External Mains Supply For Garden Lighting

[curtly]

Hi, Can anyone point me in the right direction as to whether the following will work ?

I want to power:-
6x 240v 11w lights
1x 20w transformer (for a set of 'step' led's)
1x v small pond pump (450L/Hr)

These will be powered from an RCD on a 13amp socket indoors

My Plan:-
I've seen a 3 gang outdoor socket with 10m of rubber outdoor cable, i was planning to use this to get power from the RCD socket indoors to the underneath of my decking (dry, secure location), then distribute (plug in) the 3 supplies above using 0.75mm rubber outdoor cable to each. Will it be ok to wire the lights like this on one spur running into each lamp before finishing at the last one about 8m away ?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated !

 

[plugwash]

i've seen those three way socket pegs and to be brutally honest they are pointless for anything permanent as they don't seal when plugs are in

also you should really be using armoured cable if its going to be burried

 

[curtly]

point taken i'll get 10m of armoured + a decent socket point for under the decking, the next 8m to the lights will be secured under new decking, will this be ok ??

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Any advice would be greatly appreciated !

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2004/20043210.htm

http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_buildreg/documents/page/odpm_breg_br1007.pdf (but remember that this one is only guidance, and does not contain anything legally binding)

 

[Steve]

Fit a plastic IP65 junction box instead of the socket, fuse it in the house at 3amps and connect everything to this, using glands. Thats what ive done, only with 5 amp fuse for 650w of floodlights

 

[curtly]

Cheers Crafty1289, that sounds a great idea which will be infinitely better at keeping the water out.

3amp fused plug indoors running 1.5mm swa underground to an ip65 distribution box splitting to three glanded cables supplying each usage

 

[plugwash]

you don't wan't to try and put a plug onto SWA it needs to be glanded onto boxes and the armour earthed.

on the inside i'd use a metalclad FCU, if your ring is already rcd protected then just use a normal metalclad fcu otherwise use a rcd one.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/AA3366.html (metalclad fcu)
http://www.toolstation.com/?r=k&feature=89058 (metalclad rcd fcu)

 

[curtly]

Does anyone think that this would be ok for splitting the cables from the armoured ??

http://www.bradshawsdirect.co.uk/BradshawsSite/product/JLST.htm

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well, they describe it as "Junction Box for Steel Armoured Cable", but it's fitted with stuffing glands, not SWA ones.

So either the description or the photo is wrong.

Why don't you email them and ask them how you would terminate the SWA in that box?

 

[plugwash]

i reckon there is enough room round the gland on the side to fit and properly earth a SWA gland with a banjo. i've also seen earth tail units intended for conduit that you could screw a SWA gland into to avoid the bulk of a banjo

 

[Steve]

If you're not bothered about individual switching, use this or similar. Though you could run hituff flex from this to these and have a switching circuit, you've got 5 terminals to play with in that box. And you could add more in the form of choc blocks.