Electricity to my shed

[Bilbo80]

Hello everyone

I'm trying to extend electricity to my shed , currently I use an extension lead when I use it and wind it away after each use. I can't justify the cost involved with getting a electrician do the job considering this is for occasional use right now and we could move houses in a year.

From what I read the moment I get a fixed SWA involved the system need to be notified and building regs get involved.

Shed is wired up with couple of sockets and a LED light via a 5A FCU

Can someone please confirm if any of below methods would get me around the regulations and at the same time keep me safe and right side of the law?

1. Use a caravan type extension lead (2.5mm) with appropriate connector at the shed and other end plugged in to an outside socket in my house, extension lead to be removed after each use.

2. Use a normal extension lead (2.5mm) plugged in to an outside socket in my house, shed electrical system fed with a 3 pin plug which is plugged in to the extension lead, basically the whole shed is wired to the back of a plug which gets plugged in to an extension lead, extension lead to be removed after each use.

Outside socket of the house is on a RCD.

I intend to use power tools inside the shed includes angle grinder, mitre saw, bench drill and a 160A mig welder.

I'm confident of carrying out DIY electrical work in a safe manner.

Thanks very much

 

[JohnW2]

From what I read the moment I get a fixed SWA involved the system need to be notified and building regs get involved.

If you are in England (rather than Wales), that would only be true if the SWA were a 'new circuit' (i.e. with its own feed from your CU/'fuse box') or if a new additional CU were installed in the shed. If it were connected to an existing sockets circuit (with no new CU in the shed), the work would not be notifiable (in England).

ALL electrical work 'involves the Building Regs', in that it has to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations - but that is just a single sentence which essentially just says that the work must be dine safely.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Sureitsoff?]

what is the current requirement of the welder

 

[Bilbo80]

If you are in England (rather than Wales), that would only be true if the SWA were a 'new circuit' (i.e. with its own feed from your CU/'fuse box') or if a new additional CU were installed in the shed. If it were connected to an existing sockets circuit (with no new CU in the shed), the work would not be notifiable (in England).

ALL electrical work 'involves the Building Regs', in that it has to comply with Part P of the Building Regulations - but that is just a single sentence which essentially just says that the work must be dine safely.

Kind Regards, John

Thanks John

I'm in England

Bold part is very interesting, does that mean if I connect a waterproof junction box with a flexi cable in to outside socket and wire up a SWA from the junction box to the shed will be not notifiable?

Does the SWA needs to be buried or can I clip it to concrete gravel boards which runs along the base of my fence all the way to the shed?

 

[Bilbo80]

what is the current requirement of the welder

I got this one

https://www.uptimewelding.co.uk/upt...th-industrial-plug-torch-and-accessories.html

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks John. I'm in England. Bold part is very interesting, does that mean if I connect a waterproof junction box with a flexi cable in to outside socket and wire up a SWA from the junction box to the shed will be not notifiable?

Essentially yes, but there could be tidier ways to do it than that - e.g. it might be possible to take the SWA directly from the outside socket.

Does the SWA needs to be buried or can I clip it to concrete gravel boards which runs along the base of my fence all the way to the shed?

It doesn't have to be buried - it could just be laid on the surface of the soil. Some people are concerned about clipping cables to fences (and I suppose that includes wooden gravel boards), because of the theoretical risk that the fence could be blown down and tear the cable out of its terminations, but I can't see any issue if the gravel boards are concrete.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Bilbo80]

Essentially yes, but there could be tidier ways to do it than that - e.g. it might be possible to take the SWA directly from the outside socket.

It doesn't have to be buried - it could just be laid on the surface of the soil. Some people are concerned about clipping cables to fences (and I suppose that includes wooden gravel boards), because of the theoretical risk that the fence could be blown down and tear the cable out of its terminations, but I can't see any issue if the gravel boards are concrete.

Kind Regards, John

Thanks very much .

Bold part would be great if this is allowed, whole setup would be much nicer.

I should mention the outside socket is plugged in to an inside socket rather than wired in.

 

[JohnW2]

I got this one https://www.uptimewelding.co.uk/upt...th-industrial-plug-torch-and-accessories.html

It looks as if that one is not really suitable for running off a 13A supply (i.e. via 13A plugs/sockets) - hence, presumably, the reason why it is supplied with an 'industrial' plug. I'm not sure what "Input Capacity 4.2/4.1 kVA" is meant to mean, but 4.1 kVA equates to about 17.8A at 230V (and 4.2 kVA to about 18.3A).

Kind Regards, John

 

[Bilbo80]

It looks as if that one is not really suitable for running off a 13A supply (i.e. via 13A plugs/sockets) - hence, presumably, the reason why it is supplied with an 'industrial' plug. I'm not sure what "Input Capacity 4.2/4.1 kVA" is meant to mean, but 4.1 kVA equates to about 17.8A at 230V (and 4.2 kVA to about 18.3A).

Kind Regards, John

Sorry ignore the plug pls, mine came up with UK 3 pin plug with a 13amp fuse.

 

[JohnW2]

Sorry ignore the plug pls, mine came up with UK 3 pin plug with a 13amp fuse.

Interesting - but, as I said, a 13A fuse is not really compatible with a "4.1/4.2 kVA" load. One may well 'get away with it', but that does not make it correct. Are you sure that yours is the same model as in that link, with the same specification?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Bilbo80]

Interesting - but, as I said, a 13A fuse is not really compatible with a "4.1/4.2 kVA" load. One may well 'get away with it', but that does not make it correct. Are you sure that yours is the same model as in that link, with the same specification?

Kind Regards, John

Yes same machine , it looks like the company selling it here added the industrial plug after I bought it last year.

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum...lder-mma-euro-torch.88278/page-3#post-1539872

Mine came with a 13A fuse (not solderd like it's mentioned in that thread!)

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum...mig-welder-mma-euro-torch.88278/#post-1283455

Requirement for the welder is not a deal breaker though if it's not safe to use it in the shed. But as long as I keep the 13amp fuse it will be ok? given fuse will keep blowing off if it draws more current than fuse can handle?

 

[Bilbo80]

On another note

Is 2.5mm SWA enough as long as I keep everything on or below 13amp?

 

[Sureitsoff?]

Interesting - but, as I said, a 13A fuse is not really compatible with a "4.1/4.2 kVA" load. One may well 'get away with it', but that does not make it correct. Are you sure that yours is the same model as in that link, with the same specification?

Kind Regards, John

and even the 16A blue plug is undersized according to the spec

 

[JohnW2]

and even the 16A blue plug is undersized according to the spec

Yep, but at least that's far closer

Kind Regards, John

 

[AndyPRK]

As soon as you say welder. You don't want to be running that off an extension.