Wiring an outdoor socket with 3 core and earth cable

[Aaron86lee]

Hello all,

Wonder if someone out there can help, I have recently moved into a new build house and decided to install an outdoor socket onto the side of the house for the garden.

When I first moved in I discovered that the builders had installed a standard interior switch to control what should be two outdoor lights either side of the patio doors, but they decided to put two blanking boxes either side of the doors with the necessary cable inside to give the owner (me) the choice of what lights to fit. The garden is quite small, so I've decided to fit a light on one side and a socket on the other.

Having purchased the outdoor socket, I've realised that the cable the electricians routed outside is 3 core with earth, and the socket has ports (or whatever you call them!) for live, earth and neutral. I believe the colour code for the core cables are (harmonised colour cable): -

Grey = Neutral
Bare copper = Earth
Brown = Perm live
Black = Switch live

Having insulated the bare copper wire and fitted it to the sockets earth port, then fitted the grey wire to the neutral port, I tried both the brown and black wires one at a time in the live port, and both combinations didn't work (yes the indoor switch was on )?

I know that 3 core with earth cable is usually used for lights with a motion sensor, but I was under the impression that all you needed to do for a normal (non censored) light, or socket is to discard one of the lives?

Any help much appreciated, pictures in my "outdoor socket" album, thanks all!

 

[jtonline]

Sorry, you can't just wire a 13A socket into a lighting circuit.

 

[EFLImpudence]

You cannot have a socket on the lighting circuit.

 

[AndyPRK]

As to why it doesn't work, maybe the cables aren't connected behind the other blanking plate ?

but you shouldn't connect a socket off a lighting circuit

Socket

• Aaron86lee
• 23 Feb 2014
• 1

Socket not wired in

 

[ericmark]

Colour code on single phase is.
Brown = Line
Blue = Neutral
Green/Yellow = Earth
With three phase Black and Grey are also used as Line where three phase colours are used with single phase it does need sleeving to identify there is no convention for using the wrong colours except you can't over sleeve green/yellow it would be unlikely anyone would use brown as neutral but they could use either black or grey there is no convention other than over sleeving wires.

Because appendix 7 shows grey replaces blue many use grey as neutral but because black was the historical colour for neutral many also use black as neutral most firms tell their employers which to use to keep it standard within the firm but it's not a transferable rule.

Very early in the regulations it talks about splitting into circuits to avoid danger and one would hope that would mean supplying outside lights from a circuit which should it get water ingress would not cause the rest of the lights in the house to fail. However that is not always the case many will just consider it's lights so connect to lights there seems to be no thought given.

As to using wires provided for other than lights does depend on what else it feeds. If it also powers house lights then no should feed nothing else but lights. But if feed from a fused connection unit (FCU) with is in turn feed from same supply as sockets or it's own MCB/RCBO in the consumer unit then it may be OK to use for a socket. However a BA22d bulb holder in the main is rated at 2 amp. In theroy there should be a fuse built into every bulb but to use a supply any higher than 6 amp (type B MCB) one runs the risk that when a bulb blows it will weld its self to the terminals within the bulb holder which often means swapping complete fitting rather than just the bulb so you are limited to 6 amp to avoid that.

In the main a lawn mower will work of 5A fuse and so will a battery charger but it does depend on what you intend to plug in.

The grey cable used inside a house is not suitable for outside. In the main black cable is used as it is less affected by UV light and also round cable so a cable gland will seal on it.

 

[Aaron86lee]

Thanks everyone for your comments, I think it seems I was a but ambitious in thinking I could connect a socket to the light circuit.

All is not lost though, I'll run a new cable through the hole already in the wall and integrate it into the sockets in the living room.

Or better still, call an electrician!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Thanks everyone for your comments, I think it seems I was a but ambitious in thinking I could connect a socket to the light circuit.

Ambitious indeed, but a where a 13A socket should not be connected a 5A could be, so depending on the use of the socket and the appliances connected to this, doe not mean it is a complete no no!

All is not lost though, I'll run a new cable through the hole already in the wall and integrate it into the sockets in the living room.

You will require to know what circuit you are connecting to, as there are different requirements for ring and radial circuits, also 30mA RCD protection required, safe routing of cable and correct rating of cable used! also suggest two pole isolation is offered to the outside socket.

Or better still, call an electrician!

Untitled

• PrenticeBoyofDerry
• 31 Aug 2013
• 3