight box on the exterior?



> I'm going to add an outside plug so my wife (Sergeant Christmas) can
> put up her Christmas lights. The power box is on the front side of my
> house. The building code calls for 24" down if not in conduit or 18" in
> conduit. I thought about running the line attached to the house along
> the bottom where the ground meets the house. I don't like this for the
> following reasons:
>
> 1) Looks like a "rigged" job seeing conduit on the side of a house.
> 2) I have trim that sticks out and would require bends (further
> standing out) in the conduit.
>
> The house is concrete block so making holes is not an option.
>
> Digging a trench would be tight and I have two septic lines and tree
> roots to watch. (Are there any mini trenchers?)
>
> Any ideas?
>
> --
>



Posted by Mikepier on August 12, 2007, 10:19 am
> could you not drill through a knockout in the back of an interior outlet,
> through the block and mount a raintight box on the exterior?
>
>
>
> > I'm going to add an outside plug so my wife (Sergeant Christmas) can
> > put up her Christmas lights. The power box is on the front side of my
> > house. The building code calls for 24" down if not in conduit or 18" in
> > conduit. I thought about running the line attached to the house along
> > the bottom where the ground meets the house. I don't like this for the
> > following reasons:
>
> > 1) Looks like a "rigged" job seeing conduit on the side of a house.
> > 2) I have trim that sticks out and would require bends (further
> > standing out) in the conduit.
>
> > The house is concrete block so making holes is not an option.
>
> > Digging a trench would be tight and I have two septic lines and tree. If
> > roots to watch. (Are there any mini trenchers?)
>
> > Any ideas?
>
> > --- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Just a suggestion. If you have a light outside by your front door, you
can convert it to an outlet by putting in one of those "screw-in
outlets". Now you can plug in your Christmas lights and control it
with the switch inside your house. Or better yet, by a timer to
replace the switch so you can control what time it comes on and off.


Posted by Mark Lloyd on August 12, 2007, 11:15 am
wrote:

>> could you not drill through a knockout in the back of an interior outlet,
>> through the block and mount a raintight box on the exterior?
>>
>>
>>
>> > I'm going to add an outside plug so my wife (Sergeant Christmas) can
>> > put up her Christmas lights. The power box is on the front side of my
>> > house. The building code calls for 24" down if not in conduit or 18" in
>> > conduit. I thought about running the line attached to the house along
>> > the bottom where the ground meets the house. I don't like this for the
>> > following reasons:
>>
>> > 1) Looks like a "rigged" job seeing conduit on the side of a house.
>> > 2) I have trim that sticks out and would require bends (further
>> > standing out) in the conduit.
>>
>> > The house is concrete block so making holes is not an option.
>>
>> > Digging a trench would be tight and I have two septic lines and tree. If
>> > roots to watch. (Are there any mini trenchers?)
>>
>> > Any ideas?
>>
>> > --- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>Just a suggestion. If you have a light outside by your front door, you
>can convert it to an outlet by putting in one of those "screw-in
>outlets".

Don't forget about the maximum current that socket allows.

> Now you can plug in your Christmas lights and control it
>with the switch inside your house. Or better yet, by a timer to
>replace the switch so you can control what time it comes on and off.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

Posted by on August 12, 2007, 12:43 pm
On Sun, 12 Aug 2007 10:15:38 -0500, Mark Lloyd

>>can convert it to an outlet by putting in one of those "screw-in
>>outlets".
>
>Don't forget about the maximum current that socket allows.


Good point Mark. The fixture wire in that lamp holder is 18 ga.


BTW if your AHJ uses the NEC there is an exception that allows a 120v
15 or 20a circuit to be 12" even using UF at a dwelling if it is GFCI
protected at the house end. I would poke through the wall, put a Bell
box there with a GFCI receptacle and then go straight down to your
underground run out into the yard..

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