Running Power to Sugarshack

[MapleME]

Im looking for a seasonal i.e. not permenant way to bring power to my sugar shack (aka my shed) this season. Its about 40 feet from the closest power outlet.
I thought I would just lay some good guage extention cord before it snows and just plug it in when Im using it for the sugaring season. I dont want to buy a generator. Think thats ok?

Mapleme

[tessiersfarm]

That is exactly what I do. It has worked for several years for me. The outlet I plug into is a GFCI and it has tripped once or twice but has never been a real problem.

[Russell Lampron]

Before I ran the permanent power to my sugar house I ran an extension cord to a GFI outlet on the side of my house. I didn't put it down before it snowed though. Mine had to cross the driveway and I didn't want to suck it up into the snow blower. It was hard wired into the sugar house breaker box. I coiled it up and stored it under my tank platform when it wasn't in use. When it was sugaring time I rolled it out and plugged it in. I used it that way for about 4 years and never had a problem.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I did the same thing I ran a extension cord made up of direct bury 8 guage and hard wired it to the house and into the breaker box at the sap shack. I did that 18 years ago and layed it in the woods and now its 6" down under sticks and leafs. I would say the things to consider is the largest wire size as possible,make your own with direct bury wire its hard to hurt and its water proof,and keep in mind that you can burn up motors under sizing your wire.Plug into 20 amp outlet

[MapleME]

thanks for the reashurance Im on the right track. Sure gets dark quick and it will be nice to have some power outside!

MapleMe

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just make sure your cord will carry more amps than you will need at any given time.

[Amber Gold]

That's funny I was actually thinking of doing the same thing and was going to post the same question.

I have an outlet and/or breaker box about 30' from my sugar house in my shed. I was going to run an extension cord from either the outlet or breaker box over to the sugar house. What's the best way to do this? I was thinking of putting a breaker box in the sugar house, running all the wiring for outlets, lights, and my blower. Would I just use a heavy gauge extension chord and plug it into the outlet in my shed and would I tie it into sugar house breaker box? This way when the sugar house was in operation I just run the chord over to the shed and plug it in? When it wasn't I'd just roll it up and leave it in the sugar house. Russ is this what you did?

Thanks

[Russell Lampron]

Josh,

That is exactly what I did. I went to Home depot and got the heaviest gauge extension cord that they had. I wired that into my breaker box and coiled it out at the beginning of the season and coiled it back up when the season was over. I only ran lights, a radio and a submersible pump when I had it wired that way. Make sure that your cord will carry enough amps to run your blower too.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I would spend the money and make your own extension cord out of 8 or 10 guage at the minimum. I dont think store baught cord are any heaver than 12 guage. Resistance is a motor killer and can cause them to run hotter and over time will kill them. Use direct bury 8 guage and it will last forever and if at a later date you can always bury it.

[royalmaple]

Go get a piece of UF direct burial wire and run a circuit out there. THen you can bury it below grade and forget it. Get fancy if you want and put a few sticks of conduit underground and put the wire inside, then you can use regular 10ga wire. 10 ga is good for a 30 amp circuit.

You can get a small 4 circuit panel at cheap-o, or lowes and then run your lights on a breaker, etc.

[TapME]

Matts on the right track, cheap for 50' of cable then you go to 12 ga. or larger for more power. I did buy a 50' of 8 ga. extension cord form the depot but they are not cheap. They also carry them in 100'

[Amber Gold]

Matt that's my intent to put a box inside and run the wire underground in conduit, just not sure if I'm going to get to it this year before the ground freezes. Want to make sure I have a temporary solution...winter's coming soon and things aren't progressing as quickly as I'd like.

[maple flats]

Most of the above suggestions will work but do not just plug into a regular receptical. Most receps are rated only 15 A, even those on 12 ga wire in your house. A tru 20 amp has a cross blade instead of the regular you are used to. My point is that you will have a weak link that could eventually start a fire. I had it happen on a job once where the plug in heated up and melted the end before it blew the fuse or breaker (I forget which it was). When I got to it I caught the fire just in time to take care of it without major problems. Instead run a 20 or 30 A breaker with proper gauge wire for the breaker and run it either direct buriel or coil it until needed and then run on the ground and wire it into a small box breaker box in the sugar house. Please be safe. Most extension cords are not rated for continuous use that you may get with hours of boiling at amperages approaching the stamped rating. Cords are usually for a less that 50% duty cycle (on 30 min off 30 min), or 50% the rating if continuous.

[Clan Delaney]

Good advice. I never considered the continuous use issue. Last year I ran an extension cord I bought for the purpose, but only ever had a lamp plugged into it. This year I'll likely have a bigger light, blower, radio and who knows what else. Sounds like it's time to upgrade.

[MapleME]

Clan, you know one of those small cube refridgerators would go really well in that new shack your building..good way to keep beverages cold and now that you will have power

[Haynes Forest Products]

One way to tell if the extension cord is undersized is how fast it melts into the snow cover. If it looks like a cheese cutter and you can see it moving down in the snow I would unplug the flat screen in the sap shack. Reason 2 to upgrade wire size is when you find your way back to the house at night by the glow of the cord.

[RileySugarbush]

Nice way to keep the sidewalk cleared, though...

[Clan Delaney]

One way to tell if the extension cord is undersized is how fast it melts into the snow cover. If it looks like a cheese cutter and you can see it moving down in the snow I would unplug the flat screen in the sap shack. Reason 2 to upgrade wire size is when you find your way back to the house at night by the glow of the cord.

What?!? No flatscreen? Fine then, but I'm not giving up the cappucino machine. Or the massaging recliner. Or the tanning bed. There's standards to uphold!