Correct wire needed for wiring a caravan away from house

[Bigsteve580]

Not being an electrician or having much experience with electronics I was wondering what size cable I should use for installing the wiring from the house ( power source) to caravan 100 meters away .... There won't be a lot of current drawn to the van ... Few plug sockets 4 lights or so and a kettle. I would appreciate if someone who knows more could point me in the right direction. I'm planning to get a qualified electrician to wire up in the house it's just to save costs and get the wire laid first to save cost and time.

Many thanks [/b]

 

[Taylortwocities]

Ask your electrician. He will need to do come calculations of voltage drop depending on what your max laod will be and the actual distance from the supply to the caravan.

The cable will need to be quite chunky if you ever want your kettle to boil.

and do have fun digging a 400mm deep trench for 100 metres!

 

[SimonH2]

... and do have fun digging a 400mm deep trench for 100 metres!

Nah, follow BT's example and use self burying cable Or use the bright orange or yellow cable with the magical property of being immune to damage because of it's bright colour

You left out the electrician making an assessment of acceptable earthing arrangements as well.

 

[Bigsteve580]

Well the 100 metres is through a wood so burying is not an option, it's getting hung in the trees

 

[Bigsteve580]

And I was just after an idea for thickness really ... Wondering whether anyone on here has had to do something similar

 

[SimonH2]

Speak to your electrician and get his advice - he is the one who will have to sign the paperwork saying he has designed and installed the new circuit.

Also, get him to explain acceptable methods of stringing the cable. Hint, unless designed for the job, "just hanging it up" isn't acceptable.

 

[RF Lighting]

Oh no it isn't.

For that length of run, you'll need at least 16.0mm² SWA cable just for a supply to boil the kettle.

That's going to weigh well over 100kg.

No electrician in the land will hang this from the trees for you.

 

[Bigsteve580]

Ok thanks for that.... Looks like we may need a rethink on power then

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Well the 100 metres is through a wood so burying is not an option, it's getting hung in the trees

That would not be allowed, so your options are even less.
Generation or stored DC and gas!

 

[Robin0577]

For the kind of money you'd be looking at to get a mains supply installed in any halfway acceptable fashion, by the time you consider the cost of cable, switchgear, etc. you could probably buy one of these...

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cd5950es-6-0kva-super-silent-diesel-

E2A, Then all you have to do is find a way to stop some b***er nicking it! Fixing it to several tonnes of concrete slab might be a good start.

 

[JohnW2]

No electrician in the land will hang this from the trees for you.

I think it's always wise to avoid sweeping generalisations, particularly given that there are electricians and 'electricians' around! Maybe it's the word "will" that ought to be changed

Kind Regards, John

 

[RF Lighting]

Someone calling them selves an electrician might, but I stand by my statement.

 

[Bigsteve580]

A 12 bore out of the caravan window usually does the same trick .... Unfortunately looks like we will have to change ideas though

 

[JohnW2]

Someone calling them selves an electrician might, but I stand by my statement.

... and so you should! After all, you put no quotes around the word when you spoke of an electrician.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Steve]

I thought caravans had those whistling kettles. Or was that just 15 years ago when I last went in a caravan? So gas can power everything except the lighting and a TV. So what cable for a 6 amp supply?