Do you use your shed all the time? If so, you know how frustrating it can be to try and work in it after the sun goes down. Without a dedicated wiring option, you’re forced to either use flashlights or to use an extension cord to keep your workspace illuminated. And if you need to power tools, you have no choice but to rely on an extension cord.
Extension cords are not designed to provide long-term electrical power transfer from one place to another. If you’re trying to power all of your equipment on a single extension cord, you run the risk of wearing it out through all the combined strain you’re putting on it. That could result in electrical shorts over time.
Installing a dedicated electrical system in your shed gives you the option to work in it whenever you want without having to sacrifice. You’ll have full access to light and power for any equipment you want to use. This can be especially helpful during the winter when the sun goes down early. With this guide from CMC Electric, see how you can bring electricity to your shed.
How to Add Electricity to Your Shed
Plan Ahead
The most important step of adding power to your shed is having a clear plan of action in place for how you’re going to get the job done. Before you even get started, know where you want to install light fixtures and power outlets in your shed, where you want to lie your wiring from your home, where you want to connect it to your house, and what length of wire and pipe you’ll need. Having all of these factors in mind before you get started can save you a ton of time on your project and give you a direction to follow during your installation.
Run Conduit in a Trench
The first step in wiring your shed is laying the literal groundwork for your wiring. To begin with, you’ll need to dig a trench in which to lay the conduit you’ll run your wires through. Make sure to take into consideration where the wire will be meeting your house when you do this to avoid frustration later. If you don’t dig deep enough, you could wind up having to route the wiring into your basement ceiling. Digging a little deeper means only having to route it inside the wall at most, which is a much easier task.
Mount the Hardware
Once you’ve dug your hole, you need to make sure you’ve got the appropriate hardware to route it both at the shed and at the point of origin in your home. At your shed, you’ll want to feed the conduit out of the ground and into an LB, bending it at a 90 degree angle into an electrical box on the inside of the shed. You’ll install an LB and another electrical box in your basement or crawlspace as well where you’ll make the connections.
Pull & Connect Wires
Once you have all of your hardware mounted and your conduit pipe in place, it’s time to run the wire through it all. After you’ve removed the covers from both LBs, run your fish tape through one to the other. Use this to pull your wires from the end attached to your home to the shed. Make sure you have at least a white and a black wire running to your shed for one circuit with basic electrical functions. For additional circuits, you’ll need to run additional wires. Be sure to leave an additional 12 inches of wire from the metal box at the shed.
Install Outlets, Switches, Lighting, & Fixtures
With the hard part over, all that’s left to do is place the outlets, switches, and fixtures in your shed. Make sure to take high traffic areas in mind when deciding where you’ll want outlets. Having them near your workstations will save you both time and energy. The same goes for fixtures. If you have a workspace you frequent more than others, consider putting your light source there for best effect. When it comes to light switches, they’re best placed at either entryways or high-use areas. For instance, you wouldn’t locate the switch to your workstation light at the door because it would mean walking back and forth every time you needed to turn it on.
Powering Your Shed is Easy with CMC Electric
Getting your shed wired takes some hard work, but it has great rewards. Having a shed with dedicated electrical systems gives you far more use than relying on an extension cord. To get your shed powered easily, let CMC Electric set up the electrical system to your shed for you. We’ve been helping people in Raleigh, Clayton, and Wilmington, NC power their spaces for years. When you contact us, we’ll determine your exact needs and arrange the best way to get you started on your way to having a shed that helps you more than it hinders you. Request service now to get started.
