CU or Isolator switch in garage?

frediaz · 24 Nov 2012

Hello,

My builders and I are installing electrics in a separate garage as shown on the picture.
There is an armoured cable going to the garage. It is an exclusive circuit from the CU, in the house, and it is not shared with anything else in the house.
There will only be a double socket and light in the garage.
My question is, at the point of entry in the garage, do I need to install a small CU?, will a double pole fused switch/isolator be enough?

Thanks

Untitled

frediaz
24 Nov 2012
1

Aragorn84 · 24 Nov 2012

Either could be acceptable.

What is the MCB rating in the house CU? Is it RCD protected?

ban-all-sheds · 24 Nov 2012

frediaz said:
Hello,

My builders and I are installing electrics in a separate garage as shown on the picture.

If you live in England or Wales, will you need Building Regulations approval for the garage?

Also, is there access on foot beneath the cable, or is there a wall there?

Maxatoria · 24 Nov 2012

Probably best to fit a small board as if you ever decide to have more sockets you'll have the lights on so you can see what you are doing but surely its best to ask the electrician who's doing the work as i'd assume its going to need signing off

RF Lighting · 24 Nov 2012

No need what-so-ever to fit a CU in the garage. They are a pointless waste of time and money, and the so called 'garage CUs' are utter garbage.

Just connect the SWA direct into the socket. Job done, no messing.

Taylortwocities · 24 Nov 2012

RF Lighting said:
No need what-so-ever to fit a CU in the garage. They are a pointless waste of time and money, and the so called 'garage CUs' are utter garbage.

Just connect the SWA direct into the socket. Job done, no messing.

And, from the socket feeding to a switched FCU by the door, for your lights. £10 job done.

RF Lighting · 24 Nov 2012

ban-all-sheds · 24 Nov 2012

RF Lighting said:
No need what-so-ever to fit a CU in the garage.

That is not always true.

They are a pointless waste of time and money

Not if you want your RCD protection local to the garage.

and the so called 'garage CUs' are utter garbage.

I can conceive of no possible reason why a small CU should be any more, or less, "utter garbage" than a larger one from the same maker.

RF Lighting · 24 Nov 2012

No it every instance, but for what the OP wants there's no need.

You can use an RCD socket to keep the RCD protection local and independant of the lighting.

Have a look at garage CUs. They're nearly all made of the cheapest tat known to man, completely unsuitable for terminating an SWA to, no room to work inside, and often no proper earth or neutral bars,

streetlighter · 24 Nov 2012

The MK one has hardly anyspace to dress cables inside, Crabtree version has even less room and cant gland an SWA into it.
Think one of the best ive seen is the British General in Screwfix plenty of space inside.
Ive use a streetlight cutout unit in a garage once i just removed the fuse holder of the DIN rail and replaced with MCBs.

JohnW2 · 24 Nov 2012

RF Lighting said:
No need what-so-ever to fit a CU in the garage. They are a pointless waste of time and money, and the so called 'garage CUs' are utter garbage. Just connect the SWA direct into the socket. Job done, no messing.

I wish you'd jumped in and helped protect me from scousespark recently

Kind Regards, John

JohnW2 · 24 Nov 2012

Taylortwocities said:
RF Lighting said:

No need what-so-ever to fit a CU in the garage. They are a pointless waste of time and money, and the so called 'garage CUs' are utter garbage. Just connect the SWA direct into the socket. Job done, no messing.

Click to expand...

And, from the socket feeding to a switched FCU by the door, for your lights. £10 job done.

...and you

Ki nd Regards, John

frediaz · 25 Nov 2012

Aragorn84 said:
Either could be acceptable.

What is the MCB rating in the house CU? Is it RCD protected?

I do not know the rating yet. The electrician will decide. Yes it will all be RCD protected CU as it will be new.

frediaz · 25 Nov 2012

ban-all-sheds said:
frediaz said:

Hello,

My builders and I are installing electrics in a separate garage as shown on the picture.

Click to expand...

If you live in England or Wales, will you need Building Regulations approval for the garage?

Also, is there access on foot beneath the cable, or is there a wall there?

There is access on foot under the cable, does it matter? there was a cable (pyro) already there, we removed it.

SaladFingers · 25 Nov 2012

ban-all-sheds said:
RF Lighting said:

No need what-so-ever to fit a CU in the garage.

Click to expand...

That is not always true.

They are a pointless waste of time and money

Click to expand...

Not if you want your RCD protection local to the garage.

and the so called 'garage CUs' are utter garbage.

Click to expand...

I can conceive of no possible reason why a small CU should be any more, or less, "utter garbage" than a larger one from the same maker.

For once I agree with you.

I like a CU in my gargage so that I have completely seperate circuits in my garage for the lights, sockets, type C for my workshop transformer, outside lighting and external sockets. For me, one distribution circuit from the house board to a garage board is the only option.

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CU or Isolator switch in garage?

SaladFingers

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