What Cable Size?

[musashi]

Hi,
I am wanting to get some power to my shed. I was going to have a waterproof enclosure in the shed that will house a standard 4 gang extension socket. In the house, I was going to fit a standard 13A plug, which would be connected to a RCD adapter plugged into a standard plug socket. The cable that would be outside, would be enclosed in some 20mm plastic conduit. Does this scenario seem OK?
Also, what size cable would I need? Some of the DIY/Electrical merchants websites say 2.5mm whilst others say 1.5mm. The run of cable will be about 10m long. All that will be powered in the shed would be an aquarium heater, a light, a portable CD player, and my old beer fridge.

Thanks

Carl

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi,
I am wanting to get some power to my shed. I was going to have a waterproof enclosure in the shed that will house a standard 4 gang extension socket.

I would have thought fixing all the leaks in the shed should be your first priority.

In the house, I was going to fit a standard 13A plug, which would be connected to a RCD adapter plugged into a standard plug socket. The cable that would be outside, would be enclosed in some 20mm plastic conduit. Does this scenario seem OK?

No.

Either split the tails with a henley block and install a switchfuse with SWA running to the shed, properly buried, protected and marked, or as second best run a circuit from the non-RCD side of your CU, again in SWA.

In the shed install a small CU with an MCB for lights and an RCBO for sockets.

All this is notifiable, as is your dreadful proposed bodge anyway, so I'd strongly advise using a registered electrician.

Also, what size cable would I need?

http://www.kevinboone.com/cableselection_web.html

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/Charts/VoltageDrop.html

NB - when using the latter for SWA select 2-core PVC even if you'd be using 3-core or XLPE, or it'll make invalid assumptions.

Some of the DIY/Electrical merchants websites say 2.5mm whilst others say 1.5mm.

You need to learn more about the basics of circuit design.

portable CD player

How are you going to keep the rain off that?

 

[musashi]

Well, there goes that idea.

The light can just be one of those crappy battery operated ones available from the likes of Poundland. The CD player would only have been used when I was out in the garden and as such, would have been on a dry day.
The beer fridge can remain in the house. So all that leaves is a 50W aquarium heater.

I have a waterproof enclosure similar to this:-
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...roof_Accessories_Index/Outdoor_Box/index.html

The only reason I want to get power to the shed really, is to use the aquarium heater with my home brew setup. I will have a bucket with a lid, and in the middle of the lid will be be a hole fitted with an IP68 polyamide gland which the aquarium heater will go through. Then I just wanted to plug the heater into the above enclosure. That's all I really wanted the power socket for as the missus won't let me brew in the house due to lack of space.

 

[bernardgreen]

Brewing ?

Fumes of alcholic nature, often in-flammable, sometimes explosive ( rarely in the domestic sized brewery.

Leave the holes for ventilation to reduce fumes.

But seriously installing electrics to a shed does require careful attention to safety. Take advice.