Can I use the garage circuit to provide power to the garden?

[Froggies]

I want power to the shed, to a water feature, and to some garden lighting. I will be getting an electrician to do that, but all I want to do for now is bury the armoured cable in the right place before I start laying paving, but don't know where to take power from as there's no easy way to get the cable through to the Consumer Unit as the house has a concrete floor. I already have a circuit going to the garage, so could the garden supply just be connected up to the same junction box on the external wall of the house, to avoid having a new circuit?

The CU contains a 16A RCD and there is one double socket in the garage and three 4ft flourescent lights. I want a weatherproof socket in or near the shed, about 600W of outside lighting, and a small pump for a water feature.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This is notifiable work, and has safety aspects which make blunders a Bad Idea™.

It's good that you are using an electrician, but you must speak to her now, and get her to make the decisions about cable selection and routing, because she will be the one who has to sign it all off as her work, and being compliant.

She won't be a frustrated navvy, and so won't mind at all if you want to do the grunt work of digging trenches etc, but it must be effectively under her direct supervision and guidance. If you think you can just install the cable and then expect her to adopt it and sign it all off then you will be sadly and expensively mistaken.

Using the existing circuit may well be possible, but there are so many variables that nobody here would be able to tell you for sure.

But your electrician will be there, and will be able to see it all for herself, and she'll be the perfect person to give you good advice.

 

[breezer]

............ about 600W of outside lighting,

a bit bright?

 

[Jaymack]

How do you derive a female electrician from the post?

I would lay a 2.5²mm SWA around 200mm depth with plastic warning tape 100m on top of the cable, leave about 6m spare on the side away from the garage and enough slack on the other side to reach the junction box on the garage, take photos of the cable position.

The cable should be laid on 100mm sifted soil or sand; and the same on top. Alternatively, get quotes from electricians; and at the time discuss how he/she would do it for a consensus opinion.

Regards

 

[Spark123]

Personally I'd like to see it a bit deeper than 200mm, around about 2 spade depths with warning tape towards the surface.
As for the cable, I'd be asking the spark who is signing it off as to the size and where it needs to run.

 

[Jaymack]

Personally I'd like to see it a bit deeper than 200mm, around about 2 spade depths with warning tape towards the surface.

It's under paving!

As for the cable, I'd be asking the spark who is signing it off as to the size and where it needs to run.

Before the work is allocated? Cart and Horse/Ducks in row.

Regards

 

[Taylortwocities]

If you really need to get the cable facilities in before finding a sparKy/sparkyess the you could just run a smallish civil duct from garage to shed with a pull rope.
You can then fill it in and pave over, the SWA can then be pulled in by the electrician as, and when..

 

[Spark123]

Personally I'd like to see it a bit deeper than 200mm, around about 2 spade depths with warning tape towards the surface.

It's under paving!

Still would like to see it deeper than 20cm, at 2 spades down it wont be disturbed in a hurry.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

How do you derive a female electrician from the post?

How do you derive a male one?

Personally I'd like to see it a bit deeper than 200mm, around about 2 spade depths with warning tape towards the surface.

It's under paving!

And if anybody ever lifts the paving it's less than a spade depth down - not enough.

As for the cable, I'd be asking the spark who is signing it off as to the size and where it needs to run.

Before the work is allocated? Cart and Horse/Ducks in row.

Err - no.

If you expect an electrician to sign it off then he must be involved from the very start and he must be the one to make all the design and installation decisions.

 

[Jaymack]

How do you derive a female electrician from the post?

How do you derive a male one?

Alternatively, get quotes from electricians; and at the time discuss how he/she would do it for a consensus opinion.
None so blind!

Personally I'd like to see it a bit deeper than 200mm, around about 2 spade depths with warning tape towards the surface.

It's under paving!

And if anybody ever lifts the paving it's less than a spade depth down - not enough.

There's warning tape above, what regulation are you referring to?

As for the cable, I'd be asking the spark who is signing it off as to the size and where it needs to run.

Before the work is allocated? Cart and Horse/Ducks in row.

Err - no.

If you expect an electrician to sign it off then he must be involved from the very start and he must be the one to make all the design and installation decisions.

If he gave a quote and gives comments on how it is run before laying? No problem.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Alternatively, get quotes from electricians; and at the time discuss how he/she would do it for a consensus opinion.

If you can show that every single person here always uses the term "he/she" then I'll accept your criticism.

But if I can find examples of people assuming "he" then I will roundly reject such criticism because writing "she" is just as valid.

None so blind!

You said it.

There's warning tape above, what regulation are you referring to?

522.8.10

If he gave a quote and gives comments on how it is run before laying? No problem.

Isn't that what we're saying about involving the electrician right from the start?

And oh look - you didn't write "he/she".....

 

[Jaymack]

Alternatively, get quotes from electricians; and at the time discuss how he/she would do it for a consensus opinion.

If you can show that every single person here always uses the term "he/she" then I'll accept your criticism. But if I can find examples of people assuming "he" then I will roundly reject such criticism because writing "she" is just as valid.

None so blind!

You said it.

Sure did!

There's warning tape above, what regulation are you referring to?

522.8.10

"Buried cables, conduits and ducts shall be at sufficient depth to avoid being damaged by any reasonable disturbance of the ground"
Under paving with marking tape on top? You'll have to do better than that!

If he gave a quote and gives comments on how it is run before laying? No problem.

Isn't that what we're saying about involving the electrician right from the start?"

I did.......... you criticised!

And oh look - you didn't write "he/she".....

Sarcasm doesn't help your case!

Regards

 

[ban-all-sheds]

"Buried cables, conduits and ducts shall be at sufficient depth to avoid being damaged by any reasonable disturbance of the ground"
Under paving with marking tape on top? You'll have to do better than that!

It's reasonable to make allowances for the paving being removed at some point in the future.

At which point, marker tape or not, less than one spade depth down is not enough.

I did.......... you criticised!

Err... where, exactly?

It's good that you are using an electrician, but you must speak to her now, and get her to make the decisions about cable selection and routing, because she will be the one who has to sign it all off as her work, and being compliant.

If you expect an electrician to sign it off then he must be involved from the very start and he must be the one to make all the design and installation decisions.

And oh look - you didn't write "he/she".....

Sarcasm doesn't help your case!

OK - since you seem unable to understand this without it being explained in very simple terms, I'll do that.

1) In here I have written "It's good that you are using an electrician, but you must speak to her now"

2) I have also written "If you expect an electrician to sign it off then he must be involved from the very start"

3) You have written "If he gave a quote.."

So given (3), and the fact that you only questioned why I derived a female electrician after (1) and not why I derived a male one after (2), do you suffer from an ignorant and primitive gender bias?

 

[galliano2001]

BAS - having gone through the UK electrical section of this site it seems there are two options.

1. The entire world and his dog are out to get you, they all get together and have secret meetings where they plan elaborate ways to gang up on you and contradict everything you say.

2. You are an argumentative sod who enjoys constantly taking topics off thread by dropping a controversial statement into a post, awaiting a response and then ripping into them with the defence that they were the first person to respond!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1. Seems unlikely.

2. Where have I taken this off-topic, and where have I dropped in a controversial statement into a post?