personal

I have a project coming up in which I need to install 10 receptacles on a chain link fence. Each receptacle is going to be approx 18 feet apart. Fence posts are 9' apart. I was thinking of using strut horizontally along the fence to help keep EMT from sagging and damage. (laying pipe in strut then offsetting up and out into box, also mounted on strut) Any other suggestions? Thanks

480sparky

I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say these are for engine heaters.

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personal

LOL! yes winter is coming and I'd like to do this in the fall while it's still t-shirt weather. These are for engine heaters for a county maintenance shop, after a long night of plowing roads the guys want there vehicles to start after there shift.

480sparky

I don't know why minnies on the posts won't work.

With heaters, you need to really watch voltage drop, conduit fill, and the ever-present continuous load.

And, of course, you'll need GFIs, which the drivers will absolutely HATE you for!

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personal

good point on continuous load. As for GFI's is that an NEC code? Here in Canada Our CEC dosent require them for engine heaters. It makes sense to have them, I'm not disagreeing just stating code. Were behind here in Canada with code issues, thats my opinion. We required GFI's in locations where sinks or water is present in our 06 code. For 09 Tamper resistant receptacles for residencial are rumored to be required.

frenchelectrican

When you figures for the engine heaters expect the load to be run anywhere from 800 to 1500 watts{@ 120v} .,,

However from my past experince not only engine heater will be on but from time to time you will see a cab heater as well now that will push the load to limit.

And becarefull some of the engine heaters do take 208/240 volt so keep in your mind if you run into like this.

Merci,Marc

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Pas de problème,il marche n'est-ce pas?"(No problem, it works doesn't it?)

gilbequick

If the ones you have are 120v, you could sell them on pulling an extra conductor in "just in case and it'll save you a lot in the future if you ever get one in that requires 220v."

Apc-Jr

if you are putting them in bell boxes and the cords will still reach you can anchor the bell boxes to the ground and lay your pipe between the gfci's...

cdnelectrician

Using strut sounds like a good idea...get a 4 bolt strut mount and bolt that to the ground. But as for using EMT outside, I don't think that EMT will hold up very long and I believe that you can only use EMT with raintight fittings outside if it is covered by a 40 degree overhang (in Ontario anyways). If it was me, I would mount the strut in the 4 bolt strut mount and run the strut vertically. Mount the box on the strut and ty-wrap TEK cable to the bottom of the chain link fence. I wouldn't use conduit on a fence...it WILL get damaged, use TEK cable if you can.

ce2two

Please define tek cable if you would thank you ?

nap

how about vertical on the post and underground between the posts. You can use a Bell box just above ground level so you only have one run up to the recep or you could run the up and down all the way to the recep box. I would use IMC or GRC for the exposed portions and PVC or IMC for the underground.

I would really stay away from any exposed cable, especially near the ground. It will get snowed on and the when the area is plowed, it can easily be pulled
from the boxes. For this same reason, I would mount the receps around 4 feet from the ground.

So, are you using weatherproof cord connectors on an extension cord or are you installing cords in weathertight cord grips that will reach the trucks (with weatherproof cord connectors of course)?

piette

I used to do tons of block heater receps for a large local bus line. We always would put two heaters max per 20 Amp breaker, we ran everything underground in PVC and then we would come up with rigid to a bellbox mounted on a 4x4 4 ft up. This worked perfectly for us. We also put all the circuits on a timeclock so they could stay plugged in all night, but not be costing money. It only took 2 hours to have those big diesals ready to roar.

I wouldn't run that emt on the fence, it is definitley going to get damaged. And whateve ryou do, make sur eyou mount everything very secure, because you will fing very quickly that in the dead of winter, the drivers don't even give unplugging that heater a second thought, they just ge tin a drive away and neve rrealize they just tore the plug right out. We learned a lot that first winter with ours.

Jeff

personal

Unfortunatly going underground is out of the question. everything is above ground run on the fence.

g17guy