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Don't know if this the right place to post this, but it is a NON-RBV tech question. As title suggests, I'm looking for a little help from someone knowledgeable about household electricity.
I want to build a portable power distribution center to use as a heavy duty multipurpose extension cord around the yard. I need to get 220V power about 150' away from the house to run welders, compressors, lights, etcetera. Primary use will be to get power to a temporary shelter where I currently work on my vehicles and other big projects. It might also be used for an RV hook-up on occasion if parents or other family want to visit for a while.
Given the loads this is likely to see in the foreseeable future, I'm thinking that 220V 50A service would be enough to handle anything I might need to power. Actually that should be over kill as most items are only likely to be run one at a time, but that's what the shop at dad's house is wired for and it currently handles every load I'm likely to use on this distribution center. By the time that more ampacity is needed I should be building a shop and burying 100A service to it or having a second meter installed for it, at which time this load center will still be useful to get to other parts of the yard.
My house has 200A service and a meter combo box that currently feeds the in house sub panel, as well as the A/C unit and well pump. This box still has 4 open slots and I'm figuring to install a 50A breaker to feed a 220V outlet at the house. This will provide me with a location to connect the distribution center and an outlet outside the house where I can connect a large generator in the event of extended power outages. From the outlet I'll have the 150' of wire feeding the distribution center.
What I don't know about this set-up is...
A) What gauge would I need to run 220V 50A the 150'? Also would I need 3 or 4 conductors to do this properly?
B) What type of wire/jacketing would I need for an extension cord set-up exposed to weather and sunlight?
C) What type of plug would be correct to use in this application?
D) Is this a bad idea and I’m being a complete idiot?
I want to build a portable power distribution center to use as a heavy duty multipurpose extension cord around the yard. I need to get 220V power about 150' away from the house to run welders, compressors, lights, etcetera. Primary use will be to get power to a temporary shelter where I currently work on my vehicles and other big projects. It might also be used for an RV hook-up on occasion if parents or other family want to visit for a while.
Given the loads this is likely to see in the foreseeable future, I'm thinking that 220V 50A service would be enough to handle anything I might need to power. Actually that should be over kill as most items are only likely to be run one at a time, but that's what the shop at dad's house is wired for and it currently handles every load I'm likely to use on this distribution center. By the time that more ampacity is needed I should be building a shop and burying 100A service to it or having a second meter installed for it, at which time this load center will still be useful to get to other parts of the yard.
My house has 200A service and a meter combo box that currently feeds the in house sub panel, as well as the A/C unit and well pump. This box still has 4 open slots and I'm figuring to install a 50A breaker to feed a 220V outlet at the house. This will provide me with a location to connect the distribution center and an outlet outside the house where I can connect a large generator in the event of extended power outages. From the outlet I'll have the 150' of wire feeding the distribution center.
What I don't know about this set-up is...
A) What gauge would I need to run 220V 50A the 150'? Also would I need 3 or 4 conductors to do this properly?
B) What type of wire/jacketing would I need for an extension cord set-up exposed to weather and sunlight?
C) What type of plug would be correct to use in this application?
D) Is this a bad idea and I’m being a complete idiot?