Re-use old cooker cable for the garage?

[thesled]

Hi Folks

I've been considering adding some power to my garage which needs to be fairly beefy so I can use a welder occasionally. Now the sort of welder I'm talking about can be plugged into a 13 amp socket but as anyone who's used one will know these can still cause the lights to flicker so I ideally want to get it on something a bit more heavy duty and as direct to the supply as possible.

My garage is at the back of the house and the supply comes in at the front. So the current proposal involves an expensive and difficult job to run a length of SWA cable under the floor and round the side of the house. Eventually.

However I've got in mind a demon dodge. There's currently a 6mm cooker cable that runs the length of the house to the back wall (where the cooker would be - there isn't even one there at the moment although there might be a basic oven in the future but almost certainly no hob). It has the standard type cooker outlet with the big old red switch and plug 'on the side'. So, hole in the wall and a short bit of SWA (or even a bit more 6mm in ducting ?), it's literally about 2m to the garage.

However what I don't know is how this would work in practice. Is there some requirement that a 'cooker circuit' has to be 'point to point', ie you can't add anything to it? In which case I could probably just lose the cooker altogether and re-designate the circuit 'garage' . Alternatively, it would probably be adequate to have the bit from the garage to the cooker point (or whatever replaced) in standard plug circuit cable as it's only short. Would it be as simple as just adding a double plug, say, as an 'outside(ish) spur' from the cooker socket? However, ideally I might want a few extra socket and maybe lighting which I guess would involve some kind of mini-consumer unit.

I can already feel lots of 'Oooooh - can't do that mate' coming down the line but just thinking aloud here really. Seems a pity not to be able to use that existing cable in some way. Any thoughts gratefully received, especially if someone has had something similar done already.

 

[ericmark]

I reused the immersion heater cable to power some sockets in the same way. No problem reusing a cable, just keep within the regulations identifying etc, and not problem, in Wales it needs registering with LABC, got a feeling there are some rules about using welding sets, but a inverter welder on a 13 amp socket should be no real problem.

 

[bernardgreen]

got a feeling there are some rules about using welding set

Yes there are,

these can still cause the lights to flicker

If it is only your lights that flicker then it is unlikely that the DNO will get involved.

But if your neighbour's lights ( or other equipment ) are afffected and they tell the DNO about flickering lights then the DNO will likely be in touch with you

 

[thesled]

It would be an inverter stick welder, and old-skool transformer stick welder or a MIG CO2 gas. All pretty low power (for welders). Just standard DIY type stuff.

Might have to try them on the nearest plug to the distribution board and see what happens - while trying not to burn the house down of course.

 

[mikeyd]

... as anyone who's used one will know these can still cause the lights to flicker so I ideally want to get it on something a bit more heavy duty and as direct to the supply as possible.

I don't think (am willing to proved wrong) that a heavier duty cable will reduce lights flickering on other circuits, next door etc.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I don't think (am willing to proved wrong) that a heavier duty cable will reduce lights flickering on other circuits, next door etc.

Less impedance in the supply to the welder, more likelihood of the lights on other circuits flickering.

 

[Murdochcat]

What configuration of CU do you have?

 

[333rocky333]

Any new socket would also need Rcd protection

 

[thesled]

The CU is a fairly basic BG one which was fitted a few years ago. The cooker circuit is on a 32A RCBO.
If I've got the wrong end of the stick and the welder(s) would cause less trouble on a smaller feed then seems my best bet would be to get a short spur off it in standard 2.5 plug circuit cable (if you can do that) to the garage rather than 'get fancy' and try and extend the 6mm into the garage and have it's own mini consumer unit there.
I guess it gets more complicated (perhaps impossible) if I want to keep the circuit available for a kitchen oven AND extend it into the garage with its own CU box for a few plugs and some lights, especially as to where you would (or wouldn't) put RCDs.