feeding a garage rcd unit

[Matmu1969]

hi all, i'm a qualified spark, but havent worked as one since the 1989/90 property crash. therefore i am V out of date with my knowledge!

a friend of mine recently asked if he could feed a rcd consumer unit for his garage from a cooker switch in his kitchen. All i could tell him was about part p regs, i cant for the life of me remember why you cant do this!

any advice?

 

[MalcofArabia]

Simple answer is yes he can if he wanted to. Provided he met all the requirements for safety and design, and in Part P he either notified it to the LABC or got an electrician from a Part P scheme to self certify.

The main question is why would he want to do this. As a sparks you should know that getting a supply to somewhere is not just about being the easiest way to do it, but should be the best way.

By utilising his cooker point he would have, most likely a 6mm or 10mm cable from that switch to the CU. That could be good if he hasn't got an electrical cooking appliance, to use this supply.

But then you have to look at how he is going to get that supply outside into the shed.

Is it on an outside wall?,
how are you going to extend the circuit?,
what erection method are you going to use for the outside cable?,
how far is the shed?
will the existing cooker cable be big enough for any volt drop?
Is the Cooker cable rcd protected now?

So may it be easier to Run a new SWA from the CU to the shed instead

 

[Matmu1969]

The main question is why would he want to do this. As a sparks you should know that getting a supply to somewhere is not just about being the easiest way to do it, but should be the best way.

Absolutely and I should have been clearer.

My first reaction to the suggestion was that it would be better coming from the main cu via an appropriately rated mcb, swa 18" underground and then into the rcd unit. however, his main cu has no space left for this. the cooker switch is on an outside wall backing onto his garage which is about a metre or so away. not sure if the cs is rcd protected.

He wants to use the cooker switch to run a 6mm cable into the garage rcd on a spur basis to supply it. he wants to do this by running the cable in trunking across the top of a gate frame that links the house to the garage.


M

 

[ban-all-sheds]

his main cu has no space left for this.

Shopping list:

• Application for Building Regulations Approval.
• DP Henley block (or 2 x SP).
• A few m of brown & blue 6181Y cable.
• Switchfuse.
• SWA.
• CU for the garage.
• Test equipment.
• Blank EIC.

 

[Matmu1969]

his main cu has no space left for this.

Shopping list:

• Application for Building Regulations Approval.
• DP Henley block (or 2 x SP).
• A few m of brown & blue 6181Y cable.
• Switchfuse.
• SWA.
• CU for the garage.
• Test equipment.
• Blank EIC.

Cheers
That's basically what I thought, knew there were some serious reasons why he couldn't do what he was suggesting.

Could he go overhead rather than underground?

 

[Monkeh]

his main cu has no space left for this.

Shopping list:

• Application for Building Regulations Approval.
• DP Henley block (or 2 x SP).
• A few m of brown & blue 6181Y cable.
• Switchfuse.
• SWA.
• CU for the garage.
• Test equipment.
• Blank EIC.

Forget the G/Y 6491X?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Apparently.

 

[Matmu1969]

Apparently.

tut tut, after all the knocking I see on here re amateurs and earthing!

Seriously tho, cheers guys, its all flooding back now (to a degree!)