Kimmsr wrote: > ....1/2 inch mesh galvanized hardware cloth in the same size is about $350.00. Kimmsr, that's not a good price. Here's a much better price :-) A 4-foot-tall, 50-foot-long roll of 1/4-inch mesh galvanized hardware cloth on Amazon is $73, which includes free shipping. It's the best price I've found anywhere, except for the occasional seller on Craig's List. Here's the link: Amazon's 4x50-foot, 1/4-inch roll I got mine through Craig's List from a great local farmer who had some new stock he had never used or opened. It was a quick 35-minute drive to his place in O'Fallon or Shiloh, Illinois, really close to SWIC. I'm in Missouri. A 1/2-inch mesh roll is $13 more on Amazon for some reason. A 100-foot roll of 1/2-inch mesh on Amazon is $155 to $177 which includes shipping: 4x100-foot roll of 1/2-inch mesh I'm a cheap guy so I searched everywhere before buying the hardware cloth like: Froogle.com PriceGrabber.com The Big Box stores Ebay.com Local hardware stores like Tru Value (did you know different local Tru Value stores sell at different prices. I guess each is individually franchised. Thanks for the Bennecky's Tru Value tip, Robertz6--Bennecky's Tru Value has better pricing than the Tru Value close to me.) Amazon.com and Craig's List and maybe a couple other places I've forgotten.

The 5 ft almond colored steel raceway Plugmold made by Wiremold was only $33 or so at HD when I bought the replacement one last fall. It isn't child-resistant (but neither is the rest of my 2007 vintage house - I think that went into NEC effective 2008, but not sure it would apply to plugmolds if they are 55" off the floor under your upper wall cabinets, and over a 2ft counter so kids can't reach? Ask your electrician). I checked, mine is 15A but that is fine for small appliances - again, I would check your KitchenAid mixer and see how much it pulls, if you think you'll be running a large small appliance on the strip then I would have that one put on a separate circuit, even if 15A is OK. Don't want to pop the breaker running the coffeepot, toaster, and microwave all at the same time! I wouldn't plug a microwave into anything less than a 20A circuit, some of them can pull close to 15A all by themselves. If the end will be fairly well hidden and your electrician is neat, he can always cut down the raceway with a hacksaw, you might even be able to buy a 5ft section and make 2 out of it if you buy extra end caps. The wiring is easy, the hardest part of the Wiremold assembly is tapping the cover on - "striking sharply with hell of hand" - OUCH! was tough to do in tight space even with a wooden block, even for someone who had done it before (electrician). The wiring was a bit of a pain - not much room inside, when I installed the first one I took out the first receptacle to have room to work behind it, the electrician did the same with the replacement (I keep a child plug in to remind myself it's not functional). www.wiremold.com I don't know if they'll sell direct, but if you contact them they may be able to tell you where to buy (or order, if you want specific color, they have steel, aluminum, nonmetallic, almond, white, silver/stainless, black, etc.).

