Garage Power - and I mean POWER!

[InMyHO]

How thick a cable should I lay to my garage?

Hi. I am having a new patio laid between my house and my garage making it a good time to sink any cables in the ground even if they are not used just yet. We already have an electric car which charges from the garage. I can see that in the future I would like to put in a rapid charge point 16 A instead of a normal square pin 13A socket. I understand that the cable to the garage is currently only rated at a total of 16A so ideally the supply will need to be uprated.

• What size cable should I buy to completely replace (not add to) the current cable (pun unintended)?
• What should I do with the cable ends, for now, given that it will not get connected up maybe for a few years?
• How long should the tails be when they surface from the ground outside the walls of my utility room (where the main circuit breakers are) and the garage (where its circuit breakers are)?

Thanks hugely for your thoughts.

 

[InMyHO]

I can add that the linear distance between the walls below both consumer units is 9.7 metres. So with getting to the junction boxes at both ends then it will be about 11 m of armoured cable.

 

[bernardgreen]

Hi. I am having a new patio laid between my house and my garage making it a good time to sink any cables in the ground even if they are not used just yet.

Then install ducts for now. When the electrical system has been fully designed and the correct size of cable has been selected it can be installed into the ducts.

Your electrician may find it easier to terminate the SWA in a suitable box and make the connection to the CU in more flexible twin and earth. Glanding SWA into the case of a consumer unit is not an easy task.

 

[InMyHO]

Bernard

Thanks for your suggestion.

If I do go for a duct then what are they made of? Does it matter that it will probably inevitably get water inside?

At the moment I still assume that burying a suitable cable would be the easiest solution.

 

[Jackrae]

110mm drain pipe with swept bends and a strong rope laid in

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Then install ducts for now. When the electrical system has been fully designed and the correct size of cable has been selected it can be installed into the ducts.

110mm drain pipe with swept bends and a strong rope laid in

Or better still, purpose designed twinwall ducting, which can be laid with no joins underground. And won't get mistaken in the future for a drain.

If I do go for a duct then what are they made of?

http://images.google.com/images?q=twin+wall+ducting

Does it matter that it will probably inevitably get water inside?

Why is it probably inevitable if you seal the ends?

 

[InMyHO]

Ban; seal the ends and all joins. I guess I am pessimistic about joins staying sealed once buried.

 

[Simon35]

Ban; seal the ends and all joins. I guess I am pessimistic about joins staying sealed once buried.

You wont have any buried joins.

As per BAS' original reply.

You can buy twin wall in coils plenty long enough for your purposes.

 

[ban-all-sheds]