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About This Project
Say you need a bright yard light way out in your yard or a remote outlet to power a pond pump or electric tools. By far the best way to get electrical power right where you need it is to run underground “line” voltage (120-volt household current). All it takes is a little electrical moxie and a willingness to dig a shallow trench.In this article, we show the easiest, quickest and cheapest method to safely run electricity outdoors. Our method involves directly burying UF (underground feeder) plastic shielded cable 12 in. below ground level. We’ll also show you a no-sweat way to run the line under a walkway and how to hook up the wiring at both ends.
For this project, you should have the fundamental wiring skills it takes to make proper connections and the basic electrical and carpentry tools. While they’re not crucial, a trench shovel, a mattock and a sledgehammer will make the trench work easier and faster.
Allow about a day to complete this project, assuming you collect all the parts in advance. Expect to pay up to $50 for the electrical parts (plus the light fixture) and $50 for the post materials.
Planning the Project
In our project, we run a line from an existing outdoor outlet on the house to a light and receptacle at the edge of a garden path. It incorporates a combination light switch/outlet. The outlet is always hot, and the switch controls only the light. If you don’t have an outdoor box to tap in to, consider installing one on your house.
You can expand the project to include additional outlets, switches and lights. The techniques for running the wire and mounting electrical boxes are the same. However, make sure not to overload the circuit (see “Can the Circuit Support More Outlets or Lights?”). While we enclosed the electrical boxes inside a hollow post, you can simply mount a weatherproof box on the side of a 4x4, as long as you protect the cable by running it in conduit from the trench bottom to the box.
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