Cable for laying in the ground. Rules for installing an introductory cable into a house underground How to lay wiring in the ground

The question often arises before the owners of private households, is it possible to lay a power cable underground? What is the best wire to use? What rules must be observed?
The main way of laying power lines to a private house, dacha is - air or underground. To transfer electricity to the point of consumption, a method such as laying a cable in the ground is used. This is an economical option for installing power lines. The advantage of this method is the secrecy of the wiring, which does not spoil appearance buildings, the wires do not clash in the wind; when moving oversized cargo, the wires will not interfere. Well, as a bonus, the cable is cooled in the ground, which prevents it from overheating and damage.

Laying wires and cables in the ground has many advantages. When installing this wiring, special technological process. The following advantages can be distinguished:

  • Profitability, the cost of work will not exceed the cost of the materials used. The most acceptable option, in comparison with the laying of an overhead line, which requires special approval, Additional materials, Technics;
  • To avoid damage to the cable, a deep trench is not made and material and other funds for line maintenance will not be required;
  • The ability to lay the cable with your own hands without the help of installers and without involving special equipment in the form of a tower;
  • The wiring place is hidden from view, so it does not spoil the appearance of the area;
  • This method allows the use of electrical high-voltage cable of various cross-sections, without the use of suspension reinforcements.

Rules that must be observed for laying wires underground

Installation is carried out in compliance with PTEEP as well as PUE, regardless of the purpose and type of wire used. The following points must be observed:

The choice of electrical cable for wiring underground

In underground wiring, types of armored cables are used - VB 6ShV, as well as VB6ShVng, these products have steel protection. This option is resistant to mechanical damage and will not allow rodents to damage the wiring.
With such protection, the cable will last for many years. The armored cable is laid without a pipeline, but the use of a pipe is recommended in order to avoid damage to the wiring by government employees. organizations in the course of work.
The electric wire for laying in the ground should be selected, taking into account the required power of the consumers of the facility. For example:

    • Cable VBShvng 4x6 is designed for power 11kW;
    • Cable VBShvng 4x10 is designed for power 15kW;
    • The VBShvng 4x16 cable is designed for a power of 21 kW.

Work order

There is a certain sequence when laying leashes in the ground:

  • Designation of the location of the power line;
  • The choice of a cable suitable for this type of work;
  • Arrangement of a trench for wiring;
  • cable laying in the ground;
  • Arrangement of wires sewn up with a pillow, then with soil and signaling tape;
  • Carrying out verification work on the functioning of the line;
  • The final stage is the digging of the trench.

Stages of work on laying electrical wiring

To create wiring underground, you need to have special knowledge:

  • The first thing is the marking of the route on the ground for a power line in a summer cottage, suburban area, etc .;
  • When marking, it is possible to use all kinds of stakes, ropes. It is necessary to carefully monitor that there is no intersection with communication networks;
  • It is worth creating a cable layout plan. The drawing indicates the distance of the cable exit from the ground, as well as its turns. It is important to check whether the wiring is disconnected from the mains voltage before laying;
  • Then a trench is dug according to the markup. As a rule, its depth is 80 cm, the width for laying one cable is 20 cm. The bottom of the dug trench should be rammed;
  • There is an option - the bottom of the trench is laid out with red brick;
  • If you plan to conduct electrical wiring across the road, then in this case the depth should be at least 120cm;
  • When laying the cable into the ground, it is necessary to clear the trench from branches, stones and other objects;
  • Next, a pillow of sand is poured -12 cm. It will protect against the possibility of a wire break;
  • The de-energized wire must be laid so that it is not too tight. As a rule, a whole wire is laid without connecting sections;
  • The final step is backfilling the trench with electrical wiring. After that, the cable is checked for a short circuit and its armor is grounded.

How to properly lay the cable in the ground, be sure to watch the video:

AT winter period underground laying of the power line is permissible, the following must be taken into account:

  • Before laying the cable warms up in the living room. The heated cable is laid, preventing freezing. If the frost is more than 20 degrees, the possibility of installation is excluded;
  • If the air temperature is minus 5 and above, it is possible not to carry out the warm-up procedure if the wire high pressure;
  • At a temperature of minus 7, it is permissible to lay a conductor protected by insulation;
  • If the temperature is minus 15 and above and the conductor is protected by a PVC film or a rubber sheath;
  • Laying at minus 20 degrees is possible, if the wire is protected by PVC or rubber insulation and if there is a lead sheath on top.

There are details that are worth considering, they will help to carry out the work more correctly:

These rules for laying underground wiring must be observed for safe work and subsequent operation. If the rules are violated, troubles may arise that will be difficult to correct.

Underground cable laying in the country

Usually on suburban area how many buildings are being built: country house, sauna, summer kitchen, utility block, etc. etc. Initially, electricity was supplied to one of them, and everything needs to be electrified. Yes, and outdoor lighting want to do. And there is a problem of choice - which of the ways of laying electrical communications, air or underground, is more suitable for your beautiful dacha.

