Safe to use power tools in garage?

[Abby6006]

Hi,

I'd like to buy a table saw and use it in my garage for light woodworking projects. The garage is maybe 15-20 metres from the house and I believe everything goes through the RCD. The house and garage were built in the mid 60's. In the garage there is only one double socket and some LED light battens.

I currently have a compound mitre saw and the lights will blip when it hard starts, perhaps this is to be expected?

I have no idea what diameter the cable is from the house to the garage - is there a way I can check that I'm OK operating a table saw (1800W) and perhaps a dust extractor (1200W) simultaneously? I wouldn't be using anything else in the garage at the same time other than the lights though may of course have the oven on or boil the kettle in the house. At maybe 3kW I believe that's around 13 amps but maybe it can peak a lot higher when they both start up.

If it's not OK, I'm not sure what people do - get someone to run a bigger underground cable?!

 

[davelx]

Do you have a separate circuit breaker for the garage in the house CU? If so, what is the rating of that breaker in the house CU? If not, which house circuit is the garage fed from and how is it connected at the house end?

 

[Abby6006]

I don't believe so, there are 5 circuits, 2x 5A, 1x 15A, 2x 30A. The CU is ancient (made by BL Civic), I can barely read the written notes on the inside of the panel, the garage doesn't seem to be mentioned. The cooker is on the first 30A but I can't tell what is on the second 30A at all, the smaller circuits mention lights, immersion heater etc. Perhaps it's the shower?

What looks like the armoured cable comes in the right hand side of the CU where the 2x 30A circuits are but I guess that doesn't mean much. I could take the cover off the CU (it's a metal box with a removable plastic dome essentially) and have a look but I'm not quite that confident!

 

[bernardgreen]

Ensure your lighting does NOT produce a stroboscopic effect when illuminating a rotating circular saw. This can make the saw appear to be stationary or just slow moving when it is rotating at speed.

Some LED battens do produce a stroboscopic effect.

If power and lights share a breaker in the shed or in the house then it would be sensible to install emergency lights, battery operated lights that switch on automatically when the mains to the lighting circuit fails. To be put into sudden darkness with rotating machinary next to you is extremely dangerous.

 

[Abby6006]

Ensure your lighting does NOT produce a stroboscopic effect when illuminating a rotating circular saw.

No luckily they don't though I never would have thought of this.

it would be sensible to install emergency lights

Something else I would never have thought of, I will do so thanks!

 

[Abby6006]

Not sure I want to pull each fuse one by one to work it out either, I'm not sure they'd go back in or continue to work! The errant earth cable was either left by the alarm installer or a security light installer - never noticed it until now!

The whole house seems to exist on a knife edge

 

[SFK]

That picture makes me shudder.

I notice I can see bare metal at the bottom of the Left Fuse.
No idea why as it looks like a clean cut.
That could be live so be careful of your and little fingers.

Suggest you also start using RCDs plug/socket with your Table Saw, Mitre Saw and your Lawn Mower:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-rcd-adaptor/63731#_=pm

 

[Abby6006]

Suggest you also start using RCDs plug/socket with your Table Saw, Mitre Saw and your Lawn Mower:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-rcd-adaptor/63731#_=pm

And I notice I can see bare metal at the bottom of the Left Fuse.
No idea why as it looks like a clean cut.
That could be live so be careful of your and little fingers.

Thanks, the fat cable that comes into the house goes 100A breaker > Meter > Earth Leakage Breaker > RCD > Consumer Unit. I'm guessing that means everything is RCD protected?

 

[chivers67]

If that only has five circuits - two of which are 30A - one of which is your cooker. i'd hope the other is a 30A ring final circuit! What shower have you got? Hopefully one with just a pump rather than an instant power shower as such

 

[chivers67]

Thanks, the fat cable that comes into the house goes 100A breaker > Meter > Earth Leakage Breaker > RCD > Consumer Unit. I'm guessing that means everything is RCD protected?

Got a photo of the whole lot?

Out in the Sticks served by a pole?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Is the RCD 100mA or 30mA?

 

[Abby6006]

What shower have you got?

It's fed from a water tank in the attic, so no pump just gravity.

Got a photo of the whole lot? Out in the Sticks served by a pole?

I'm out at the mo so can't get a photo but nope, in a normal residential area!

 

[Abby6006]

Is the RCD 100mA or 30mA?

30mA

 

[Abby6006]

Sorry need to correct my earlier summary, Cable > 100A breaker > Meter > ELCB > Breaker && Consumer Unit. The last breaker unit is a little Hager unit, with an MTN 140 B40 and SB 263U. I'm guessing the hager breaker is for the shower as it was installed when the shower was so the CU doesn't involve the shower at all.

 

[Abby6006]

Got a photo of the whole lot?

Got a photo - hopefully you can have a laugh and not a heart attack