Electrics Install to Garage

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Hi All, after some advice regarding a new build property.

I am buying a house where the garage was previously the sales office, which had electrics. Now they have moved out, all electrics have also been ripped out and the garage doesn't even have a supply at all.

I've attached two photos below to show the issue. The electric meter is in the white box on the side of the house, and the developers added the downward cable which went under the drive (a nice garden at the time) into the garage with a consumer unit/RCB.

20170510_185455.jpg


Now all this has been ripped out leaving the below. This isn't the final driveway, just the hardcore level so far.

20171013_153045.jpg


I'm not best pleased about it, and the developers are looking into the additional cost. However, if I've got to pay for a supply I want something decent that would charge an electric car if I had one in the future. Would 30 amp be enough (I don't want a pathetic 3 amp lighting only circuit)?

The other issue is how the hell can I run a cable to the garage without ripping up the drive.

Obviously I'll get an electrician in.
However, is it acceptable to have a cable going downwards on the external wall as in the first pic? I know it's not the most sightly, but does it have to be in the wall void?

Secondly, I could dig out that gap to get it in the ground (I'm unsure how deep it goes as it's soil and rubbish at the moment), although I'm sure I'll hit the foundations to the house and won't be able to go any deeper.

To get the cable in the garage, I was hoping to go under the gate where there is only a path two slabs wide and then garden (I'm happy to rip that up).

Originally I was thinking getting the supply from the consumer unit in the utility, but how would I get the cable to it. Therefore, I assume it's acceptable to have a separate consumer unit in the garage (I'm happy with that)?
 
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is there any sign of where the cable appeared in the office/garage? there's a fair chance it would have run through a duct that you could possibly re-use
 
I've never bought a new house so don't know what the documentation looks like. The houses I have bought- fixtures and fittings (ie power sockets, cables, kitchens and associated stuff) were left by the previous owners, all that was removed was portable furniture.

So, first step is what did you agree to buy? What is on the plans for the garage in terms of light, power etc? (You might be able to get them from whoever did building control on the job, doubt that level of detail will be on the planning drawings)

Second bit (what you want, assuming you get no joy with getting the contractors to sort it)- yes surface mounted SWA is fine, if it is in an area where impact is possible (from a car) then cap it with heavy galvanised capping. Looking at the thing you might be better going overhead with your cable rather than underground- it would look a bit shoddy but a length of 3 x 1 between house and garage with SWA cleated to it would work.

Capacity wise, 6mm would almost certainly do it, you might get away with 4mm on such a short run (but your electrician will sort that out for you) to give you 32A at the garage. Whether that would be enough to charge an electric car I have no idea.......
 
is there any sign of where the cable appeared in the office/garage? there's a fair chance it would have run through a duct that you could possibly re-use
Looking at the way the cable enters the ground, if there is a duct it is probably at most 50mm below ground level- probably best avoided :)
 
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I was thinking there might be one in or under the garage floor slab, coming up in some convenient corner.
 
Hi all, thanks for your replies.

The consumer unit was in the far side of the garage (it is a double side by side garage), and I think it went under the drive diagonally. I did ask them to leave the garage as an office, but they refused. I'm guessing because the electrics were a temporary supply (I doubt the cable was deep enough)? Also, there were lots of lights in the garden which have now gone (I didn't want them, they were too big for a normal house).

As far as the plans go, nothing is shown. Stupidly I just assumed there would be a light at least. I will try with the developers, but I suppose I want to understand what's required first. None of the other garages have an electricity supply.

After having another look, I think there may be a better solution by drilling in the back of the house (that is red brick rather than stone) around a brick and a half from side wall. That should be inline with the cavity. The cable can then come from the back of the meter through the cavity, and pop out the rear wall. It can then go downwards into the ground there. It will mean pulling up the path, but at least that's doable (and something I can do).

I don't really like the overhead idea, I think that will probably be hit more. Also, if I can avoid the cable on the side of the house that would be far better too.

I suppose I'll talk to an electrician and see if that is acceptable. Also, If I can do the digging and leave a drawn string in-place, hopefully they will be happy with that.

For the power output, I assume 32 amp is a standard? Is that what a cooker circuit is?
 
After having another look, I think there may be a better solution by drilling in the back of the house (that is red brick rather than stone) around a brick and a half from side wall. That should be inline with the cavity. The cable can then come from the back of the meter through the cavity, and pop out the rear wall.
If I understand you correctly and as your electrician will hopefully know, one really should not put cables in the cavities of cavity walls. It is obviously inevitable to go through ('across') a cavity if a cable is travelling all the way through a wall, but it should not travel 'in' a cavity'.

... but maybe I have misunderstood what you are describing/contemplating?

Kind Regards, John
 
If I understand you correctly and as your electrician will hopefully know, one really should not put cables in the cavities of cavity walls. It is obviously inevitable to go through ('across') a cavity if a cable is travelling all the way through a wall, but it should not travel 'in' a cavity'.

... but maybe I have misunderstood what you are describing/contemplating?

Kind Regards, John

Well I was thinking of it travelling in the cavity. I guess that's a no no then...
 
This isn't the final driveway, just the hardcore level so far.


The other issue is how the hell can I run a cable to the garage without ripping up the drive.
I don't understand - if there is no drive there yet then there is nothing to rip up...


However, is it acceptable to have a cable going downwards on the external wall as in the first pic? I know it's not the most sightly, but does it have to be in the wall void?
It's fine, and the unsightliness can be minimised by using white conduit/pipe.

In fact taking the supply from inside that box would be the easiest thing anyway - just have your electrician take it from after the meter via a switchfuse, to a CU in the garage. Photo of the inside would be good, but there will almost certainly be room. Technically you are not meant to fix your own stuff inside the cabinet, in practice they'll not know or care, but you would have to move it if they ever want to replace the meter and it is in the way.
 
I don't understand - if there is no drive there yet then there is nothing to rip up...

It's just the hard-core level so far. It is tarmac, so is hard it's just they won't do the final tarmac level for a month or so when they finish the road. I won't be able to dig that up unless I hire a digger - which I don't want to do.


At least I now have an understanding of whats required - it makes it easier when I chat to the electrician. Also, I want to do all the 'labour' jobs to keep the cost down.

Thanks!
 
Digging a trench for the cable, or a duct, is the best solution, and at the moment there's no finished driveway surface to make good.
 
What’s the black, suspiciously SWA looking, thing underneath the gate in the first photo?
I wondered that, but eventually decided that it was quite possibly the edge of a step (in shadow) ... but you nevertheless could well be right!

Kind Regards, John
 

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