Outdoor electricy points

[Tringo]

Hi,

With summer approaching i have been out sprucing up the garden and decided to bin my solar lights which for the most part were pretty rubbish.

Would like to put in an outdoor power socket and buy some lights than can run off the mains and i am also in the process of building an outdoor playhouse for my young un which i may potentially 'wire up'.

Done a few google searches about the best way to approach this and not got a great deal of information. Have any of you guys put in your own outdoor electric points and have any good advice lessons learned etc. Also do any of the main UK DIY stores sell an idiot proof solution out of the box that a novice DIY'er could install?

Cheers

 

[bongos]

There are several different ways you could bring power outdoors but alot depends on what exactly you will be powering outside and also your current wiring setup.

In certain circumstances you could connect the outside power supply by spurring off the house ring final circuit via a fused connection unit. However, if it is supplying equipment outside I believe it must also be RCD protected.

What people will need to know to give you more information is what power you need for outside and what your current installation is.

Also I think outside electrical work is notifiable to the local building authority.

 

[breezer]

and decided to bin my solar lights which for the most part were pretty rubbish.

yes they are, all of them are a genuine waste of money.

since you have no idea how to do the job in hand properly, which is why you are asking, why not buy some 12v garden lights (lots of brands / types available) and have the transformer indoors?

This means you dont have to go outside to turn them on as you would if you had a socket outside.

Part p does not come into it.

Tip, they may look nice, but dont buy stainless steel lights with spike for the soil, the spike will corode off in a year or two. (trust me)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Make sure you buy a pre-assembled CE-marked set, or it will be notifiable...

 

[breezer]

are you sure about that? since it will be 12v and plugged in that means its not fixed or permanent

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Plugging something in doesn't mean it's not fixed. A built-in oven is a fixed appliance, but it might be plugged in.

And anyway - surely the lights themselves would be fixed?

 

[breezer]

no, they come up every year, they are called bulbs

 

[ban-all-sheds]

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[breezer]

View media item 969
They did look nice, but as you see coorode from inside

and dont buy a cheap led garden / pond light. they too look nice but after about 18 months..........

View media item 972
look how many leds have failed

 

[ban-all-sheds]

View media item 969
They did look nice, but as you see coorode from inside

I wonder what the manufacturer actually meant by "stainless steel"?

 

[breezer]

well its not on the outside

 

[dullSpark]

You should have kept them dry, oh wait...