External Socket

paulkelly111 · Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 4:37 pm Post Subject: External Socket

I am wanting to install a double external socket in my garden to power a pond pump and some low voltage lighting. I have some 2.5mm armored cable and I'd like to run the cable to a fused control panel in my kitchen which has switches for kitchen appliances such as dishwasher, cooker hood and one of which is spare. This would enable me to isolate the power to the external socket using the switch. Can anyone see a problem with this? House is new build with RCD consumer unit

Electrician4U · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:27 pm Post Subject:

According to New Building Regulations (Part P)you are no longer able to carry out work on your own installation, esp since you are planning on adding on to your installation outside of the equalpotential zone of your property.

if you feel you want to carry on and do the work you self you would be required to inform you local building regs control dept and ask them to have the work assessed and certified, this is costly as it ranges from £150 to £200 per visit and if you havnt got it perfect the first time then you need to start paying for return visits.

failing to obtain building regs approval will result in you having extreme difficulty in selling your home in the future

hope this helps

Adam_151 · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:59 pm Post Subject:

*sigh*

Electrician4U wrote:

According to New Building Regulations (Part P)you are no longer able to carry out work on your own installation, esp since you are planning on adding on to your installation outside of the equalpotential zone of your property.

They are not particulaly new anymore and thats not true

Quote:

if you feel you want to carry on and do the work you self you would be required to inform you local building regs control dept and ask them to have the work assessed and certified

Thats more like it

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this is costly as it ranges from £150 to £200 per visit

Nah, £75 ex the dreaded here, and its even cheaper in some areas...

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and if you havnt got it perfect the first time then you need to start paying for return visits.

No, thats not how it works

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failing to obtain building regs approval will result in you having extreme difficulty in selling your home in the future

I somehow doubt it will be 'extreme' there is likely to be a bit of an issue if someone picks up on it, but extreme, no

Quote:

hope this helps

I somehow don't think its particualy likely...

sm1thson · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 2:51 pm Post Subject:

The way around Part P on this one would be to buy an off the shelf kit with a weatherproof socket box cable than connecting to your electrics through a plug in RCD, this way its protected and doesnt need part P as its not hardwired. There are various ones about some Ive seen ones with armoured cable, noticed remote control external sockets at B&Q the other day you can controll a few off one remote, dont know if they were any good tho.

Spark123 · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:53 pm Post Subject:

Not entirely true, Part P applies to all installed wiring within a the grounds of a domestic dwelling, wether or not it is wired to a plugtop doesn't matter. An outside socket will be part of a special installation hence if you intend to DIY it i.e. buy the parts individually and put it together yourself it is notifiable.
CE marked pre-fabricated equipment sets with integral plug-socket connectors on the other hand are as you say non-notifiable.

plugwash · Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 1:42 am Post Subject:

are you sure about that? the only exception i've seen for prefabricated kits is for ELV lighting.

Spark123 · Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 2:06 pm Post Subject:

Just going by what it says on page 9 item k;
www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADP_2006.pdf
The SI is less specific than this, it just says as non-notifiable "(work on) pre-fabricated equipment sets and associated flexible leads with integral plug and socket connections."

sm1thson · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:15 am Post Subject:

I was going by: "Armadillo Double Outdoor Socket Kit" which supposedly "allows you to install 13A weatherproof sockets within the restrictions of the Regulations - since they simply plug into a convenient indoor socket using an RCD plug"

-I cant vauch for how true or not that is.

Spark123 · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:57 pm Post Subject:

The armadillo kit does not plug together with integral plug/socket connections and hence it doesn't imho meet the non-notifiable criterion, if in doubt it may be worth phoning your LABC and asking for their opinion.

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:06 pm Post Subject:

This is getting like a George Romero film, where ideas you thought were dead come back to eat the brains of the living....

http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=51177

http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=50211
.
.
.

__________________
I mustn't warn people that the "experts" on the plumbing forum can't be trusted to tell the truth.

Pens · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:27 pm Post Subject:

Sorry Bas, I can't bring myself to read those links

Taken from Part P

Work on prefabricated equipment sets and associated flexible leads with integral plug and socket connections need not be notified unless carried out in a special location.

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:46 pm Post Subject:

That's not what the law says - is that a quote from the Approved Document?

Whatever - it seems a bizarre thing to say, given the restrictions on any form of sockets in special locations....

__________________
I mustn't warn people that the "experts" on the plumbing forum can't be trusted to tell the truth.

Pens · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:23 pm Post Subject:

Bas wrote:

That's not what the law says - is that a quote from the Approved Document?

As I not a lawyer and as I can't make head nor tail of the SI document on this subject myself I'm going to stick with quoting the approved document on this one.

Quote:

Whatever - it seems a bizarre thing to say, given the restrictions on any form of sockets in special locations....

As it only applies to fixed wiring I can't really see any issues?

If you follow the link it says The PCU can be mounted on an outside wall

The definition of fixed wiring is bla bla bla fixed to the building structure. So really it's fixed wiring which is being marketed as an extension lead to try and get around the building regs.

Spark123 · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:26 pm Post Subject:

I couldn't bring myself to even look for them, something to do with pies wasn't it..
(sends shivers down my spine.

)

Steve · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:54 pm Post Subject:

i see argos have stopped selling them now