Wiring electrics to garden shed

[Klaus_K]

I want to run electricity to a new garden shed that I have just build. My consumer unit has an empty slot so I was planning to add a new circuit breaker and run the cable from here. My plan was to wire this cable along the outside of the house, up into our loft, and then to add a junction box to connect the cable to some armoured cable that I will run along my garden fence to the end of the garden.

The electrics will only be used for low power equipment, such as audio, amps etc, so I figured that 16A ought to be ample.

Can you confirm if this is OK - and is it legal (my wife has warned me that it is now illegal to do home wiring in the UK.

As a final protection, I thought that I would put an RCD circuit breaker in the loft, in such a place that it can be accessed and tested/reset if necessary.

Any advice will be most gratefully received!

 

[2scoops0406]

I would strongly suggest you search for shed electrics as this has been done to death on this forum. Hopefully you'll be able to use the rather rubbish search facility. I would suggest searcing for the word "shed" in the UK electrics forum.

 

[Klaus_K]

I can't seem to find anything - I guess you're right about the search facility

 

[Klaus_K]

A search for 'shed' in electrics gives four (yes, four!) results, none of which seems to have much to do with wiring

I hate to be a nuisance, but could you direct me to one of the articles you mention?

Also, wrt my question about the law - am I allowed to do this kind of work myself, or is my wife correct?

 

[Steve]

Its not illegal to do home wiring. However, it is illegal to do what you propose without notifying the local council's building control department. They will charge their fee and send an electrician (supposedly at their expense) to come and test and certify your work. Go and talk to them. And read this.

You shouldn't use normal twin and earth cable outdoors. Sunlight degrades PVC. Honestly. I would run the Armoured cable from inside the house, so the total outdoor run is protected. You use metal adaptable boxes for this.

Again, this has all been covered before on this forum.

Click the search link above, just below where it says "Logout [ Klaus_K ]" and type "shed" in the top box. Select "Electrics UK" in the "forum" box, and click search. Leave all other boxes blank / alone. I just did it and got hundreds.

 

[Spark123]

Aye, the search engine has gone a bit rubbish!! Try using google to search the site:http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&domains=diynot.com&q=Shed+supply&sitesearch=diynot.com
You can carry out the work yourself but it does require notification to LABC under Part P of the building regs. Further info here:
//wiki.diynot.com/electrics:part_p:diy_electrical_work_and_the_law
The armoured cable should not be clipped to a fence, it needs to either be clipped to a permanent secure structure or burried in the ground. As Crafty says, normal PVC cable is not suitable for outdoor use. The RCD can be installed in the shed.

 

[Klaus_K]

It's been very helpful - although I'm now very nervous about the whole exercise. Not because of the electrical work, which I fairly confident about, but about all of the regulations that I'll need to comply with. Putting the cable underground will also probably make it pretty impractical, since it will involve digging up not only my wife's garden, but quite a lot of solid clay/stone - which will be almost impossible without a mechanical digger (which our garden would not be able to permit access to).

Final point (honest): How much do LABC charge to review plans and/or carry out tests after the work has been done?

Thanks once again!

 

[Steve]

Final point (honest): How much do LABC charge to review plans and/or carry out tests after the work has been done?

Thanks once again!

I heard a figure of about £65 being batted about a while ago.

I do agree with you, the whole thing can be daunting nowadays, but what a lot of people dont realise is the technicalities of running electrics outdoors. Part P is a new part of the building regs too - this makes it even more daunting.

What a lot of people do these days is run the cable in, and then ask an electrician to design, connect and test both ends. IMO, this is the least hassle way of doing it.The electrician will deal with notifying the work.

I wired my own shed (in 2004 ) see here for pictures and stuff.

 

[Klaus_K]

Your example and pictures make perfect sense to me - the main difference between your setup and my original pan was to fit a CU in the shed - which makes perfect sense.

Incidentally, what would the downside be if (theoretically) somebody was to run the SWA along a boundary fence, well out of reach. I understand that there could be problems if the fence got blown down in a hurricane, but under those circumstances, overhead electric board power cables would be at risk in any case. If the whole run was protected by an RCD at the house end, what's the risk?

Final point: I was considering using an aerial fixing bracket to take the strain of the SWA at the shed end, and potentially at the house end too. Just drill two bolt holes through the shed wall and Bob's your uncle. I'd obviously use some metal sheeting or other material to make sure that the bracket couldn't damage the cable, but thought you might be interested in the idea

 

[Steve]

There should be no strain on the cable. They sell fixings for SWA - cleats and clips - not to mention, glands for terminating the ends.

SWA shouldn't be run along fences. Of course, dont tell that to the hundreds of people who do it anyway. It should be either underground or fastened to a structural wall or the fabric of a building.

And with all due respect to your fence building skills, the fence is much more likely to blow down than the power cables on your street.

What do you think an RCD will do to protect the cable? The fact is, the cable has enough protection due to its steel sheath. If someone slices through it, the metal blade they are using will conduct live to earth sheath, and trip the MCB. So there's no need for an RCD as long as the sheath is earthed. And this is also why most people fit the RCD at the shed. Its also easier to reset if you're stood in front of it when it trips

 

[Klaus_K]

I am extremely grateful for all your advice, which has been a miracle of clarity and patience! This site really is a wonderful example of people cooperating to help one another (notwithstanding the occasional bit of argument which I've spotted in my trawls around the site).

Have a nice life!

KK