what to wire a couple of our outbuildings together in

[zacha4]

Just about to wire an out building up - looking for advice

Should I wire it in twin & earth clipped to wall or should I go for flexi conduit/solid conduit in singles and use metal clad sockets.

The feed into the outbuilding presently is a single 16A supply on a 4mm feed and just goes to an isolator on one of the walls and the supply then has been cascaded between adjoining buildings on multiple extension leads

 

[ColJack]

oh good grief...

do you mean internal wiring of one of the outbuildings or a permanent feed to the others?

if the former then whatever suits the intended use of the building ( taking into account any special requiremenst such as animals etc )

if the latter then you need SWA and a sparky to do it for you since you don't really sound like you're up to the job.. not to mention whatever Part P or building warrant hoops you'll have to jump through to comply..

 

[merlin50]

has been cascaded between adjoining buildings on multiple extension leads

heck

 

[ban-all-sheds]

if the latter then you need SWA and a sparky to do it for you since you don't really sound like you're up to the job..

Well, apparently he is competent:

I am a time served apprentice of over 25 years experience in electrics, I have 17th edition reg qualifications and can do any wiring at all where I work on a industrial complex, I have wired up complete buildings....

But then he has to come to a DIY advice forum and ask this:

Just about to wire an out building up - looking for advice

Should I wire it in twin & earth clipped to wall or should I go for flexi conduit/solid conduit in singles and use metal clad sockets.

Something doesn't add up somewhere....

 

[zacha4]

what doesn't add up

I understand singles is a recognised means of connections as is twin and earth. Was looking for an opinion which would be more suitable eg metal clad sockets in conduit or normal twin and earth and surface mount boxes.

The two buildings are adjoined so connection between them has been through a 20mm hole in wall with extension lead.


I do understand that the present connection is shocking and a rewire is in need asap but inherited it and is on a long list of job for the house including plumbing, insulation etc

Don't get me started on part p - I am able to change brake pads on my car at home with no qualification but not add a spur - I think the risk are higher on the brake change and certainly trust my work and competence greater than someone who has done a weeks course and has never made of a plug most likely

 

[ban-all-sheds]

what doesn't add up

What doesn't add up is that you are there and can see it all, you know what the environment is, you know what the external influences are, you know what circuits and services you are going to want in the buildings, you have been doing electrical work for over 25 years, and yet you don't know what would be suitable.

I understand singles is a recognised means of connections as is twin and earth. Was looking for an opinion which would be more suitable eg metal clad sockets in conduit or normal twin and earth and surface mount boxes.

Given all of the above,

a) How are we better placed to know than you are?

b) How can you legitimately issue an EIC if you need the opinion of people who've not seen the buildings because to the best of your knowledge and belief you can't decide for yourself?

Don't get me started on part p ..... but not add a spur

That's not true.

 

[zacha4]

I was after an opinion

eg crabtree better than mk

rcbo or rcd etc

singles or twin and earth

not a character assassination from the forum whore

This is a forum to help people not shoot each other which seems to be your main character trait BAS

 

[Wontdothatagain]

I was after an opinion

eg crabtree better than mk

No, you asked this

Should I wire it in twin & earth clipped to wall or should I go for flexi conduit/solid conduit in singles and use metal clad sockets

 

[tonyelectric]

Hi Zacha, leaving behind issues of competency for a moment there are many cabling solutions you could apply, your decision will largely be based on environment. T&E is quite acceptable but is prone to rodent attack, plastic conduit will be fine in most circumstances although if its damp you will need to solvent weld it and use box gaskets.

If its a really de-luxe intall you are after then galvanised conduit or MICC cable offer even better protection but at a much greater cost and more protracted job. or in the mid range there is SY cable that is nice and flexible with a mid range armor (which needs earthing).

On the fittings front, basic plastic would be fine in a dry area but I tend to go for metalclad for dry areas due to better mechanical strength and IP rated if its damp/wet.

If you use cable use appropriate glands at entry points.

Assuming your incomer is SWA 4mm I would fit a small CU in the outbuilding and divide sockets and lights with 30mA RCD main switch or RCBos on outgoing circuits.

Look at IP rated/anticorrosive light fittings rather than dry area types

I prefer Crabtree over MK, personal preference but the price is keener and I find the terminals better.

As others have said this may be notifiable, but you never said if these are domestic outbuildings or not.

 

[zacha4]

thanks tony - an informative and helpful reply

Can you still get MICC cable, I used it years ago on safety interlocks and fire systems and actually enjoyed doing the terminations but didn't think it was still in use, in all our recent installs we use fp200 on the alarm systems instead of MICC. MICC looks great if installed well, bloody shabby if not!!!!!

I had planned on fitting an mini CU with RCD as the present CU in the main house does not have an RCD (very old - Another project but now at least has RCBOs on the two ring mains)

Wasn't planning on a deluxe install, only enough to get the outbuildings done for lights and a few sockets for the drill/jigsaw etc to help the rest of the house renovations.

 

[bernardgreen]

Wasn't planning on a deluxe install, only enough to get the outbuildings done for lights and a few sockets for the drill/jigsaw etc to help the rest of the house renovations.

If you intend to do a significant amount of work after dark then I would suggest having lights on a different RCB than the RCB for the sockets for power tools. RCBOs maybe

Or have an automatic emergency lamp that come on if the mains is cut off.

Means you will still have some light after you slice through the lead of a power tool. Handy to find the door, first aid kit or fire extinguisher.

 

[tonyelectric]

Yep MICC is still alive and well, Pyrotenax make it as do Wrexham Cables and MIAC cables, it's not cheap but not as expensive as you might imagine.

Bare MICC is great in historical buildings and black and white cottages as it lays in really well and tarnishes off to a lovely brown, MK make plastic backboxes with slots to hold the pot so you can connect to a plastic fitting without a gland. I have to agree its great stuff to work with if you are good at it, you get a warm fuzzy feeling that what you have done will be there for a very long time.

 

[Adam_151]

Can you still get MICC cable, I used it years ago on safety interlocks and fire systems and actually enjoyed doing the terminations but didn't think it was still in use, in all our recent installs we use fp200 on the alarm systems instead of MICC. MICC looks great if installed well, bloody shabby if not!!!!!

You can indeed, and its still specified for some fire alarm systems, chruches, etc, not a great deal of places its still used, but there are some, its bloody expensive these days though, think 100m of 2L1.5 is somewhere in the region of £300

Must admit I'm not the best at doing it (the rarity with which its specified does not help), and last time I did it resulted in me swearing at the stripping tool rather a lot (great if its got a good blade, but if its blunt...), and resorting to a bit of bar with a slot in the end...

I wouldn't say its worthwhile for your workshop though, RF might though

If it were me, I'd go for a mixture of PVC conduit for the lighting etc, with galvanised steel for behind the workbenches etc, and all metalclad accessories

 

[zacha4]

Must admit I'm not the best at doing it (the rarity with which its specified does not help), and last time I did it resulted in me swearing at the stripping tool rather a lot (great if its got a good blade, but if its blunt...), and resorting to a bit of bar with a slot in the end...

I never found the rotary cutting tool any good - always found a pair of side cutters as quick and never got jammed like the tool.

Your point about lights on different rcd devices is something that hadn't crossed my mind tbh - certainly worth considering

 

[Adam_151]

Your point about lights on different rcd devices is something that hadn't crossed my mind tbh - certainly worth considering

That was bernard, not me btw