I telephoned the same electrician who has been here before (fitted my 17th edition CU & Shower), and from his memory of my property he provisionally suggested a 63a switchfuse split with a Henley block, with 16mm T&E & SWA to a CU in the garage.
He also said he is happy for me to run the 16mm T&E from the CU to the outside wall so that I can tile my bathroom floor (garage is on the opposite side of the house to the CU) just so long as I leave plenty of cable either end. Is there anything I will need to consider when doing this apart from keeping away from heater pipes and bunching with other wires?
Please describe that again. I imagined clipped round the wall in the kitchen or somewhere then out to the junction box. It sounds like you're going under a floor instead, yes? Is this a heated floor you're installing? If so what type? How close will this actually be to the cable? Is insulation going to be laid too?
He also said he is happy for me to run the 16mm T&E from the CU to the outside wall so that I can tile my bathroom floor (garage is on the opposite side of the house to the CU) just so long as I leave plenty of cable either end. Is there anything I will need to consider when doing this apart from keeping away from heater pipes and bunching with other wires?
Please describe that again. I imagined clipped round the wall in the kitchen or somewhere then out to the junction box. It sounds like you're going under a floor instead, yes? Is this a heated floor you're installing? If so what type? How close will this actually be to the cable? Is insulation going to be laid too?
My CU is just below ceiling level in the hallway. The plan was to go up between the ceiling and upstairs floorboard, across to the rear of the house and down the inside wall (corner then to be boxed in). there is no heated floor, just central heating pipes and the rest of the house wiring.
I dont think the whole run could be done with SWA due to tight corners/lack of space.
Downstairs has concrete floors so there is no option of going down which would make life easier
Fortunately the joists mostly run parallel to the run so most of it will be clipped.
I just need to buy some materials now, the electrician has told me 3-4 weeks before he can get here, which at least gives me time to run all the cables and can then get my bathroom finished
Exactly, I have owned and used my compressor for over 20 years at other properties and my workshop without any issues whatsoever. And the current model comes with a sealed 13a plug! And is the older model of the compressor in your first link
3HP = 3 x 745.7 watts = 9.7 amps so the run load is not that bad however the start load is very different and much depends on how it is started as to the peak amps. Using inverters one can greatly reduce the start load with the capacitors also helping to spread out the time that the start current is drawn over but with a compressor there is normally a de-load valve which with single phase is normally simply a timed delay. Three phase normally linked to star/delta starter.
I have installed pumps using inverters to reduce start load and with the increased use of motor inverters using a standard one rather than a special for single phase was a cheaper option. This however meant swapping single phase motor for a three phase one so I would guess one would be looking at around £500 with labour to convert the compressor.
Looking at links it only cost that to start with and with single phase motors they are not all the same with some as supplied starting slower than others and the only real way to measure the start amps put a clamp on meter around cable set to measure max and start it with a full receiver and see what the amps are.
Since designed for DIY use they may already use a motor with a low start amps which could run without a problem on the other hand it could cause all you lights in house to dim as it cuts in.
Also no load design will also alter what problems it may produce. Some stop and start the motor each time it de-loads others allow the motor to continue to run for a set time so when for example spraying the compressor will never stop.
There is only one way to be sure what it does and that's to run and monitor it and clearly we on a forum can't do that. So since you already have an electrician lined up let him advise you on what is required.
TBH. I have sprayed cars many times at my workshop with the compressor, and due to the large receiver and modern spray guns it have never run continuously.
Im giving up my workshop as most of my work now is subcontracted, so although I plan to bring the compressor home it will hardly if ever be used, as I will never be spraying at home and most tools are now battery operated as opposed to air like they once were, but wanted suitable electrics for all eventualities
When I originally purchased the said compressor it was advertised as the largest that could be run on domestic electrics, and I have never witnessed it dimming lights or any other problems when it kicks in.
Ban-all-sheds - have you got a link to the DNO info where it states that they should be informed?
I'm interested in that as well. I was of the opinion that 3HP was too big for a 13A socket, bearing mind that induction motors are normally rated on output so the electrical input will be more than the 9.7A calculated below. However I'm sure I've seen suggestions that 3HP machines need a 16A dedicated outlet, not 30A.
What the threshold for DNO notification? Is it the provision of a 30A outlet, or the size of the machine?
On the application form for my new supply the DNO asked for details of all motors and inductive loads greater than 1kW that might be used on the supply.
A sometimes overlooked factor with a border line supply is that the voltage drop due to the start up current reduces the acceleration of the motor. This prolongs the period of over current and can cause over heating of the windings.
If a rule is specifically stated then I'm sure people would be prepared to follow it. If the rule is along the lines of 'some things you might do may not please us so we may cut you off, but we won't tell you exactly what those rules are' would appear to come under the 'unfair terms and conditions' area.
It may or may not be the case that the DNO need to be informed in certain circumstances, but that previous thread that it is not clear cut and mostly based on opinion or interpretation!
That's what I was thinking. Fair enough on the original connection agreement, but I couldn't see anything giving an on-going obligation to inform of changes let alone detailing the exact changes that are notifiable. I wonder how a householder would ever become aware of such a requirement unless they were involved in the original connection. For example our house would have been connected at least 50 years ago.
I can see how it would work if it was only changes in hard-wired equipment that were to be notified, as you'd normally have a electrician involved. But notifying for new portable equipment seems crazy.
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