Hi
I’m thinking of adding power to my garden and will be getting a qualified electrician to do the work but I am after a little insight just for my own mind before I get in touch with an electrician next year. What I am wanting to do is have a weather proof socket on a decking area (which is not built yet), maybe some LED lighting around the decking and then some lighting around the perimeter and another couple of sockets elsewhere. Assuming the cable would come from the consumer unit in the house the distance to the decking area is 30mtr, I have an isolator in the garage and if it comes off this it would be 45mtr. From the decking to one corner of the garden run to the other corner would be another 20mtr so its likely to be 50mtr of cable in total. Firstly would this need to be on ring which would increase the cable run as it would have to go back to the CU or would it be a radial circuit. Secondly I was assuming I could use 2.5mm SWA but after using an online calculator due to the cable run and potential load this wouldn’t be sufficient. Is the cable run the entire length of the circuit or is it to the first socket so example, cable comes from CU and goes 30mtr into junction box and splits into socket and then from junction box located 5mtr away and splits again to an FCU for decking lighting and into another junction box 10mtr away where it splits into a socket and another junction box and then from that junction box goes 5mtr into a FCU which completes the circuit (if it was a ring the electrician would then have to run a cable from the last FCU to the CU?) If the calculation is based on entire cable run it would be 50mtr but if it’s to any given outlet then the biggest one would be 30mtr and this is where I’m getting confused because when l think about my kitchen it has 9 sockets and cable in/out of every socket must be 5mtr so looking at 45mtr run and then if I had kettle, dishwasher, microwave and toaster all on at same time I don’t understand how 2.5mm twin and earth is enough to give enough amp/power but to run a couple of sockets and lighting in the garden would require 6mm? If 6mm is used and goes into junction box which then feeds FCU for LED lighting would I then use 1.5mm from junction to fcu and continue using 6mm from junction box to the next junction box?
I might have a summer house in the future in the corner where one of the sockets is proposed to go and so this might need addition FCU for lighting and maybe an addition socket when cabin is errected and also might get a hot tub in years to come which would be behind the decking next to the second junction box but this might never happen but if it did would I be best running off a separate circuit or making multiple circuits so I can use just small cable or would it best making the entire garden circuit out of 10mm SWA or whatever thickness is beyond adequate. Best methods and most cost effective methods would be appreciated please
I’m thinking of adding power to my garden and will be getting a qualified electrician to do the work but I am after a little insight just for my own mind before I get in touch with an electrician next year. What I am wanting to do is have a weather proof socket on a decking area (which is not built yet), maybe some LED lighting around the decking and then some lighting around the perimeter and another couple of sockets elsewhere. Assuming the cable would come from the consumer unit in the house the distance to the decking area is 30mtr, I have an isolator in the garage and if it comes off this it would be 45mtr. From the decking to one corner of the garden run to the other corner would be another 20mtr so its likely to be 50mtr of cable in total. Firstly would this need to be on ring which would increase the cable run as it would have to go back to the CU or would it be a radial circuit. Secondly I was assuming I could use 2.5mm SWA but after using an online calculator due to the cable run and potential load this wouldn’t be sufficient. Is the cable run the entire length of the circuit or is it to the first socket so example, cable comes from CU and goes 30mtr into junction box and splits into socket and then from junction box located 5mtr away and splits again to an FCU for decking lighting and into another junction box 10mtr away where it splits into a socket and another junction box and then from that junction box goes 5mtr into a FCU which completes the circuit (if it was a ring the electrician would then have to run a cable from the last FCU to the CU?) If the calculation is based on entire cable run it would be 50mtr but if it’s to any given outlet then the biggest one would be 30mtr and this is where I’m getting confused because when l think about my kitchen it has 9 sockets and cable in/out of every socket must be 5mtr so looking at 45mtr run and then if I had kettle, dishwasher, microwave and toaster all on at same time I don’t understand how 2.5mm twin and earth is enough to give enough amp/power but to run a couple of sockets and lighting in the garden would require 6mm? If 6mm is used and goes into junction box which then feeds FCU for LED lighting would I then use 1.5mm from junction to fcu and continue using 6mm from junction box to the next junction box?
I might have a summer house in the future in the corner where one of the sockets is proposed to go and so this might need addition FCU for lighting and maybe an addition socket when cabin is errected and also might get a hot tub in years to come which would be behind the decking next to the second junction box but this might never happen but if it did would I be best running off a separate circuit or making multiple circuits so I can use just small cable or would it best making the entire garden circuit out of 10mm SWA or whatever thickness is beyond adequate. Best methods and most cost effective methods would be appreciated please
I thought it was all about smokey-flavoured burnt raw sausages!