Laying cable

[jingles]

I recently removed an old shed from the garden with the intention of replacing it. In the shed I found about 120' of armoured cable (13 amp wire in the core)... and lo and behold it is enough to reach the house.

Obviously the previous owners intended to lay it but never did. OK, so given that I have the material (a friend is also offering to supply all the connection bits to connect it to the house mains, though I will get an electrician to do that bit methinks), is it best to lay the cable inside a pipe and run it along the fence (the shed is by the fence), or given that the cable is armoured and seems to have multiple layers of various plastics, is that really necessary?

MOD

moved as posted in wrong forum

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I recently removed an old shed from the garden with the intention of replacing it. In the shed I found about 120' of armoured cable (13 amp wire in the core)... and lo and behold it is enough to reach the house.

Some worrying imprecision here.

What size are the cores? ("13 amp" means nothing, really)

Is it 3-core or 2-core?

It may be long enough to reach the house, but is it thick enough to carry the load over that distance? What do you plan to supply with it?

What type of earthing arrangement does your supply have? TT, TN-S or TN-C-S (PME)? - This will affect how you provide an earth at the shed.

Do you understand the need for RCD protection, and how/where it is best to provide this?

Do you have a spare way in the house CU to come off, or will you need a supply split off after the meter going through a switchfuse or similar?

Obviously the previous owners intended to lay it but never did. OK, so given that I have the material (a friend is also offering to supply all the connection bits to connect it to the house mains, though I will get an electrician to do that bit methinks)

Probably the wisest course. You need to ask him if he is able to self-certify compliance with the Building Regulations (don't be fobbed off with assurances that only mention the Wiring Regulations, and Electrical Installation Certificates - this work is a controlled service and needs to be notified to Building Control)

is it best to lay the cable inside a pipe and run it along the fence (the shed is by the fence), or given that the cable is armoured and seems to have multiple layers of various plastics, is that really necessary?

You should run the cable overhead, or buried at least 450mm deep.

See here:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/7.14.1.htm

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/7.13.1.htm

and also search this forum for terms like garage, shed, outside, outhouse, garden.....

 

[jingles]

Ok, now you have scared the c*** out of me

What looked like a relatively easy job is obviously not. This is why I love these forums... because idiots like me who fail to realise the full scope of an ensuing project can be pointed in the right direction.

I will research this more fully, using the advice and links that you have given me and I can assure you that whatever I do in the end it will comply with full safety regulations and will not cause the local grid to go down.

Many thanks for the info... though I have to be curious about your login ID.. don't you like sheds perchance?

I am about to put up a 12*8 apex one and I imagine I might hate them at the end.

 

[kevplumb]

sheds as in q&B etc

 

[masona]

sheds as in q&B etc

No I think ban mean wooden shed or is that wooden shed in shed

 

[mapj1]

Ironically, running a tatty old extension lead down the garden, hung over a few rusty nails on said fence would not be notifaible work, even if left out all year, but could in reality be more dangerous.

If it is armourclad (what is written on the cable outer jacket - we can probably tell you what it means) it may be suitable for direct burial, and the pic shown is only for where it is not deep enough - a simple trench is fine if unlikely to be disturbed, often interpreted as 18 inches under the garden, less under a patio or path, or it can be clipped to a nonflamable rigid structure (like a wall or a building) if in view and unlikely to be damaged in normal use.
The ends need special compression glands.
Most leccys will be cheaper if you dig the ground and make the holes, as then just a connections and test visit is needed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

sheds as in q&B etc

No I think ban mean wooden shed or is that wooden shed in shed

Sorry - kevplumb is right

I mean

NOT