Garage Supply - a garage to far

martinxxxxxx · 17 Nov 2010

I got this message from a customer.

"I'd like to know if there is a way to get power/and or light into my garage. The issue is that it's across the street!"

I am going out to the job on Friday, but I cannot see how it can be done on the face of things.

Any ideas welcome

Chri5 · 17 Nov 2010

It will be nearly impossible, actually it could be done but fear the cost.

A licence via the council for a wayleaf would allow a duct installation and dig, but on a highway that's not cheap. With the inspection, council approved diggers etc no change of £500-£1000 per m dig.

The alternatives might be a DNO direct supply- £1000+++

A solar PV panel, 12v store and a ELV light set up.

A simple generator- £200 for a small sub 2kw unit.

A torch and batteries

Taylortwocities · 17 Nov 2010

Leisure 12v battery and an inverter for the socket.
Solar light set up for illumination.
Anything else will be way too expensive.

You could have a good look around the garages and see if anyone else has a supply. Do a deal with them and, maybe, run a separate metered supply.

Or just agree to lob them £50 every year.

martinxxxxxx · 17 Nov 2010

Thanks guys. I will ask him what he wants to do with the supply. Did not realise how expensive trench digging is.

I really don't think there is any work in this for me at all. But if someone makes an enquiry I always like to go meet them. You never know what else they might want doing in the future.

I appreciate your thoughts

Martin

Monkeh · 17 Nov 2010

Are there houses on the other side of the street? If he knows the owners maybe he could arrange for a supply to be taken from one of them. Can fit a meter so he can pay them for usage..

Lectrician · 17 Nov 2010

A grand for a new connection?

Assuming there is a supply near by, a grand is a tad steep........certainly in my area.

On a slighty different tangent......

A pub near me has a carpark over the road. The carpark lights are fed via an SWA cable which was thrown up a duct under the road which was put in by the DNO during a mains upgrade to the building....naughty.

A dairy near me has the admin offices on one side of a road and the dairy on the other. The datacomms cables (phone and network) have been thrown up a culverted river.

A caravan park near me owns land on both sides of a dual carriageway. They have a private sewerage system between sites and a single sewerage pumping station. They have run datacomms cables up the sewer!

seasickstevie · 17 Nov 2010

Lectrician said:
A grand for a new connection?
Assuming there is a supply near by, a grand is a tad steep...

I've just had six meters installed in one location, at the end of one peice of cable. Cost?
Nearly eight grand!

And all in the same meter cupboard. Well over a grand each.

IJWS15 · 18 Nov 2010

Didn't Tesla have a few ideas about transmission of power without wires?

bernardgreen · 18 Nov 2010

A company installed cables between premises across the road by fixing them to the wall of a railway bridge over the road. It was several years before British Rail discovered them. The common sense ( 1980's ) solution was British Rail issued a way leave and charged rental for it.

Do not be tempted to covertly ram mole a cable under the road. A legally used ram mole damaged a stone storm drainage culvert which collapsed. The cost of repairs to culvert and road was much greater than the savings made by ram moling instead of tranch digging

ban-all-sheds · 18 Nov 2010

It remains to be seen what "street" means.

Is it just an access road for the garages, a 10m wide cul-de-sac, or a 3-lane dual carriageway?

It's not inconceivable that an overhead route could be used.

martinxxxxxx · 24 Nov 2010

Where has my reply gone?

ericmark · 24 Nov 2010

IJWS15 said:
Didn't Tesla have a few ideas about transmission of power without wires?

Indeed he did. It is also claimed he powered a car in same way. But in mean time we have banned many types of radio transmission and put strict limits to power one can use.

With an amateur radio license where one first has to prove you understand what you are doing and will not interfere with other users the power is limited to 400W with CB it is limited to 4W and with many other systems even lower than that.

I think 400W would be easier to gain using a solar panel. And a lot cheaper.

I also seem to remember one can gain power from overhead lines and this has been demonstrated using florescent tubes. But when a farmer tried to use the power to work his electric fence he was fined for stealing the power. I think he should have been given a award for ingenuity!

Aerial wires are normally cheaper than underground however getting permission is no easy matter.

ban-all-sheds · 24 Nov 2010

Might look a bit naff as well....

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

Garage Supply - a garage to far

Similar threads