How to Run Electrical Wire in a Mobile Home

In this article, I will teach you how to run electrical wires in a mobile home in detail.

Mobile homes usually have crawl spaces underneath, and it’s the ideal spot for running electrical wires. It’s an excellent way to provide power to your mobile home while keeping your electrical system secured and concealed. However, running electrical wires beneath your mobile home requires a strategic method which I will cover in detail below.

In general, you can run electrical wires under your mobile home with the following steps:

Map out the wiring path
Dig a trench
Bury the wire
Go for surface wiring

We’ll go into more detail below.

5 Steps on How to Run Electrical Wire in a Mobile Home

First and foremost, ensure your mobile home has a crawl space under it. Then, with the crawl space, run electrical wires through the following steps:

Step 1: Decide the Wiring Path

Decide where you want to run the wire. The layout of your mobile home may determine it, the location of your electrical outlets, or your personal preferences.

Step 2: Dig a Trench

After deciding on a location, dig a trench at least 6 inches deep with a shovel or post-hole digger. You should descend a few feet if the ground is rocky and hard. When the trench is complete, it is time to lay the conduit and wire. If you are unsure about doing it yourself, hire a professional electrician.

Step 3: Place the Conduit

placing the conduit — Video | RMSpeltz Farm – ReefDVMs

Position the PVC conduit in the trench. That is where you’ll be running your wire through. I recommend using a PVC conduit rather than just burying your wire directly without protection from water, gas, oil, or even animals that could enter your crawl space under your mobile home.

Step 4: Insert the Wire

Run the wire through the PVC conduit in the trench to settle it below the surface. With that, you won’t have a hard time laying down concrete or asphalt afterward.

inserting wires into the conduit — Video | RMSpeltz Farm – ReefDVMs

After that, you must cover the wire with dirt and repeat the process for each area you want to power.

Step 5: Go for Surface Wiring

You can use surface wiring if you can’t find a suitable location for your electrical wires.

In that case, you’ll run electrical wires outside your mobile home and plug everything into an electric box. This allows you to manage where and how much electricity is distributed, but it will be pretty obvious if something goes wrong with the wiring. For example, there is a clear path for water to trickle down and damage any problematic joints or connections.

Hence, I only recommend this option for those willing to take on some additional responsibility to gain more control over their system. It’s not as simple as running wire underneath the house, but it could save you money in the long run!

Safety Precautions when Wiring Under a Mobile Home

When running electrical wires under your mobile home, take note of the following:

You should not begin until you have determined whether or not you are permitted to do so. Many states necessitate you to acquire a permit before making any changes or working on your electrical wiring. In some cases, a professional electrician will be required.
Before working on your electrical wiring, always turn off the main circuit panel. Go to the circuit breaker box in your mobile home. Locate the switch for the circuit you will be working on and turn its power off. However, turning off all electrical power in the circuit breaker box is best. Then, connect a test light or a sound-producing device to verify if it’s off.
When you run electrical wires, they must be insulated.
- PVC conduit is an excellent alternative to copper or aluminum wiring for this process. It provides excellent insulation and will not rust over time like metal.
You should ensure that the electrical wire is grounded, which means it is in contact with the earth at all times, not just during a power surge or a lightning strike.
An exposed wire can cause a fire or a shock, causing damage to the electrical system and local wiring.
- To avoid such issues, you must turn off the electrical circuit panel and hire a licensed electrician to repair it.
- You can also get specific recommendations from the mobile home manufacturer, as they should have a set of rules for you to follow.

FAQs

What are the advantages of running wires under your mobile home?

The benefits of wiring under mobile homes include: (1)

– It’s frequently less expensive than traditional wiring. It is because you are not paying someone else to do the work; instead, you can do it yourself with a little time and effort.
– Adding outlets and switches can be much easier when wires are already running beneath your house. It may come in handy if you decide to make changes or additions to your electrical power system in the future.
– You’ll have peace of mind as everything is installed correctly and meets all safety guidelines.

Is it possible to run Romex underneath mobile homes?

No, because Romex isn’t designed to be installed underground. However, you can use it inside your mobile home under an eve, but it should never come into direct contact with water, gas, or oil. It is not permitted because it would necessitate the installation of electrical wires outside your home and back inside, which would be time-consuming and potentially dangerous if not done correctly.

Is exposed wiring under my mobile home required to be in a conduit?

Any wiring that runs beneath your mobile home must be completely enclosed in a conduit. It’s because mobile home environments are frequently wet, which increases the risk of unprotected wiring. Also, any animals that enter your crawl space may cause damage to any mobile home wiring that is not protected by a conduit. Moreover, to meet building codes, your under-home wiring must be run through a conduit to prevent severe damage, loss of service, or an electrical fire. (2)

Do I need to secure the conduit to my mobile home’s bottom frame?

Any electrical wiring beneath mobile homes must not only be contained within a conduit but must also be tightly secured to your home’s frame. Install the conduit along a beam under your house and connect it to the frame at regular intervals with U-shaped brackets. If your conduit is not attached to your home’s frame, you must bury it at least 18 inches underground. However, securing the conduit to the bottom of the house is much easier and better.

Take a look at some of our related articles below.

References
(1) mobile homes – https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/buying-mobile-home-instead-regular-home-pros-cons.html
(2) building codes – https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/c.php?g=388626&p=3484426

Video Reference