Voltage reduction?

[slownsteady]

Don't pay the electrician's rate for the ditch digging. If you're confident on knowing where the old wires are, you can dig yourself or hire 'cheap' manual labor. i also wouldn't bother with the old wires. You only want to do this once, so install new wires.

 

[JoeD]

1. Not code compliant. All the cables/wires must be in the same conduit or cable assembly.

 

[Raindem]

The first electrician never did get back to me with an estimate. The second electrician that was out here wouldn't even call me back, even after I left a couple messages. What is it with these businesses? I guess they don't really want the work.

So I called out yet another electrician. This one brought a meter and traced where the electrical line ran under ground. They think they even know where the break is, based on the reading. He offered to try and dig it up to just repair the break, but recommended running all new cable through conduit. He said he won't just run a new neutral wire because it ignores possible damage to the other wires (and maybe also because it's not compliant, as Joe ponited out). Waiting on an estimate from him as well.

 

[nealtw]

There isn't much here you couldn't do your self. If it is hard digging the contractor will just hire labourers, which you could do .
http://www.houserepairtalk.com/showthread.php?t=19055

 

[JoeD]

Depending on the issue there are underground rated splice kits available that might fix the issue.

 

[Raindem]

Since that last electrician located the break I did consider just repairing the break. But who's to say there isn't damage to the other cables as well? I have reason to believe the workmanship on the original installation job was sub-standard, and I need reliable electrical service going to my shop.

So I'm going to take estimates to replace all the cables. We will run them through conduit. To comply with code the neutral will be the same gauge as the power wires, and the cable will include a copper ground wire (currently there is no ground wire running from the main panel to the sub).

Neal, I consider this job outside of my DiY skill level. I wouldn't save anything on the materials or the backhoe anyway, just the labor. I think on this job I'll just pony up the money and let the professionals ply their trade.