# Routing electric around buried coax cabling



## kdrymer (Jun 20, 2017)

Hello, I am looking to run electricity from my house out to an detached garage and am planning on running the wiring underground in PVC conduit. Where the wiring begins on the outside wall of the house I have buried electrical (main feed from pole underground), and cable/internet underground direct burial wiring in the vicinity of where I would like to start the new run of wiring to the detached garage. I planned on burying the new electrical wiring down 18 inches deep in the ground in the PVC. 

I started doing some exploratory digging right on the outside wall of my house and found direct burial Coax wiring buried 12 inches in the ground and runs parallel with  the house (pictured in the bottom of the hole). The concrete pad the house sits on protrudes out about 6 inches from the wall so I need the bring the wiring out at ground level and go downward next to the slab. Is there an issues (interference, safety) with running the wiring directly underneath the coax wiring? I figured someone will probably ask this, I did call the Dig Safe service for my area and was told all of my utilities are "privately owned" by me and therefore he utility companies would not mark out where the underground lines are running. In the picture imagine the electrical wiring running down the wall in PVC (beginning at the utility box pictured on the upper right side) and abuting out about 6 inches past the edge of the concrete and then running down, past and then underneath the coax wiring and out across the yard (perpendicular to the house pictured) to the garage. Appreciate any feedback on whether this may present any issues...


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## nealtw (Jun 20, 2017)

I don't see a problem although I would rent a drill to go down thru the concrete close to the wall to give the conduit more protection.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 20, 2017)

When you have determined the size of the conduit, purchase a 90 to see if 18" will allow the sweep of the elbow to fit behind the coax.


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## kdrymer (Jun 22, 2017)

I wish they had installed the coax in pvc, but from what I hear this is typical of cable companies to bury it directly in the ground. I'm afraid that I will come across the line out further in the yard where it comes underground from the pole. Is there any way of detecting it with locating equipment?


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## bud16415 (Jun 22, 2017)

kdrymer said:


> I wish they had installed the coax in pvc, but from what I hear this is typical of cable companies to bury it directly in the ground. I'm afraid that I will come across the line out further in the yard where it comes underground from the pole. Is there any way of detecting it with locating equipment?



http://call811.com/before-you-dig


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## Kabris (Jun 22, 2017)

No issues as long as you use PVC. Might have issues if you used a direct burial power feed, but PVC will have zero interference on that Coax line.


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## Kabris (Jun 22, 2017)

As far as the Coax line coming from the pole, chances are they trenched the most direct route possible, from the pole to where it enters your house.


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## JoeD (Jun 22, 2017)

If it is like here, it could be only 3-4 inches down. They come with a shovel and make slit, sticking the cable into the slit as they go from pole to house. Phone is the same way.
Call whatever your local locates number is. Call before you dig, digsafe, Ontario one call, call811 etc.


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## kdrymer (Jun 22, 2017)

I submitted a DigSafe request through my state and all the responses I received basically stated that each utility is customer owned and therefore they would not come out to mark the utilities. I was told that I would need to hire a private utility locating service to come out.


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## nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

All the wires will be taking the shortest route to the road, so I would expect to find anything that you should watch out for will be right there at the house.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 22, 2017)

bud16415 said:


> http://call811.com/before-you-dig



See para. 2 of post #1


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## Snoonyb (Jun 22, 2017)

JoeD said:


> If it is like here, it could be only 3-4 inches down. They come with a shovel and make slit, sticking the cable into the slit as they go from pole to house. Phone is the same way.
> Call whatever your local locates number is. Call before you dig, digsafe, Ontario one call, call811 etc.



See para. 2 of post #1.


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## bud16415 (Jun 22, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> See para. 2 of post #1



I guess in that case if he owns the cable company he should call them direct and ask them to come out and mark it. If they cant do that maybe they feel it is cheaper just to replace it if something happens and in that case dig away. 

I did miss that or didnt retain it from the other day when I read the OP.


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## Sparky617 (Jun 22, 2017)

kdrymer said:


> I submitted a DigSafe request through my state and all the responses I received basically stated that each utility is customer owned and therefore they would not come out to mark the utilities. I was told that I would need to hire a private utility locating service to come out.




What state are you in?  Here they'll mark everything up to the house with the exception of the water and sewer.  They'll only mark those up to the meter box near the curb.  YOYO for that.   My experience has been gas and electric are usually pretty deep, deep enough that unless you're breaking out power equipment you don't have much to worry about.  Phone and CATV are fairly shallow, I cut my CATV in my old house with a lawn aerator.  Water around here is about 12-18" down since long freezes aren't an issue here.  The further north you go you'll find water lines to be below the frost line.


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## kdrymer (Jun 22, 2017)

I'm in upstate NY, so we definitely need frost protection here on water pipes. Water is on a private well and I imagine is much deeper than 18 inches. Not sure about electric, but I would hope it is either deeper than 18 inches, and/or is encased in conduit. I found this locating device on Amazon, anyone have any experience using one of them?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0086GE2C2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## Kabris (Jun 23, 2017)

I don't have experience using that type. I've used one that looks more like a classic metal detector, but is used for underground wires. You may be able to rent one if you need it for just this project.


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## bud16415 (Jun 23, 2017)

kdrymer said:


> I'm in upstate NY, so we definitely need frost protection here on water pipes. Water is on a private well and I imagine is much deeper than 18 inches. Not sure about electric, but I would hope it is either deeper than 18 inches, and/or is encased in conduit. I found this locating device on Amazon, anyone have any experience using one of them?
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0086GE2C2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



That device puts a tone on the wire and then finds the tone. You can unhook your cable at the house but the cable company may not like you running a tone back out the cable on their end.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 23, 2017)

So, unless there is a coupler, and/or you have the consent of the cable co. to disconnect from that coupler, you are subordinate to them.


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## kdrymer (Jul 5, 2017)

Thanks for all the feedback!


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