Electrical Box Outside

[Shell-e]

Just wondering how much it costs to put an electrical box outside my house? You know at the front so that I can e.g. hoover the car from outside etc?

Just after a rough idea so I dont look stupid or clueless when I contact an electrician.

Is it a big job? And how long would it normally take?

Many Thanks in Advance

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is your existing downstairs socket circuit RCD protected?

Is there somewhere where you can put an outside socket (Masterseal are good) which is on the other side of the wall from a convenient place to break into the circuit?

Do you have a cavity wall? If so, is there insulation in it?

Do you just want a socket, or would you rather have an enclosure so that you could plug a wall-wart in?

Do you need it to be vandal-proof?

Do you need it switchable from the inside to stop other people using it?

 

[Shell-e]

Those questions are in another language! To me anyway. All I know is:

Do you need it switchable from the inside to stop other people using it? - YES

I suppose I will just have to get a few electricians round and get them to have a look

 

[Shell-e]

Does the electrician need to have any certificates or anything I need to check prior to getting someone to do this?

A friend at work said he bloke is an electrician and could maybe have a look but I am just worried say the house burnt down would my insurance say was they fitted by a ??? electrician?

 

[daytona]

if your going to use an electrician he needs to be part p registered or buliding control need to be notified of any works before hand and their fees must be paid so they can issue the test certificate.

due to the costs involved with notification,it wont usually be worth using him for this type of work, if he isnt part p so check this first.

 

[daytona]

pls excuse my grammar

 

[ban-all-sheds]

due to the costs involved with notification,it wont usually be worth using him for this type of work, if he isnt part p so check this first.

Shell - if an electrician says he is registered, check here: http://www.competentperson.co.uk/ as it isn't unknown (surprise, surprise) for people to fib....

 

[Chri5]

If you have any sockets on the inside of your front house area then the task is simple, although a professional should do the work.

From one of the existing sockets on the inside front wall (or nearest too) a 2.5mm TE cable is provided to a 13a fused and switchable spur.

This spur then has 240v feed from the existing socket.

Then drill through the wall from the spur back box to the outside, now feed a 2.5mm TE cable from the spur through the hole.

Ideally the exit point of the hole will marry to the intended location of the external 240v plug socket. This is far neater than having cable clipped to the wall and prevents issues with water running down cable (and the need for external grade cabling).

Now from regs point of view all sockets that are capable of being used ouside need RCD protection.
Over the last few years all sparks have added in such protection and looking at your fuse box and testing the fuse for the circuit would confirm this.

If there is no RCD, the fuse for the circuit should be updated to an RCBO to protect all the sockets (including the new external one).

At a base minimum, a 240v plug socket with in built RCD can be used, but this is a poor second to having the RCBO or RCD protected fuse at the fuse board.

Sparks should issue a Minor works certificate for the works.

The switched fused spur will act as the on/off for the outside socket.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

From one of the existing sockets on the inside front wall (or nearest too) a 2.5mm TE cable is provided to a 13a fused and switchable spur.

If it's one socket, why the FCU? (Although that might be the most acceptable way to provide a switch).

Now from regs point of view all sockets that are capable of being used ouside need RCD protection.

All those which can reasonably be expected to supply portable equipment out of doors. Providing an external socket for that specific purpose makes it less reasonable to use an indoor socket.

If there is no RCD, the fuse for the circuit should be updated to an RCBO to protect all the sockets (including the new external one).

At a base minimum, a 240v plug socket with in built RCD can be used, but this is a poor second to having the RCBO or RCD protected fuse at the fuse board.

If there is no RCD then that would indicate an installation of a certain age, and maybe a more considered and more complete overhaul should be done rather than sticking an RCBO in which, if it will fit, is going to be expensive.

 

[securespark]

At a base minimum, a 240v plug socket with in built RCD can be used, but this is a poor second to having the RCBO or RCD protected fuse at the fuse board.

If your ring final is not RCD-protected, using an RCD socket is an excellent choice.

Is this work notifiable?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'd say it was...

 

[GaryMo]

Unless she lives in Scotland.

 

[Chri5]

BAS, splitting hairs seems to be a forte. Perhaps my syntax is off sync with the way you like............

The fused spur provides the on/ off facility to prevent 3rd party abuse of the external socket, which would otherwise be permanently on.

It also allows some derating since a range of fuses can be supplied between 1 amp and 13 amp- which although not required is still a prudent safety feature.

Regarding the RCD not being in place and a need to protect the whole circuit or just the external circuit.

* Best practice would be to apply an RCD to the whole of the circuit, an RCBO costs about £45.

* A change over of CU to split will cost £300>++

* A RCD external socket is £65 against a non RCD external socket costing £25

Given the choice, full circuit protectionvia RCBO is a value item due to the potential for other sockets to still have extension lead run from them, say at the back of the house for the lawnmower. An external RCD socket will fail due to moisture and ambient conditions far quicker than a RCD in a CU in a dry environment.

So protect 1 external socket at £65 or protect all circuit sockets for £70 (£25 external socket + £45 RCBO), on materials it really isn't rocket science, is it?

 

[plugwash]

Another technique worth considering is to use an ordinary outside socket fed by a RCD FCU. That way the RCD stays inside,you have the ability to isolate the outside power from indoors (which is a good thing both in case the seals on the outside socket fail and in case someone trys to steal leccy) and the RCD in question only covers the outside socket.

IMO putting an outside socket on the same RCD as indoor sockets is very bad installation design.

 

[Chri5]

IMO putting an outside socket on the same RCD as indoor sockets is very bad installation design.

Why? Is it because the external socket, on the odd occasion it's used is more likely to have service issues and trip the RCD?