Advice RE Cabling / Setup for Wedding Marquee

[Lectrician]

here here.

13amp is eaten quickly. I bet you end up with some 500watt tripod floods or similar as well. It all mounts up really quickly.

With two extension leads, of whatever CSA you decide, you are still limited to 13amp on each lead, and 13amp for a disco is never enough. Add on the other marquee as well.

Tempting fate - it really is.

If you are hiring the marquees, most companies will either have some lecky kit, or use a regular sparky for this type of thing. Just ask.

Ten at night, have way through a slow number, the lights go out, the music stops, it's pitch black. Everyones had a few, whos going to find the blown fuse?

 

[FatGit]

When a DJ asks for 2 sockets he implies 2 normal sockets. There is no one who is going to do any cacls. When they do a gig at a pub are they going to ask for any checks? No. I know that because I used to help run a social club. All they will do is stick it in two sockets by the stage.
How much do you expect this guy to spend on putting in this power? He's said he is on a budget and yet we're talking about submains and consumer units in the tent. Do you really expect people to shell out for that kind of kit for one evening? I'm amazed that a 3ph supply hasn't been suggested yet!
He really should hire a generator and be done.

 

[equitum]

hear, hear !

The DJ uses the kit every week. He'd know if its gonna blow 13amp fuses and we know at 3500watts max (which is doubtfull in reality) that this is never going to happen across two plugtops. The only issue here at all was the voltage drop of 12V max, which again is not going to be a problem other than than maybe a lamp going dim every now and again.

Yes, there could be a tripped rbd, yes, there could be a fuse inconveniently blowing, yes, it could p*ss it down all day, yes the wedding car could break down, yes the vicar could come down with flu, yes DJ's kit could pack up, yes, the marquee could collapse....yes he could get an electrician to rig up a more substantial solution, but this could be done improperly and cause more problems than a couple of extension leads in 2.5mm.......

Money is an object, there is risk in everything, an in my opinion the extension lead approach is not a high risk solution balanced against cost.

 

[Lectrician]

I reckon £150 would see a decent supply. Is that really too much? It could be used again again.

A DJ in a pub will plug into as many sockets as they can find, typically having a ring circuit to play with, possibly more. He doesn't know what he is plugging into, he just plugs, but in reality the loading is going to be well distributed. It aint going to be distributed on the end of a 13amp extension is it?

Arctic flex is expensive. Trailing sockets and plugs are expensive. The difference in price is seriously not going to be huge.

If he is on a budget, maybe the disco is going to be ****e, and will happily sit on 13amps.

I am going by my experience of outdoor events and events in leisure centres, conference centres etc, I reckon 2 x 13amp leads aint gonna be enough.

The advice is here, he can go which ever way he wants.

maybe a compromise half way between my suggestions and yours would best fit.

4 or 6mm split con (cheaper than flex equiv) wacked into current CU on a new breaker, or on a breaker used for the cooker etc, with the cooker disconnected. Stick a couple double sockets on the end of this. RCD at house end in current CU with any luck.

 

[FatGit]

I don't reckon he'd get what people are suggesting for that money, especially if LABC are going to get involved (let's face it, he's not going to bother, though). However, that's a fair whack on the event if it's on such a low budget that the OP doesn't want to hire a genny or the marquees. Although, like you said, it can be used again how often would it be so, apart from to use a garden appliance from time-to-time without getting out an extension.

You are quite right about the loading but he can run a couple of extenions from different parts of the house ring main and distribute the disco kit across them if there is a worry abou that.

I thought he was thinking about getting a few 13A artic extensions from a shed for about £25 each and using them. A fair difference from £150, although not that much.

That compromise isn't bad but wouldn't be cheap if he went down the part P route, though.

The current outdoor event I'm helping run is using 3ph

 

[davidmbell]

All of this chat (amusing to some of you as it may be) has just confused the issue for me even more.

I just want something that isn't going to turn off in the middle of the night (for whatever reason) and everyone turn to look at me and expect me to go and fix it.

I've been in touch with three generator companies now, again not knowing what I'm asking for they don't seem very helpful.

I've explained what its powering and the three I've tried so far have all said they'd ring me back. NONE of which have yet. Two Friday, one today and not ONE has called me back.

The way this is going right now I'm at a loss what to do.

Any advice on decent Genny hire places in or around Leeds or Bradford.

Thanks

David

 

[davidmbell]

Replying to my own posts... I need to lie down....

Anyway, I have been in touch with a local event / stage lighting company http://www.zigzaglighting.com and they have told me they think the mains lead option is fine. They've done plenty of outside gigs and reassured me this proposal would be fine (albeit with 4mm cable).

They're hiring me 2 x 60 metre 4mm 32amp cables complete with twin 'handymains' RCDs on the end.

They've said to run both extensions to the DJ so he has both runs of cable direct to his kit, and I then run the small amount of lighting off that (for the 2nd PA system I also run that from the end point of one of the main leads, as the 2nd PA system will not be on at the same time as the DJ).

The additional lighting is minimal (6x60watts bulbs (might even be 40watt) and 6 sets of Xmas lights) He suggested this would work fine.

Anyway, they've done the above plus whatever adapters I need for £50 all in (for cash and because I'm local (he lives at the end of my road!).

Thanks for all the advice guys!

David

 

[FatGit]

Glad you got it sorted and for reasonable money. That can't be much more than if you;d bought the leads from a shed.

Hope you have a great time!

 

[electronicsuk]

Glad you got it sorted and for reasonable money. That can't be much more than if you;d bought the leads from a shed.

Hope you have a great time!

Are you kidding? 120m of (suitable) 4mmsq cable would have cost nearly twice that alone!