How to safely run electricity to tortoise house?

[Jtort]

So I still have a long time until Cloudy can live outside all day. He's a 4 month old leopard, so he lives inside and has some outside time every day. However, I've started thinking about what we are going to do for when he does live outside. I want him to have a wood house that we would build for him with a CHE hanging in one corner. I have some questions:

1. How do you guys run your electricity for your tortoise house heat source? Do you run the electrical wires underground and set up an outlet nearby? Or do you just use a extension cord? I don't think the extension cord is too safe considering it's prone to get wet and such...

2. Can his house be under our patio cover sitting on concrete? We have a dirt area as well as grass and plants available but immediately outside our slider door to the backyard we have a patio cover. Would this be a good spot for his house as we already have an outlet there that doesn't get wet.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[wellington]

Concrete is not the best for it too sit on as it holds moisture. My shed is right buy my garage. We have electrical panels in the garage. We drilled a hole in the garage, right into the shed and put a large PVC pipe through it. Then our electric is running through that and running around the inside of the shed with lots of outlets. There are also weather proof electrical cords. You could also run it under ground, or over head.

 

[Yvonne G]

It's not all that safe, but for my leopard shed, because I couldn't afford to hire an electrician to run a wire, I bought the heaviest gauge extension cord they make, dug a trench and put down PVC, then fed the extension cord through the pipe from the outlet in my green house to the shed (a matter of about 50'). I plugged both ends so the pipe can't fill with water. The outlet in the greenhouse has one of those little red/black buttons on it...I can't remember the name of it...some sort of protector.

I used to have the extension cord tacked up on the fence from the green house to the shed, but after about 3 years of sitting in the weather the color was starting to fade and the rubber to degrade, so I had to do something else.

 

[wellington]

GFCI protector. Ground fault circuit interrupter I believe is the word Yvonne was looking for. They also have boxes for outside outlets. The cover lifts up and closes over extension cords to keep out the weather.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I think a heated house on your patio would be fine.

The heated house needs it's own bottom floor and the whole house should be elevated off the floor.

You could copy the design of Toms insulated box and sit it on your covered patio.
Sounds like it will work perfectly to me

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[jaizei]

My first preference is pvc underground with thwn. Alternatively, you could use direct burial wire (UF) but it's not an option I favor. I wouldn't recommend using an extension cord for any prolonged use.

 

[Len B]

You could use the UF wire and make an extension cord to fit your needs. And probably less chance of breaking some electrical codes, (which there are many) since it could be considered temporary.

 

[jaizei]

You could use the UF wire and make an extension cord to fit your needs. And probably less chance of breaking some electrical codes, (which there are many) since it could be considered temporary.

Actually, you would probably be breaking more codes by doing this.

 

[Jtort]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys and gals! Now that I read about it from Wellington's post, I remember my parents have an outlet box for a water fountain they have in the middle of the yard. If we don't put it his house in the patio, we'll probably use the outlet box. I'm going to have to look for Tom's insulated box. My dad is pretty good at wood working so I'm hoping he will help me build a nice insulated wood house for Cloudy.

 

[Len B]

You could use the UF wire and make an extension cord to fit your needs. And probably less chance of breaking some electrical codes, (which there are many) since it could be considered temporary.

Actually, you would probably be breaking more codes by doing this.

What electrical codes pertain to extension cords being use for temporary use in a private home? there are many safety suggestions but I don't know of any codes.

 

[wellington]

Who abides by codes? My shed has broken many. . Just don't tell anyone

 

[jaizei]

Your post is not about extension cords being used for temporary use in a private home. You suggested making an extension cord out of UF and then suggested that it would break less codes since it was temporary. Is UF listed for that purpose?

If it's temporary, then use a UL listed extension cord. If it's not temporary, then properly installed permanent wiring.

Codes will vary by location but most are based on some version of the NEC. I think the following NEC codes are relevant to this thread.
90.2(A)(1) Public and private premises are covered by the code
110.3(B) Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed/used in accordance with listing/label
400.7 Flexible cords uses permitted
400.8 Flexible cords uses not permitted
590 Temporary installations

I'd recommend buying the handbook in lieu of the regular code book. The pictures and commentary can be quite helpful.

 

[ra94131]

I wrestled with this for a while and finally broke down and decided to just hire an electrician. (This was a little painful, because 99% of the time I'd rather do things like this myself.) Going through the brick and installing an outdoor outlet w/ weatherproof cover will cost me about $200 for labor/materials. Considering how long it'll be out there, I'll take it.

 

[sibi]

Yeah, but getting an electrician to put in an outdoor outlet can cost over $1000! The PVC piping and using an outdoor extension cord is the way to go.

 

[ra94131]

Yeah, but getting an electrician to put in an outdoor outlet can cost over $1000! The PVC piping and using an outdoor extension cord is the way to go.

Like I said, my quote was ~$200 for a very reputable electrician with great reviews/references. I guess it can vary by location. If mine was ~$1,000, I might have to think about it a little longer... I might still do it though.

Electrical work is one area that makes me nervous, especially in my brand new house.

 

[jaizei]

You could use the UF wire and make an extension cord to fit your needs. And probably less chance of breaking some electrical codes, (which there are many) since it could be considered temporary.

Actually, you would probably be breaking more codes by doing this.

What electrical codes pertain to extension cords being use for temporary use in a private home? there are many safety suggestions but I don't know of any codes.

Your post is not about extension cords for temporary use in a private home. You suggested making an 'extension cord' out of UF and then suggested that it would break less codes since it was temporary. Is UF listed for that purpose?

If it's temporary, then use a UL listed extension cord. If it's not temporary, then properly installed permanent wiring.

Codes will vary by location, but in the US most are based on some version of the NEC. Relevant sections:
90.2(A)(1) Public and private premises are covered by the code
110.3(B) Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed/used in accordance with listing/label
400.7 Flexible cords uses permitted
400.8 Flexible cords uses not permitted
590 Temporary installations

Yeah, but getting an electrician to put in an outdoor outlet can cost over $1000! The PVC piping and using an outdoor extension cord is the way to go.

Your post is absolutely meaningless without context. What work would this $1000 figure include?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Can some of you clarify something?

If the OP places her heated tortoise house on the covered patio next to the outlet there is no need for an electrician, extension cords run under ground, etc.

Wouldn't this be the way to go? It's my future plan of how to do it.

As long as the box is insulated, has its own bottom floor and is on small legs, how could this be bad?

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[ra94131]

Can some of you clarify something?

If the OP places her heated tortoise house on the covered patio next to the outlet there is no need for an electrician, extension cords run under ground, etc.

Wouldn't this be the way to go? It's my future plan of how to do it.

As long as the box is insulated, has its own bottom floor and is on small legs, how could this be bad?

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

Yeah, I think you'll be fine. Just be sure to use a cord rated for the outdoors.

I'd have to run a cord across my yard and past the back door, which aesthetically and practically isn't acceptable to me. (I also wouldn't want to sacrifice that large a portion of my covered patio.) Sounds like the simpler route will work just fine for you.

(And yes, this may be the best option for the OP if there is sufficient space/outlet access on the patio.)