The aerial method is simple and cheap if the distance between objects is small. If the distance is large, then you will have to put an additional pole, support. And hanging garlands above your head do not decorate the country landscape at all.

Underground cable laying in the country more aesthetically pleasing and suitable for long distance installation or outdoor lighting equipment.

In order to lay the cable underground in the country, you must comply with all the necessary requirements of safety rules, and you should also study the features of your summer cottage.

First you need to choose the best way to lay the cable underground at their summer cottage. It is important here that the cable runs at least a meter (and usually more!) From large trees and in places where digging will certainly not be carried out. The cable path should not run under places where there is an increased load on the ground, for example, a platform that is used to park your car in the country. Think over the laying route so that communications do not interfere with you during further construction. Let the communications be a little longer than holding them under arable land or a future building. It is best to lay the cable under the tracks, and best of all next to them. We strongly recommend drawing a plan for its location.

You should not use the same cable to connect buildings and external lighting - first make communications between buildings. They must be done once and for all. When everything is done, start experimenting with outdoor lighting: this is a creative job and does not always work the first time.

After the trench has been dug, it must be cleared of objects such as stones, pieces of iron, or pieces of glass that can damage the cable insulation. Then you need to make a pillow out of sand. The thickness of the pillow should be at least 5, and best of all 10 centimeters, and the sand itself should be fairly evenly distributed along the entire length of the trench.

It's time to choose a cable. All modern views cables and wires have the necessary water resistance for laying in the ground. Even ordinary series installation wires ( PBPP / PUNP, PVA, SHVVP) can be safely laid underground or in water.

Power cables VVG(especially VVGz), KG are even better suited for these purposes. All these wires do not require any additional waterproofing.

But still it is better to lay these cables in HDPE pipes. If it became necessary to lay a cable protected by a case, then HDPE technical pipes is the perfect technical solution. The most popular use of these pipes is to protect electrical, television and telephone (internet) cables. The use of a GOST HDPE pipe in this case is possible, but impractical, because. the high cost of raw materials and compliance with all standards for the production of drinking pipes increases the cost of the project at times. In the manufacture technical pipe HDPE uses various polyethylene additives (the basis is secondary raw materials and defective "pipe" production), which significantly reduces its price.

The base color of the pipes is black, but the presence of recycled materials can give different shades. By technical requirements the presence of recycled low and high pressure polyethylene of certain grades is allowed. Pipes must be round, smooth and even both outside and inside.

HDPE pipes are connected by couplings (fittings), but this does not guarantee 100% tightness - it is better to lay them in one piece from building to building.

There is also a special armored underground cableWBBSH. The steel sleeve is already built into this cable and it has a very good waterproofing. It can be placed without additional protection.

For laying a cable underground in a country house between buildings, it is highly recommended to use it.

Carefully inspect the cable from all sides in order to check the integrity of its sheath. It is necessary to lay the cable in a trench (or in a pipe) in such a way that it lies freely, and not stretched.

You can already start backfilling. The cable must be covered with sand 10 centimeters thick. The cable must not protrude anywhere from the sand layer. A 15-cm layer of soil is poured on top of the sand. Then you can (at an amateur) lay the signal tape in such a way that the middle of the tape is located just above the cable.

We fill the entire trench, while leaving a small mound, since the soil tends to settle. When using HDPE pipes, the outlet to the building should be provided with fittings.

Some additional tips. Firstly, when laying a cable underground in a country house between buildings, use a cable with a cross section of at least 4 mm. Secondly, lay only one-piece cable underground, do not make connections.

How to lay a cable underground - practical advice

Requirements for electrical work

The first step is to tell you about what regulations may affect how you will install electrical wiring in an earthen trench. So, we recommend taking into account the following restrictions in accordance with the rules of PUE, SNiP and GOST during electrical work:


Given these requirements and rules, you can be sure that laying the cable in the trench will not endanger you and your home wiring line! Of course, these are not all the restrictions that exist in the rules of PUE and SNiP, but for home conditions the requirements provided will be enough even when connecting the site from the pole to the house.

DIY styling technology

So we have come to the main issue of the article, in which we will consider how to properly lay an electrical cable in the ground on our own. To make the instruction convenient and understandable, we will provide it in stages.


That's the whole technology of laying a cable underground in a summer cottage. As you can see, drawing a line at home is not so difficult. More time and effort will be spent on land works- trench digging.

  1. Use only a special armored conductor. It is better not to choose brands such as KG, PUNP and AABL. The first two cables do not have sufficient protection, and certain skills are needed to work with the last brand of conductor.
  2. Diameter metal pipe, which will pass through the foundation of a private house (if necessary), should be 2-3 times larger than the diameter of the email itself. cable.
  3. If the ground freezing depth in your area is deeper than 70 cm (trench depth), be sure to secure the protective pipe so that it does not tear or deform.
  4. Use plastic corrugated pipe(DKS) to protect electrical wiring underground is prohibited. Within a year, the corrugation will collapse and all its protective properties, which are already weak, will disappear.
  5. Try not to lay the conductor under high traffic areas such as playgrounds, parking lots, garden paths.
  6. Unanimous opinion or rules in normative documentation, in relation to the minimum cable cross-section for laying in the ground no. In practice, the most commonly used section is 10 mm 2 for copper and 16 for aluminum. Focus only on the calculation of the cable cross-section for power and current, and also keep in mind that the line must be armored.

