The best way to protect underground electrical wires is to put them in conduit. This can be either plastic PVC conduit or rigid metal conduit. These two offer the greatest protection, but are often cost prohibitive. Another alternative is to purchase and use a direct burial wire for your project. Either way, these options need to be buried to the appropriate depth, which is usually 2 or 3 feet. When in doubt, though, always trust that the deeper it is, the better off you are. Next, backfill about a foot above the wire and lay caution tape across the area. This way, someone digging in your yard will find the tape before they hit the wire! Simple, yet genius! In addition to this precaution, keeping blueprints of your yard and marking where the wire is in a safe place in your home is a good idea. So, if someone is going to do some digging down the road, you can show them where not to dig!
Content Provided by: Julia Ritzenthaler