Adding more sockets to the garage. Where to begin?

CovBoy · 1 Jan 2017

Hi,

I have a double garage + workshop at the end of the garden.

The garage currently has an electricity supply fed from the house. That supply currently feeds 3 x fluorescent bulbs, the alarm system (3 x sensors and 3x key pads) and one double socket with a switched fuse ahead of it in the circuit.

The garage has 3 rooms (hence all the key pads and sensors). I want to put additional sockets in one of the rooms, probably more in the future.

Before I start work I'm looking for some advice on the best way to approach things. Questions I have are...

1. What's the recommended way for splitting a single supply between lights and sockets? There is only 1 fuse in the fuse box marked garage and I think the currently lights and socket are all fed from that single supply. Perhaps what is already there is fine but I suspect that i'll need to upgrade at least some of it

2. What precautions do I need to take so that I don't upset the alarm?

As a starting point I've attached a picture of the point where the power enters the garage.

Thanks

Ben

deadshort · 1 Jan 2017

Can you tell us the size of the MCB suppling the garage 16a or 20a ?
The lighting will be fed via a switch fuse with a 3a fuse fitted.
The alarm should have a back-up battery fitted to prevent it activating when the power is cut.

HNY

DS

endecotp · 1 Jan 2017

Do you envisage large loads, e.g. tumble drier, kettle, electric heater?

big-all · 1 Jan 2017

as an aside
if its for a workshop put all the sockets 2m/6ft above floor level this allows easy access to the sockets and allows you to use all the wall space and you dont get tangles off cables
if its for white goods just make sure the cables will reach the sockets before finalizing there height
i have about 20 sockets[10 doubles] around my 12ftx10ft shed and still run out off sockets

CovBoy · 1 Jan 2017

Hi All,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Can you tell us the size of the MCB suppling the garage 16a or 20a ?
It's 16a.

Do you envisage large loads, e.g. tumble drier, kettle, electric heater?
The new sockets will be used to power 1 or 2 guitar amps, laptop, recording equipment (small amount), and an electric heater.

if its for a workshop/white goods
It was a socketless workshop, it will now be used mostly for playing drums and recording music on a small scale.

Thanks

Ben

deadshort · 1 Jan 2017

Get your electrician to change the MCB to 20a, assuming you have 2.5mm cabling supplying the garage that would allow you to have heater and light and you're recording kit.

Regards,

DS

seasickstevie · 1 Jan 2017

If the mcb is changed (as ConBoy suggests) to 20A, you're really going to need to protect the lighting with an FCU at least ... that's unless you're prepared to do the job properly with a Consumer unit in the garage.

Not important, but unless I've misunderstood, I'm a bit puzzled why your alarm system needs three keypads in the garage. Unless they're three stand-alone units you're talking about?

CovBoy · 1 Jan 2017

I'll get an electrician in and get a quote for changing the MCB.

There's alarm keypads everywhere!

The garage is 3 seperate rooms. 2x garages and a workshop that sits in-between the 2. Each room has a keypad.

There is also a keypad by the front door in the house as well as the back.

The guy who owned the house previously was a builder. Theory is that he would arrive home in his van, disable the alarm from the garage (you drive up the side of the house through the car port). The next day he may have come home in a car and park in the car port, entering through the back door (that is in the car port) and disabling the alarm there.

The next day he might have strolled back from the pub and come in the front door, disabling the alarm there.

Very luxurious use of keypads. I used to live in a house with 1 keypad that was in the back room. That was always a good little dash.

I think he used to acquire things/get deals as a builder. Perhaps he had a friend who was an alarm fitter.

On answering the 16a/20a question, I've just spotted a bit of wiring that someone has done that I would categorise as "non-compliant".

Taylortwocities · 1 Jan 2017

CovBoy said:
On answering the 16a/20a question, I've just spotted a bit of wiring that someone has done that I would categorise as "non-compliant".

Can you explain in more detail pls. Photos would be great, we like photos!

JohnW2 · 1 Jan 2017

seasickstevie said:
If the mcb is changed (as ConBoy suggests) to 20A, you're really going to need to protect the lighting with an FCU at least ... that's unless you're prepared to do the job properly with a Consumer unit in the garage.

As a matter of interest, in what sense do you feel that, given a 20A supply, it would be more 'proper' to have a garage CU than to simply run the lighting off an FCU (which could probably also double as the light switch)?

Are you perhaps thinking that you would like to have local RCD protection in the garage, and not in the house (assuming a non-RCD-protected feed from the house was easy), or what??

Kind Regards, John

seasickstevie · 2 Jan 2017

JohnW2 said:
Are you perhaps thinking that you would like to have local RCD protection in the garage, and not in the house

Exactly that. One could argue it's close to essential. I was going to elaborate to that effect but ... didn't bother.

If I'm not mistaken, the OP hasn't implied that it's protected at all by an RCD.

JohnW2 · 2 Jan 2017

seasickstevie said:
Exactly that. One could argue it's close to essential. I was going to elaborate to that effect but ... didn't bother.

Fair enough. RCD protection for his new sockets would be 'required', anyway.

seasickstevie said:
If I'm not mistaken, the OP hasn't implied that it's protected at all by an RCD.

I think he's been silent on the issue. If the supply is not already RCD-protected (at the house), then I agree that a 'garage CU' (with an RCD) would be the simplest solution. However, as I said, if it is RCD protected at the house, then it is quite probable that it would be less-than-straightforward to remove that RCD protection - in which case a second RCD in the garage would be superfluous (other than for redundancy - about which opinions differ a lot

).

Kind Regards, John

CovBoy · 2 Jan 2017

Hi,

3 pictures attached...

1. The consumer unit - the socket that the freezer plugs into has a sticker on it stating that it has RCD - I guess this is the fuse tagged Freezer Socket. I actually have the fridge plugged into it. Ever the rebel.

2. Cabling I spotted yesterday. I guess there must have been a plug socket where the wire appears at the bottom of the picture, that has been rerouted up and through the wall into the kitchen, becoming a double plug that powers the microwave. I'm going to put some conduit over that at least to the interim, stop the toddler pulling it out and shocking Mummy while she loads the washing machine.

3. Some overhead cabling.

The RCD silence is broken!

Taylortwocities · 2 Jan 2017

Still does not answer the basic question. Where does the feed to the garage come from?

Is it from one of the MCBs in your picture (none is marked "garage") or does it come from the back of a socket, or fed froma separate FCU somewhere?
Note that not all of the circuits in your house are RCD protected. Probably the MCBs on the right hand side are, and the others are not. Would need to see inside the CU to confirm.

CovBoy · 2 Jan 2017

4th one from the right is marked "garage supply" - as far as I know, this is the source.

I suspect that only the freezer is RCD protected at the moment, as someone has gone to the bother of labeling that socket where no others are labeled.

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Adding more sockets to the garage. Where to begin?

CovBoy

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