Nuances when laying in the winter

Well, the last thing I would like to talk about is whether it is possible to lay a cable underground with low temperatures and especially in winter. Electrical work in winter time are allowed, but the following rules and regulations must be observed:

  • Before laying electrical wiring in a trench, it is necessary to warm the conductor in a warm room or using a transformer. We do not recommend using the last method if you have not encountered it before, because. this requires certain skills.
  • After heating, you need to quickly lay the power line. If the temperature outside is not lower than -10 ° C, you have an hour of time, from -10 to -20 ° C - no more than 40 minutes, below -20 ° C - half an hour maximum. If the temperature is lower in winter, wiring is prohibited.
  • Without preheating, it is allowed to lay the cable underground in the following cases: if the temperature is not lower than -5 ° C, and the high pressure conductor itself; if the temperature is not lower than -7 o C and the cable is protected by insulation, -15 o C if the insulation is PVC or rubber, -20 o C if the core insulation is represented by a polyethylene sheath or rubber and an additional lead sheath.

That's all I wanted to tell you about how to lay the cable in the ground with your own hands. We hope our practical advice, instruction as well as the standards provided will help you during installation at home!

Also read:

How to properly lay the cable in the suburban area

Modern summer cottages are necessarily electrified. But the necessary communications, as a rule, are laid only to the main building on the site. The owners, while living on the site, often need to lay a cable to other structures: a gazebo, a barn, a garage, etc. The best way to do this is in the ground.

Benefits of Underground Cable Laying

In addition to this method, external wiring can be carried out by air. At first glance, it may seem that this is easier. After all, you do not need to spend time and effort digging a trench, and fix the problem faster. But in reality, it turns out that it is more reliable to insulate and lay the cable with high quality once, fully observing the technology, which is regulated by legislative documents. All work can be done by hand, and the details of the process are outlined in the thematic video.

Benefits of underground cable laying:

  1. You can use wire of any section. You will not be limited by its weight and strength of supports.
  2. The cost of laying the cable is often lower than with the air method.
  3. Aesthetically, the wires look more attractive because they are not visible.
  4. Complete security. With proper insulation, the cable will lie in the thickness of the earth for many years, without forcing you to remember it.
  5. Ease of connecting communications.

Attention! Of the external devices, it is enough to connect one toggle switch at the line output. With it, you can completely de-energize all other buildings with one movement.

Fundamentals of dacha electrical equipment

Energy supply in the country consists of the following stages:

  1. Bringing the commutation to the site. The connection point on the pole is a power panel with a metering device for consumed electricity. It can be located at the top or bottom. As a rule, your dacha is already powered: the cable from the pole to the power shield of the house has been laid. But sometimes you have to do it yourself, also in an underground way.
  2. Laying cables to power points in your area. This is exactly the stage where you need to dig trenches. Lay the cable in them, but do not bury it yet.
  3. Functionality check. If your internal network will be extensive, it is better to involve power engineers for testing. Additionally, it will be necessary to check the insulation resistance of the line and the phasing of the network.
  4. Final work: digging trenches, connecting equipment.

Not every cable and not every insulation is ready to be in the ground. Buy only certified quality goods suitable for this installation method. The best option- power cable series VVG. In any case, the cross section should not be less than 4 mm.

Features of underground cable laying technology

Even before buying a quality cable, you should calculate the required length. To properly position it on the site, draw up a trench plan. It is a mistake to assume that it is most efficient to dig along the shortest path to energy consumption points. This procedure has several nuances:

  • the cable should not be closer than 1-1.5 m from large trees (roots will interfere);
  • line cannot be drawn garden beds, front garden and other places where digging or construction work is possible in the future;
  • correlate the network of trenches and the location of other underground utilities on the site;
  • it is not recommended to lay a path under the parking lot and other places with high blood pressure on the ground;
  • it is most reliable to place the network under the garden paths and next to them;
  • minimum location from the foundation of the house - 60 cm.

Attention! The last requirement is difficult to fulfill, for example, when laying from a residential building to a bathhouse or other nearby building. In such a case, protect the line with a steel pipe.

Experts advise first to power all the required buildings. After that, do the wiring for outdoor lighting, if you have one planned. It is better to carry out these works at different times. They require solidity, as well as time for planning and experimentation.

How to lay the cable on the site

The process of creating an underground network at the site consists of the following steps:

  1. Mark the area and dig trenches according to your scheme. Optimal dimensions for them: from 80 cm deep and 20-30 cm wide. For laying an external lighting cable, the depth can be one third less.
  2. Remove debris, rocks, and any other sharp objects from the trench that could damage the wire insulation.
  3. Pour a sand cushion about 10 cm thick. The material should be evenly distributed along the entire length of the trench.

