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Outside light wiring question

cda

SAWHORSE
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
20,962
Location
Basement
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This is for my house, yes I am a sawhorse

Not an electrician or electrical inspector

Just want to know before I call an electrician.

How should this post light be wired per code??

Whoever put it in

Ran a few feet of Romex under ground, than aboveground into the garage, attached a plug to it, and just plugged it into an outlet,

I know most of that set up is wrong, and want to have it done right.


Thanks
 
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I don't know how detailed you're looking for in the description but basically you need to run underground rated wire from the base of the light post into your crawlspace or basement. Minimum burial depth requirements need to be respected and very depending on if you were running the cable alone or through conduit. I don't have the code in front of me right now but I believe the minimum depth is 2' for unprotected cable and 18" for conduit but I may be wrong with those numbers.
 
I don't have it in front of me either, but if memory serves, a single circuit burial is for residential is 12"
 
If it is underground, it should not be "NM" cable...UF or conduit with THWN...hard wired into a switch or timer or I guess it could be wired "direct" if it had a photoeye to come on at dusk....
 
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