direct burial cable can save you the hassle of conduit, but you’ve gotta be careful with landscaping tools. Learned that the hard way when I nicked mine with a shovel... not fun.
Been there too—nothing like that sinking feeling when you realize you just cut your own connection. I went with conduit for peace of mind, but I get the appeal of direct burial if you’re trying to keep costs down. Did you end up patching the cable or just running a new line? I always wonder if those gel-filled splice kits actually hold up long-term.
Conduit’s definitely the safer bet, especially if you’re dealing with any kind of regular yard work. I’ve seen too many direct burial lines get trashed by someone forgetting where they ran the cable—sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s a contractor. Those gel-filled splice kits are hit or miss, honestly. I’ve used them in a pinch, but I wouldn’t trust one for anything permanent, especially if you’ve got heavy rain or shifting soil.
If you’re already digging a trench, running conduit doesn’t add much time or cost, and it saves headaches later. Plus, swapping out a damaged cable is way easier. Direct burial is fine if you’re sure the line won’t ever be disturbed, but that’s a big “if” in most yards. Learned that lesson after a landscaping crew took out half my irrigation wiring... not fun to fix when everything’s buried deep.
Totally agree about conduit making life easier down the road. I’ve had to trace a direct burial line after a few years and, honestly, it’s a nightmare—especially if you don’t remember the exact path. One thing I’d add: if you’re running conduit, try to go a size up from what you think you need. Makes it way less of a hassle if you ever want to pull fiber or add another cable later. Learned that one the hard way after cramming two Cat6s through a too-tight pipe... never again.
Honestly, I get the logic behind upsizing conduit, but there’s a point where it starts to look like overkill. If you plan out your runs and stick to a solid wiring schedule, you shouldn’t need to keep adding lines later. I’ve seen people bury 2” conduit for a single Cat6—it’s just more digging, more cost, and sometimes harder to bend around corners. For most backyard setups, 1” is plenty if you’re careful with your pulls and use good lube. Planning up front saves way more headaches than just making everything bigger “just in case.”
NO MORE DEAD ZONES: HOW I GOT WIFI IN MY BACKYARD SHED
I get what you’re saying about overkill—last summer I ran 1” conduit for power and Cat6 out to my detached garage, and honestly, it was tight but manageable. The only time I wished I’d gone bigger was when I tried to add a second low-voltage line later for cameras. Have you ever had to pull extra cable after the fact? Curious how you handled it if so.