After preparing the trenches, it's time to start laying the cable. The purchased wire, no matter how durable and waterproof it may be, must be covered in a pipe. Technically, the best solution in this situation would be HDPE pipes. They are just designed for such communications.

No need to buy material that meets GOST. It is designed to transport drinking water and therefore quite expensive. The output is a technical pipe from recycled materials. It is many times cheaper and not worse for electrical wiring.

Advice from experts on laying underground lines

In the work of laying the cable, photo instructions and recommendations from electricians will help you:

  • Try to use solid pieces of pipe. They can be connected with fittings. But get ready that the tightness will probably suffer from this.
  • The cable must also be intact. Check this with particular care before laying in the pipe. No connections allowed!
  • The wire should be placed in the pipe freely, without tension.
  • The line should be placed evenly in the trench, without protruding above the ground level.
  • Before instillation, it will be useful to cover the wire with a layer of sand (5-10 cm).
  • Warning tape is useful for safety. In such works, it is covered with a sandy layer exactly along the line of the cable.
  • The trench is buried with ordinary soil. Necessarily with a mound, because the earth will sag over time.

Like any construction work when laying a cable in the ground, a diagram and a clear work plan are important. Use only quality materials. Subject to these conditions, you will be able to operate the electrical system at your summer cottage for many years without any problems.

Laying an electrical cable underground: video

country affairs

Construction and Dacha in an understandable language

Electric cable for laying in the ground in the country

If you still have not decided which method of laying the cable in the ground to choose, we recommend that you follow our simple advice. There are so many ways to accomplish this task. Professionals still can not decide which way is better - ground or air.

We suggest you give preference, all the same, to the earthly method. It's easy to explain. Usually the distance from the pole to the house is large and you will most likely want to install outdoor lighting. In these cases earth way Cable routing will fit perfectly.

To run an electrical cable underground: simple instructions actions. First of all, an electric cable for laying in the ground in the country must be purchased.

After that, you can start choosing the most suitable cable routing path. In this case, certain features should be taken into account. The cable must be placed in 1m. from massive trees. Consider this nuance.

Laying a cable is not as simple a process as it seems at first glance. It is necessary to ensure that the wires are not tangled, and you should not place it in places with increased load.

You should start by creating a simple markup, and then move on to excavation. The trench where the cable will be located should not be narrower than 70 cm.

Concerning depths, then cable lines up to 20 kV should be laid to a depth of 0.7 m, up to 35 kV - 1 m, with streets and squares - 1 m, regardless of voltage, oil-filled cable lines should be laid to a depth of 1.5 m.

After you create the required trench, you can start filtering it. In other words, remove all stones and other objects. The next step is to create a pillow. It is better to make it from a material such as sand.

The depth of the pillow should be approximately 10 cm We recommend that you give preference to the ABVg cable. This is a universal option. To protect the cable, we recommend that you use asbestos-cement pipes. Cable laying should be loose so that it is not subjected to excessive pressure. We advise you to create a separate cable layout plan.

After all preparatory stages, you can start backfilling the cable. This should be done with sand. Its layer must be at least 10cm. The final step will be the laying of the signal tape. The final stage will be filling the trench with earth.

Laying electrical cables underground

The laying of an electrical cable underground must be carried out in compliance with all technical standards. You should know that it is better to plan the route initially, its radius should have well-defined dimensions, which should not exceed the allowable norm for each individual cable.

You must take into account the presence of distribution couplings. The cable must be delivered on cable drums, which in turn are delivered on special vehicles.

You must take into account that the drums must be unloaded very carefully. We recommend that you contact a specialist if you doubt your abilities. Cable laying underground requires responsible training and the necessary knowledge.

Laying an electrical cable in the ground

Pay attention to the choice of cable. The successful laying of an electrical cable in the ground depends primarily on its quality. We recommend that you give preference to copper cables.

They must be armored. The cable that you must purchase must necessarily have technical documentation, in which it will indicate what exactly it is intended for.

In our case - it's a laying in the ground. It is worth laying the cable only from a special drum. You must take this into account.

The cable itself must also have some protection. Let it be a steel braid. Such a cable will cost more, but you will not doubt its quality for more than a minute.

Consider all the above recommendations, and you will successfully lay the electrical cable in the ground. Special attention should also be paid to safety. Use special clothes and accurately carry out the necessary calculations. The cable must lie down with a certain margin.

It is very important. Do not put any tension on the cable. The margin should be approximately 2%. To correctly connect the cable sleeves, use sleeves. Clearly define the distance between the sleeve and the cable. It should be approximately 250 mm.

And also you can watch the video of laying the power cable

Usually, a number of buildings are erected on a summer cottage: a country house, a bathhouse, a summer kitchen, a utility block, etc. etc.

Initially, electricity was supplied to one of them, and everything needs to be electrified. Yes, and outdoor lighting want to do. And there is a problem of choice - which of the methods of laying electrical communications, air or underground, is more suitable for your dacha.

