Long cable run to the garage

[petrolhead1]

I see this topic comes up quite often in this forum is there a set of definitive advice anywhere?

I have a garage/shed about 80 metres from the house. At the moment it has no power. I want power to run a few power tools, strip light and an alarm to improve security in the garage.

Laying power cable from the house to the garage is feasible in that we can dig a trench 60cm deep through the garden and lay a black plastic conduit with warning tape over it but my main concerns are:

Connection in the shed : What type of termination do I use in the shed or is this a job for a qualified professional only? Presumably I need waterproof sockets.

Connection to the house supply. We have a modern(10years old) circuit board which runs the lighting and power circuits of the house and has a second bank of fuses that previously ran a bank of storage heaters.

Cable gauge - my understanding is that 80metres is considered a long run and not necessarily approved is that correct or by choosing the right gauge of SWA cable can I complete the project?

Where to find a cable supplier?

 

[davy_owen_88]

80m is a long run, and depending on what your definition of power tools is, you may need some pretty beefy cable to combat the voltage drop.

Give us an idea of maximum demand - the most power you will use at any one time and we can give you some more advice.

 

[petrolhead1]

In terms of power tools I wouldn't expect to run more than one item at a time. The sort of items might include :
a power saw
a hand drill
an electric hedge trimmer

Lighting would be one long flourescent strip

A simple intruder alarm

Briwire suggested a max load of about 16amps and 10mm SWA cable to allow for the volt drop over such a long run.

 

[davy_owen_88]

In terms of power tools I wouldn't expect to run more than one item at a time. The sort of items might include :
a power saw
a hand drill
an electric hedge trimmer

Lighting would be one long flourescent strip

A simple intruder alarm

Briwire suggested a max load of about 16amps and 10mm SWA cable to allow for the volt drop over such a long run.

Briwire made a random suggestion of 16A - you may only need 10 amps or you may need 40A. What is a power saw? A 500W jigsaw or a 3000W table saw with high inrush currents? Perhaps it would be easier to explain what you intend doing down there...

 

[Steve]

perhaps it would also have been better if you continue this in ONE THREAD! Why have 2? you're already confusing us.