Garden lighting

[Chit]

Hi all,

Just thinking out loud - I'm thinking of putting in a decked area in my garden this summer and am thinking of also installing decking lights.

Now must these be hardwired into the house's consumer unit or is it permissable under law to basically wire these to a plug and plug them into a standard household socket?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Both are possible

but both are fixed wiring outdoors and are therefore notifiable activities - assuming you are in England or Wales.

See //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part_p:diy_electrical_work_and_the_law for details

 

[Chit]

Thanks for that, I do live in England and so this would apply to me. Would it maybe be cheaper to just call in an electrician who can do the work and self certify it? - Does the electrician also have to inform the local council of the work that he/she has carried out?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Thanks for that, I do live in England and so this would apply to me. Would it maybe be cheaper to just call in an electrician who can do the work and self certify it? - Does the electrician also have to inform the local council of the work that he/she has carried out?

Yes, and yes.
For small jobs like this it cheaper to use a sparky. Councils will carge a couple of hundred notes, just for pushing the paper around.

Your electrician must be a member of one of the Part P "schemes" and will probably be listed here www.competentperson.co.uk
He/she looks after all the paperwork for you.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Both are possible

Yes, but running a cable through the wall and plugging it in is really tacky,,,,