Choose a method

The aerial method is simple and cheap if the distance between objects is small. If the distance is large, then you will have to put an additional pole, support. And hanging garlands above your head do not decorate the country landscape at all.

The underground method of laying cables in the country is more aesthetic and suitable for laying over long distances or for outdoor lighting equipment.

In order to lay the cable underground in the country, you must comply with all the necessary requirements of safety rules, and you should also study the features of your summer cottage.

Rules for laying cables underground

First you need to choose the best way to lay the cable underground at their summer cottage. It is important here that the cable runs at least a meter (and usually more!) From large trees and in places where digging will certainly not be carried out. The cable path should not run under places where there is an increased load on the ground, for example, a platform that is used to park your car in the country. Think over the laying route so that communications do not interfere with you during further construction. Let the communications be a little longer than holding them under arable land or a future building. It is best to lay the cable under the tracks, and best of all next to them. We strongly recommend drawing a plan for its location.

You should not use the same cable to connect buildings and external lighting - first make communications between buildings. They must be done once and for all. When everything is done, start experimenting with outdoor lighting: this is a creative job and does not always work the first time.

Cable laying underground in the country begins with the marking and excavation of the trench. Its optimal depth should be at least 70 centimeters, and given the pillow, it is better than 80 centimeters. This is for communication between buildings. For cable laying underground for external lighting, these figures are usually 40-50 cm.

After the trench has been dug, it must be cleared of objects such as stones, pieces of iron, or pieces of glass that can damage the cable insulation. Then you need to make a pillow out of sand. The thickness of the pillow should be at least 5, and best of all 10 centimeters, and the sand itself should be fairly evenly distributed along the entire length of the trench.

Material used

It's time to choose a cable. All modern types of cables and wires have the necessary water resistance for laying in the ground. Even conventional installation wires of the series (PBPP / PUNP, PVS, ShVVP) can be safely laid underground or in water.

Power cables VVG(especially VVGz), KG are even better suited for these purposes. All these wires do not require any additional waterproofing.

But still, it is better to lay these cables in HDPE pipes. If it became necessary to lay a cable protected by a case, then HDPE technical pipes are an ideal technical solution. The most popular use of these pipes is to protect electrical, television and telephone (internet) cables. The use of a GOST HDPE pipe in this case is possible, but impractical, because. the high cost of raw materials and compliance with all standards for the production of drinking pipes increases the cost of the project at times. In the manufacture of HDPE technical pipe, various polyethylene additives are used (the basis is secondary raw materials and defective "pipe" production), which significantly reduces its price.

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The base color of the pipes is black, but the presence of recycled materials can give different shades. According to technical requirements, the presence of recycled low and high pressure polyethylene of certain grades is allowed. Pipes must be round, smooth and even both outside and inside.

HDPE pipes they are connected by couplings (fittings), but this does not guarantee 100% tightness - it is better to put them in one piece from building to building.

There is also a special armored cable for underground installation - VBBSH. The steel sleeve is already built into this cable and it has a very good waterproofing. It can be placed without additional protection.

For laying a cable underground in a country house between buildings, it is highly recommended to use it.

Carefully inspect the cable from all sides in order to check the integrity of its sheath. It is necessary to lay the cable in a trench (or in a pipe) in such a way that it lies freely, and not stretched.

You can already start backfilling. The cable must be covered with sand 10 centimeters thick. The cable must not protrude anywhere from the sand layer. A 15-cm layer of soil is poured on top of the sand. Then you can (at an amateur) lay the signal tape in such a way that the middle of the tape is located just above the cable.

We fill the entire trench, while leaving a small mound, since the soil tends to settle. When using HDPE pipes, the outlet to the building should be provided with fittings.

A few additional tips. Firstly, when laying a cable underground in a country house between buildings, use a cable with a cross section of at least 4 mm. Secondly, lay only one-piece cable underground, do not make connections.

Everyone who has ever thought of ennobling their suburban area was worried about the pressing question: how to make wiring in the garden so that it leads to a variety of sockets and light bulbs in gazebos, to lighting lamps? I also had to deal with this difficult task.

I immediately warn you that I am an electrician by profession, so I did everything myself, if someone does not have special knowledge, you can’t start “tricking” something with wiring and electricity on your own. In the best case, nothing may simply work, on average, all connected equipment will break, and in the extreme, you can harm yourself or some of the madmen who agreed to deal with the “self-made” electrification of the garden. The electrification of the site should only be carried out by a specialist, no matter how simple it may seem. But at least in in general terms knowing how to do the wiring will not hurt anyone, if only in order to control the quality of the work of the same electrician - they are also different. So, the topic of this article is how to lay wiring in the garden.

How to make wiring: materials and tools

For the installation of garden wiring, you need a standard set of tools:

  • drill with a set of drills
  • Screwdriver Set
  • good cutters
  • pliers
  • sharp knife
  • a hammer
  • voltage indicator
  • protective gloves

This is the minimum required list, without which work can not be started. If the wiring is underground (more on that below), then you can’t do without a good shovel.

