Power to ponds and garden lighting

[InvictusBob]

In a previous post I was advised that I'd need to get an electrician involved with our landscaping project. Well I've tried, but they all seem to lose interest when they find out that it's a small job and in the garden. So now it's getting desperate. The "man-with-a-digger" arrives tomorrow and will want to know where to bury the conduit I've bought. There are three locations where I would like power outlets and two ponds. I'd be very grateful for answers to these questions:

1 - Do I run conduit to the most central outlet and then star off to each of the others, or should it run from one to the next?
2 - Does the conduit have to emerge right alongside the ponds? Presumably there will be some sort of terminal block on an upstand from which a cable would go to the pond pump - I'd prefer this equipment to be hidden by planting a short distance from the side of the pond.
3 - If I put the conduit 18" down and photograph the whole process will I eventually be able to get an electrician to install and sign off?

Thanks

Bob

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Are you just installing conduit for an electrician to draw cables through in the future?

 

[breezer]

1) you cant do that becuse you will still need to provide mechanical protection to where you star off to

2) if it does you dont know what wildlife will move in.
the conuit should be near where the filter and uv is going to go

3) probably

you still have a problem, the size of the conduit will limit you to the size of the cable.

why not bury swa cable and do away with the conduit, the size of the cable will need to be calculated, but i will guess at 4mm.

in which case you need to bury it just below 18 inches with a nice topping of "caution electric cable below tape"

at each pond position (not the actual pond but where its filter is going to go) you should loop the cable or cut it off and start again, but idealy leave 18 inches sticking out of the ground from each piece, this way an electrician can terminate it in a suitable box then you can connect your pump and uv

The above is only a guestimate, and assumes pumps are only a few hundred Watts at most and your garden is no longer than 40 yds and the lighting is for the pond / pond area only

if you want to go for the conduit method , dont put in say 40mm push fit waste pipe, but use 2 x 45 degree bends for any turns not a single 90 degree, and be nice and put a draw string in before you bury it (its easier) and stick a bag over each end if you have to leave it (stops vermin and rain getting in)

 

[InvictusBob]

In answer to ban-all-sheds, yes that was the idea - recommended by the chap helping me who says he's seen it done this way on other sites. The conduit I've bought is 63mm diameter flexible stuff with a drawstring included (shown as RIGICORD on the invoice).

Breezer, thanks for your responses. I realise I have to bury all the cable runs but I don't know whether the route is critical - star or point to point. I'm happy to bury swa instead but not having found an electrician yet I thought the conduit might look more acceptable once I do. I'm sorry but I don't know what you mean by uv. I'm guessing that it's ultralow voltage in which case presumably a transformer sits at the pond locations and the cable which runs from the transformer to the pump doesn't have to be buried?

 

[leeco]

i think when he said uv he ment ultraviolet filter

 

[InvictusBob]

Oh!

 

[breezer]

leeco is not wrong

InvictusBob, you do know what a UV is don't you? (dont worry if you don't we all had to learn)

as you already have conduit you may as well use it, BUT do not put any tight bends on it, if you do you will never get an swa round it.

I would still be inclined to loop from one to the other that way its only 1 cable at the supply, it also uses less cable