OK, back to the subject at hand. I'm assuming that you all agree with sticking to the #6 copper for this long of a run? Yes? No, I think the consensus was that #8 copper would suffice. The reason that's somewhat tentative has to do with the power demands of HVAC motors (i.e., a heat pump--and trust me, we do understand how a heat pump works). Had this been a simple requirement for a 50-amp general purpose circuit, then I think #6 wire would have been the straight-up choice. However, HVAC equipment behaves a bit differently than a general purpose circuit in that it has both a minimum and maximum circuit ampacity rating and special code sections apply. Cutting to the chase (and at the risk of oversimplifying), the minimum circuit ampacity is what the equipment needs to run after it has overcome the starting surge of its major component--the compressor motor. The maximum circuit is to allow for the starting surge, which can be several times the running load, lasts only briefly and does not pose a significant threat of overheating the conductors. Thus, a heat pump is a specific situation where it is appropriate to use a larger OCPD (circuit breaker) than might ordinarily be used with a specific wire guage. But this isn't done by "guess and by golly"; it's based on the known faceplate ratings of the dedicated equipment. In the thread discussion above, you'll note that there was some variance of opinion. Because I couldn't locate info on the minimum circuit rating, I initially took the conservative tack of recommending #6. (Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think jmvd20 took a similarly "safe" route too.) At the very least, the OP would have a safe result that would be uncontroversial in the view of any inspector. Ron, on the other hand, being more familiar with the particular type of equipment, was certain enough that the MCA was low enough to be fed by #8CU under these environmental circumstances. After some discussion about that, I'm inclined to agree with him although, as someone who doesn't deal with this equipment frequently, I'd tend verify the manufacturer's specs (which were not available online) before opting in that direction. But I'd add that Ron's interpretation also satisfied my "common sense" test based on a rough guestimate of the approximate wattage consumed by a 5hp motor. Thus, it isn't at all certain that #6CU is required. I believe the consensus is that #8AWG/CU is adequate. "To allow for both voltage drop and terminal size problems that the larger diameter #2 aluminum would cause, per my bad experience!? With the entier distance in conduit as you all are "by the bookers", Right? In making our recommendations, both Ron and I (and perhaps others) considered voltage drop at the 200' distance. Using 35 amps as the estimated running load, here are my calculations: A 200' run of #8CU in conduit, delivering 35A at 240V yields a voltage drop of 4.9%, which is under the usual target of 5% (i.e., it's borderline, as I said, but acceptable). At 50A, the drop is about 6.5%--a drop that most motors can tolerate quite readily. Under the same assumptions, if we use aluminum wire instead of copper, it will need to be upsized to #6 in order to meet ampacity requirements. Again at 200', the voltage drop calculations for #6 aluminum are very close to those for #8 copper (4.7% @ 35A and 6.8% @ 50A). Any way you look at it, #2AL is way, way overkill for the OP's application. And that's why I called you on the statement that you used a chart that equated #2AL with #6CU due to the distance. That doesn't make sense to me and I'd love to see that chart. Now, if it was the only underground-rated AL wire that happened to be available from your supplier, then fine, just say so. Now here's what strikes me as particularly ironic: While you take issue with "going by the book" because, you contend, the book is mostly overkill, it was going by the book--strictly--that led the cost-saving recommendation to use a smaller and less expensive wire guage! OK, sorry, enough of that. 1. As I have stated in both previous thread entries. "I would NOT have attempted the project if I thought it was dangerous to anyone's safety"! So you all are saying that you "always" complete your "own" projects per the "letter" of the law and not the "spirit" of it. Meaning, on your own land when you know that if you where to deviate from the law/code, the chances of the "risk" taken is a billion to one shot of going wrong that you would still ALWAYS go by the letter of the law? In my opinion, The code is an "overkill" guide so that people that have very little common sense will not get themselves or others injured or killed. Agreed? No, not agreed. In fact, the less you know, the less capable you are of assessing the risks and, therefore, there's all the more reason to adhere to code strictly. Personally, I'll admit to doing some pretty half-a$$ed things in the past but, honestly, the older I get (I'm 62 now), and the more I learn, the more I do, in fact, "complete [my] 'own' projects per the 'letter' of the law." As for the code being "an 'overkill' guide so that people that have very little common sense will not get themselves or others injured or killed", I agree only to the extent that there are certain safety margins built in, much like there is a over-design requirement when engineering a bridge. And I'd also agree that a few of the requirements seem like unnecessary nuisance and expense--child proofing all the receptacles in an adult-only home comes to mind. But even there, standard requirements contemplate not only your personal requirements and tolerance for risk, but those who may occupy the premises at a later time. As the code evolves, with new editions coming out every three years, a great many of the new requirements are based on actual documented experience. That is, there is statistical evidence of a problem that caused actual fires, actual injuries and actual deaths. Since there are only about 300 million people in the U.S., these problems are not in the order of one in a billion or they would not have statistical support. 3. The thick plastic around the wire & plastic conduit for that matter becomes very brittle and is degraded very quickly from the sun / UV rays, due to the 100 plus degree temps in summer and 320 days of sun a year. SO the best place for the wire IS underground. And metal conduit would just melt any plastic sheathing on wire from the suns heat. No one here disputes that the OP's proposal to run the conduit underground is a good idea and I certainly didn't hear anyone suggest metal conduit. Interestingly, if you familiarize yourself with the code, you'll discover that all these factors are well-accounted for. Ambient temperature, for example, is a definite factor in selecting cables and wires. So, too, is sun exposure. Where conditions fall outside normal expected ranges, there are wire types and methods specifically designed for such conditions. BTW, if you post for advice here, make sure to mention that your project is in the desert where the temperatures and light exposure are very high and you'll get competent advice for those conditions. In sum, there is no real reason to "choose the 'illegal' way." Jes my 2c and a "good day" to you too, sir.

Image by: Ruth2 Ruth2's wire art Wire Art Danglers & Suncatchers ~ Where to find wire Where to obtain the wire - Most of the members are purchasing their wire in rolls at a do-it-yourself "super store". You can also try the electrical and plumbing supply stores, or your local corner hardware store. The wire may come on a roll - a "normal" size roll being 25 feet which is enough for several wire art projects. The wire sold in most DIY super stores may be encased in plastic that needs to be stripped off. You are more likely to find 'plain' (not covered in plastic) wire at the specialty electric supply stores. Notes from our members: Yukon Gold suggests: Use Romex 12/2 electrical wire which has 3 copper wires inside. Use a box cutter to strip plastic covering off. sonicsink says: I found mine at the hardware store, it was a bunch of wire twisted to make like a cable rope. It was i think about 60 cents a foot so I bought 3 feet and after uncoiling it all I ended up with 8 strands of 3 foot long wire. I'm thinking the hardware store is way cheaper than craft stores! Dig_Deeper adds: The copper wire is electrical wire that you can purchase in rolls. You can buy 25-foot rolls that will come as 2-wire, 3 wire, or 4 wire combinations. The wire is encased in plastic that will have to be stripped off. The bundle of wires (2, 3, 4) is also encased in plastic that can be easily stripped off. The ground wire in the 3-wire bundle is wrapped in paper that can easily be stripped off, the black and white coated wire, take a little more effort. With a 25-foot roll, you should have more effort. With a 25-foot roll, you should have enough wire for many, many projects. Morganwolf tells us: One of the electrical guys at our DIY super store told me that this wire is available w/out the plastic coating at electrical supply stores. I'm tempted to try it, because I'm not having much luck stripping the plastic From Ruth2: 14 gauge copper wire (had to strip it) found at thrift store. We have been searching for wire but I did not want to use too light a gauge. We found some at an electrical store - you can ask for it by "magnet wire", used for motor windings (?). It's not bare wire, has a clear or colored coating, but I'm going to try it. Also, you don't have to use just one piece of wire, you can form several and put them together. ~~~ TIP: To polish copper: stir a teaspoon or two of regular table salt into a cup of white vinegar. (Use a clean plastic container with a lid that seals tight and you can reuse the solution for some time.) Dip in your copper piece, swish, remove and rinse well. Finish off by buffing with a clean soft cloth. Allow more corroded wire to soak for a bit. Badly discolored wire can be polished with fine (#000 or #0000) steel wool. TIP: Remove ink markings from copper pipe with rubbing alcohol on #000 steel wool.