Selecting the type of wiring and installation methods

Garden wiring can be outdoor and hidden. The first is still temporary and stationary, the second is most often buried in the ground. Here the choice depends on the possibilities and needs. Temporary wiring is suitable for those who rarely need electricity in the garden - it is the cheapest, but also the least beautiful and safe. Such a system is simply unwound from home and rewound if necessary - no problems. Stationary external wiring is mounted for permanent use and is led to the places of electrification along posts, trees and external walls of buildings, stretched on cables.

It will cost a little more (you need a better wire), but it is not always possible to perform it aesthetically - it all depends on the layout of the garden, the number of connection points and all that.

I'll tell you how to lay the wiring underground. This electrification of the site is much more efficient and safer than the others, but you will need a special expensive cable with reinforced insulation. When connecting pieces of cable to each other, electrical tape is no longer suitable - special hermetic couplings are needed.

How to lay the wiring: the sequence of work

All work performed can be divided into several stages in sequence.

1. Development of a project in which all lamps, switches, sockets, etc. are clearly indicated. This is the most important stage, on the correct implementation of which the success of the entire event depends.

Even if you want to do all the work yourself, the project must be developed or at least approved by a good specialist. For example, you can order a detailed garden electrification project with exact specifications and detailed instructions and work on it, as if on a good instruction.

2. Next, trenches are dug into which, according to the previously developed project, the cable will be laid. Laying is simple, but time-consuming: the cable is laid in a trench at least sixty centimeters deep on a ten-centimeter sand cushion.

The ends of the wires are brought out of the ground to the places where the equipment is installed and connected to the main power grid.

3. Now you can mount all the fixtures, sockets, and more. All switching fittings should be placed in places absolutely inaccessible to atmospheric precipitation, even if the seller swore that it was waterproof - it would still leak and close. We know we passed.

4. And only after that you need to install protective automation and connect to a permanent power supply. Trenches, on the other hand, can be buried already firmly convinced that everything works. The cable is covered with sand and covered with bricks, tiles and other materials that protect against mechanical damage.

Job is done.

Selection and placement of sockets, lamps

Depending on the type of wiring, luminaires for illuminating the site can be suspended and ground, they can give diffused and directional light that will illuminate a small area or the entire structure.

For lighting garden paths Most often, ground-based lamps with soft, diffusing shades are used, this is how everything is done with me.

There will be no problems with the choice of lamps, sockets and switches - there are a lot of types, the main thing is to place them safely.

Wiring security

The two main criteria for safe wiring in the garden are good cable and a qualified person working with him.

Many hope that in the event of a circuit failure, they will be protected by a central machine, usually located near the meter. I installed an additional AMS (automatic power breaker) at my place, which only works for the garden network. Why risk all the appliances in the house?

In order to temporarily conduct electricity to certain garden objects, it would be wise to use a ready-made kit that just needs to be plugged into the power grid. Such kits are also equipped with an AMS unit, and all junction boxes and switches in them are made watertight.

That's all. The science is simple, but it requires accuracy of execution and vigilance in work, because harnessed electricity is good, but when it “breaks off the leash”, it almost always ends badly.

If you still have not decided which method of laying the cable in the ground to choose, we recommend that you follow our simple tips. There are so many ways to accomplish this task. Professionals still can not decide which way is better - ground or air.

We suggest you give preference, all the same, to the earthly method. It's easy to explain. Usually the distance from the pole to the house is large and you will most likely want to install outdoor lighting. In these cases, the earthly method of laying the cable is ideal.

To lay an electrical cable underground, follow a simple instruction. First of all, an electric cable for laying in the ground in the country must be purchased.

After that, you can start choosing the most suitable cable routing path. In this case, certain features should be taken into account. The cable must be placed in 1m. from massive trees. Consider this nuance.

Laying a cable is not as simple a process as it seems at first glance. It is necessary to ensure that the wires are not tangled, and you should not place it in places with increased load.

You should start by creating a simple markup, and then move on to excavation. The trench where the cable will be located should not be narrower than 70 cm.

Concerning depths, then cable lines up to 20 kV should be laid to a depth of 0.7 m, up to 35 kV - 1 m, with streets and squares - 1 m, regardless of voltage, oil-filled cable lines should be laid to a depth of 1.5 m.

After you create the required trench, you can start filtering it. In other words, remove all stones and other objects. The next step is to create a pillow. It is better to make it from a material such as sand.

The depth of the pillow should be approximately 10 cm We recommend that you give preference to the ABVg cable. This is a universal option. To protect the cable, we recommend that you use asbestos-cement pipes. Cable laying should be loose so that it is not subjected to excessive pressure. We advise you to create a separate cable layout plan.

After all the preparatory steps, you can begin to fall asleep the cable. This should be done with sand. Its layer must be at least 10cm. The final step will be the laying of the signal tape. The final stage will be filling the trench with earth.

