Honestly, I’m with you on the “do it right the first time” approach, but I’ll admit I’ve been tempted to just run everything together when I’m knee-deep in mud and the hardware store’s closed. Still, separating power and data isn’t just about code or interference—it’s about not having to curse yourself later when you’re troubleshooting. I’ve seen people try to save a few bucks and end up with weird gremlins in their network, or worse, have to dig everything up again. Not worth it. Marking the runs is underrated too... I once hit my own conduit with a shovel because I “knew exactly where it was.” Turns out, I didn’t.
I get where you’re coming from, but sometimes the “do it right” approach just isn’t in the cards, especially if you’re working with a tight budget or limited time. I’ve run power and data together in conduit before—yeah, not ideal, but honestly, for a backyard shed setup where you’re not running mission-critical stuff, it’s worked fine for me. No weird gremlins yet (knock on wood).
Marking runs is smart though. I skipped that step once and ended up playing backyard archaeologist with a pickaxe trying to find my own lines. Not fun. But as far as separating everything perfectly every time? Sometimes you gotta weigh the hassle and cost against what you actually need. If it’s just for streaming music or checking email out back, I’m not sure the extra work is always justified. Just my two cents.
