Patio Lights

Gents
Missus wants lights on the patio of the type that stand upright. I am not a practising spark but many years back I did do my C & G Part1 & 2 and also the Inspection and Testing qualification. As a non practising I am a little out of date with current practises...not to mention the Part P.

I plan to run 1.5mm SWA RCD protected 6A radial circuit and connect the lights via loop in/out method. My questions are:-

1. Can I bury the SWA directly in concrete (which will then be coverd in paving slabs) or should I further protect it by feeding it in a flexible PVC conduit?

2. What depth does the cable need to be buried, hope its not 600mm like a trench feeding an outhouse.

3. How would you advise terminating the SWA at each light point. I was hoping to find a waterproof jointing box which I could use to join the cables and feed the next light as well as feeding the light at that particular point. So ideally one such as this http://www.allaboutelectrics.co.uk/index.php?doc=12&vid=1759 but with an an outlet on the lid to feed the light.

Hope someone has a solution, many thanks Julian

If you are using SWA there is no need for PVC, and unfortunately it should be buried 2ft (600mm).
They have similar w/p JBs in Screwfix for about £25, so stick with the ones you've got.
You would of course have to inform your LABC as it is considered notifiable work in advance and pay the necesary fee.

luminaire said:

If you are using SWA there is no need for PVC, and unfortunately it should be buried 2ft (600mm).
They have similar w/p JBs in Screwfix for about £25, so stick with the ones you've got.
You would of course have to inform your LABC as it is considered notifiable work in advance and pay the necesary fee.

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Luminaire

The concrete is alredy laid, would laying the cable under the slabs and channeled into the patio not be acceptable with somekind of indication that cables lay underneath. I really do not want to dig the patio up.

Any ideas?

I would think the route obvious, if at the house end, the armoured cable popped up to enter the house above ground, and the cable ran a straight line to the lamp.

it has to be protected from potential diging..

not much chance of that if it's in a 4" concrete slab and under 2" patio slabs..

however, if someone decided to do away with the slabs and took a breaker or a pickaxe to it then it'll do some damage..

put a warning tape over it, glued down to the concrete so it doesn't move..

or spray paint a bright colour'd line over the top of it's route to indicate something is there..

Thank you all for your help, very usefull.
Just one query, am I right in saying that if using 1.5mm 3 core SWA and terminating in the IP65 or IP68 adaptable box do I still need to use the banjo and connect the armour to earth? Or can I discard the banjo and use the earth in the cable.

Thanks again

Just had a thought, as there is limited room in the adaptable box could I get away with just connecting the banjo to earth at the other end of the cable?.. The steel armour would then still be earthed or is this not good practice? .thanks

besenzig said:

Just had a thought, as there is limited room in the adaptable box could I get away with just connecting the banjo to earth at the other end of the cable?.. The steel armour would then still be earthed or is this not good practice? .thanks

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This is how mine was done (though not my own doing). I wired the shed up, and connected the armour to the earth in the shed's CU, along with the internal earth core. The person who connected at the house neglected to connect the armour (or use any form of gland). But the armour is earthed from the shed end. Its acceptable, but not ideal.

Good old gewiss box.

For 3 20mm holes on the bottom (the best place!), you would need a 6x4x2. Newlec do a size between 6x4x2 and 4x4x2 which is also suitable and slightly smaller which is good.






So, keep the armour continuos using the banjos, but use the third core of the SWA for the earth to the fittings. Earth the armour at the supply end only.