Laying electrical cables underground

The laying of an electrical cable underground must be carried out in compliance with all technical standards. You should know that it is better to plan the route initially, its radius should have well-defined dimensions, which should not exceed the allowable norm for each individual cable.

You must take into account the presence of distribution couplings. The cable must be delivered on cable drums, which in turn are delivered on special vehicles.

You must take into account that the drums must be unloaded very carefully. We recommend that you contact a specialist if you doubt your abilities. Cable laying underground requires responsible training and the necessary knowledge.

Laying an electrical cable in the ground

Pay attention to the choice of cable. The successful laying of an electrical cable in the ground depends primarily on its quality. We recommend that you give preference to copper cables.

They must be armored. The cable that you must purchase must necessarily have technical documentation, in which it will indicate what exactly it is intended for.

In our case - it's a laying in the ground. It is worth laying the cable only from a special drum. You must take this into account.

The cable itself must also have some protection. Let it be a steel braid. Such a cable will cost more, but you will not doubt its quality for more than a minute.

Consider all the above recommendations, and you will successfully lay the electrical cable in the ground. Special attention should also be paid to safety. Use special clothes and accurately carry out the necessary calculations. The cable must lie down with a certain margin.

It is very important. Do not put any tension on the cable. The margin should be approximately 2%. To correctly connect the cable sleeves, use sleeves. Clearly define the distance between the sleeve and the cable. It should be approximately 250 mm.

And also you can watch the video of laying the power cable

Most often, the need to lay an electrical cable in a trench in a summer cottage arises if you need to make street lighting on poles or conduct electrical wiring to the bathhouse. In this case, it is very important to comply with the regulations (in particular, SNiP and), as well as take into account safety precautions during electrical work. Next, we will tell you how the cable is laid in the ground without violating the norms and generally accepted rules.

Requirements for electrical work

The first step is to tell you about what regulations may affect how you will install electrical wiring in an earthen trench. So, the basic rules for laying cables in the ground are described in paragraph 83, as well as SNiP 3.05.06-86, "Unified technical instructions for the selection and use of electrical cables" and other regulatory documents. In the article, we consider the features of laying cable lines with voltages up to 1000V. Let's highlight the most important:

  • The depth of cable laying in the ground according to PUE 2.3.84 must be at least 0.7 m for cables up to 20 kV, at the intersection with the roadway - at least 1 m. For entry into the building and at intersections with underground structures, laying is allowed at a depth of 50 cm with protection against mechanical damage, that is, laying in a pipe (at such a depth it is mandatory or the cable must be armored). In this case, the length of such a section should be no more than 5 meters.
  • According to PUE 2.3.85. P It is forbidden to draw a line under the foundation of the house. The minimum distance from the foundation should be 60 cm. If you need to lay a cable from the house to the sauna, garage or other building, lay the cable as described above, and make sure to pass through the wall (foundation) in rigid PVC, HDPE or steel pipe.
  • According to PUE 2.3.86, the distance between two cables in one trench should be no less than 10 cm, on the basis of which the width of the trench is selected. 50 cm must be set back from cables of other organizations and communication cables.
  • At least 2 meters must be retreated from trees for laying electrical wiring in a trench, and at least 75 cm from shrubs (according to clause 2.4.87). This distance can be reduced when laying the cable in a pipe, for example, if you dig under a tree).
  • In all cases where damage to the cable line is possible, lay it in pipes. In other cases - directly in the ground at the depth indicated above.
  • The distance to pipelines and sewers for parallel laying should be at least 1 m (clause 2.3.88), to the heat pipeline - 2 m (clause 2.3.89). To the gas pipeline with a pressure of 0.0049-0.588 MPa - not less than 1 m, with a pressure of more than 0.588 MPa - 2 meters. Laying above and below pipelines is not allowed.
  • When crossing cables, they must be separated by a layer of earth 50 cm thick (clause 2.3.94-95).
  • According to clause 2.3.37, you need to use predominantly armored cables, for example, (A) VBbShv. Unarmoured cables must be resistant to mechanical stress.
  • According to the "Uniform Requirements ..." and GOST 16442-80, which we mentioned above, it is permissible to use (A) VVG in the ground directly (without a pipe). But only in the absence of a tensile load and if it is not a swampy area, bulk or heaving soils or vertical sections of the line, as well as in trenches in soil with low and medium corrosive activity. However, cable laying in PVC, HDPE or steel pipes allows in which case it is easy to replace the cable without opening the ground.
  • So that there are no loads on the line due to stretching and soil pressure - lay the cable in a snake with a margin of 1-2% in length, and when laying in heaving soil or when laying a hot cable (if work is done in cold weather), the margin should be 3-4 %.
  • If you need to do it yourself underground, use special couplings, as shown in the photo.
  • For additional protection of the power line underground (for example, with strong subsidence of the soil), you can use a pipe or a special cable structure made of bricks (laid across the trench, as in the photo below). The use of hollow brick is prohibited. Please note that protection against mechanical damage by bricks or concrete slabs of cables up to 20 kV, laid at a depth of 1 meter or more, is optional, in accordance with clause 2.3.83 of the PUE. At the same time, cables up to 1 kV MUST only be protected in this way in places where frequent excavations are likely.

  • Be sure to lay a signal tape on top of the conductor laid in the ground with the inscription: “Caution, cable!”.

Given these requirements and rules, you can be sure that laying the cable in the trench will not endanger you and your home wiring line! Of course, these are not all the restrictions that exist in the rules of PUE and SNiP, but for home conditions the requirements provided will be enough even when connecting the site from the pole to the house.

DIY styling technology

So we have come to the main issue of the article, in which we will consider how to properly lay an electrical cable in the ground on our own. To make the instruction convenient and understandable, we will provide it in stages.

  1. Draw a wiring diagram in a trench, on which mark the exact distance from the house, garden buildings and plantings, according to regulatory documents. If underground wiring will be used for connection, be sure to specify the installation locations for the lights.
  2. Mark the territory of the suburban area with pegs and a rope, and then dig a trench according to the markings. After excavation, remove stones, possible glass fragments or pieces of metal from the prepared trench, which can later cause damage to electrical wiring underground. Install lighting poles immediately, if required.
  3. On the rammed bottom, make an even cushion of sand or fine earth, previously cleared of small stones, glass fragments, bricks and other objects that can damage the insulation.
  4. Lay the conductor in the ground as shown in the photo. For laying electrical wiring in a trench, it is recommended to use either a more expensive option with aluminum conductors - with copper conductors, or VVG-ng-LS, in the cases described above.


  5. Check the finished cable line with a megger, which will detect insulation damage and high voltage leaks (). Don't forget to discharge the cable to ground or by shorting the wires after measuring the resistance.
  6. Use the pipe following the rules and recommendations described above. If you need a pipe lining (depth 50 cm, excavations often occur, laying under a tree, etc.), then use HDPE, PVC, steel or asbestos-cement pipes. The last type of pipes is cut lengthwise into two parts, making them look like a pencil case, after which the wire is laid. This technology will allow you to quickly release the wiring during its repair.
  7. Photograph the network from the trenches so you know exactly where the cable runs in the ground on garden plot. By the way, it is better to save the drawing too, because. it has indications of all distances when laying a line from a house, a fence, etc.
  8. Fill the trench with sand or fine soil, cleared of sharp objects. The layer should be uniform, about 15 cm. After backfilling, it must be carefully compacted.
  9. Lay a signal tape on the sand indicating that electrical wiring has been laid under it.
  10. Pour the remaining earth over the tape, making a hill, which after a few rains will settle and level with the surface.
  11. Measure again using a megger.

Video installation instructions

That's the whole technology of laying a cable underground in a summer cottage. As you can see, drawing a line at home is not so difficult. More time and effort will be spent on land work - digging a trench.

  1. Use only a special armored conductor. Brands such as, or cannot be used, because. they don't have enough protection.
  2. The diameter of the metal pipe that will pass through the foundation of a private house (if necessary) should be 3 times larger than the diameter of the electric wire itself. cable.
  3. If the ground freezing depth in your area is deeper than 70 cm (trench depth), be sure to secure the protective pipe so that it does not tear or deform.
  4. It is forbidden to use plastic corrugated pipe to protect electrical wiring underground. Within a year, the corrugation will collapse and all its protective properties, which are already weak, will disappear.
  5. Avoid running the conductor under high stress areas such as roads, parking lots, and driveways. If this is unavoidable - do not forget about laying in pipes and protecting with bricks.
  6. There is no consensus or rules in the regulatory documentation regarding the minimum cable cross-section for laying in the ground. In practice, the most commonly used section is 10 mm 2 for copper and 16 for aluminum. Focus only on, and also keep in mind that the line must be armored.

Overview of the work done

Nuances when laying in the winter

Well, the last thing I would like to talk about is whether it is possible to lay a cable underground at low temperatures, and in particular in winter. Electrical work in winter is allowed, but the following rules and regulations must be taken into account:

  • Before laying electrical wiring in a trench, it is necessary to warm the conductor in a warm room or using a transformer. We do not recommend using the last method if you have not encountered it before, because. this requires certain skills.
  • After heating, it is necessary to quickly lay the power line with a margin of 3-4% in length. If the temperature outside is not lower than -10 ° C, you have an hour of time, from -10 to -20 ° C - no more than 40 minutes, below -20 ° C - half an hour maximum. If the temperature is lower in winter, wiring is prohibited.
  • Without preheating, it is allowed to lay the cable underground in the following cases: if the temperature is not lower than -5 ° C, and the high pressure conductor itself; if the temperature is not lower than -7 o C and the cable is protected by insulation, -15 o C if the insulation is PVC or rubber, -20 o C if the core insulation is represented by a polyethylene sheath or rubber and an additional lead sheath.

That's all I wanted to tell you about how to lay the cable in the ground with your own hands. We hope our practical advice, instructions and provided standards will help you when installing at home!

Also read:

Video installation instructions

Overview of the work done