In theory this should have worked.?

[Skyefisher]

Hi I have been trying to run electrics to my shed just to have some lighting. Rather than go though the hassle of a circuit in the shed. I thought it would be easier to make an extension lead which I would plug a light into.

So I bought 1.5 core armoured cable. (25 m length). One end I wired a 13amp 3pin plug. Other end I wired a socket.

One the back wall of my house I have an outside double plug socket. There was power running to it as the lights were on and I tested the plug before I wired it in.

Plugged it in and nothing. Tripped the kitchen ring sockets on the rcd. Unplugged it Flicked the trip switch back and the lights on the outside came back on plugged my lead back in and now nothing and not tripping it.

 

[pete50]

unhelpful and silly

 

[Skyefisher]

Didn’t know if it was something technical about 25m run and a 13amp fused plug. Hope the cable isn’t faulty as I buried it yesterday. How can I test the cable

 

[ericmark]

Yes should work that's how my shed is wired.

 

[SUNRAY]

Have you checked the fuse in the plug?
Did you connect the armour to earth?

I helped a friend move house and there was no room for their upright freezer until the kitchen was refitted, a job that was planned from the very first viewing.
As it happened I had a 40m 1.5mm² orange ribbed rubber formedextention lead in the van which was just about the right length to plug into the lounge, out through a hole in the rotten wooden window frame with a finger then laid in the flower border to the wooden shed at the end of the garden.
I then forgot about it.
Some years later I happened to mention I'd lost that cable, it was still in use feeding his brick built workshop/office/play room which replaced the wooden shed. It had turned white in the sunlight but quite surprisingly it still seemed sound without any signs of perishing or softening.

Would I install like that? No of course not but it worked and when I meggared the cable it was fine.

 

[winston1]

Absolutely no reason why it doesn't work other than the socket is faulty, the plug is faulty, the lead is faulty or the socket on the end of the lead is faulty.

Or you have wired it wrongly. Probably the reason nothing happens now is that fuse in the plug is now blown.

 

[Skyefisher]

Yes thinking the fuse is blown in the plug so will try changing that. I haven’t earthed the external metal in the cable just stripped it back. There are three cables inside so one of those is connected to the earth on the plug?

 

[AndyPRK]

something will be shorting out somewhere, to cause an MCB and fuse to blow.

You need a continuity checker to test your setup on its own (unplugged) to ensure the 3 wires are isolated from each other.

or check the armour isn't making contact with the wires

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I haven’t earthed the external metal in the cable just stripped it back.

Stupid, dangerous and illegal.

Get an electrician to do it properly for you.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yes should work that's how my shed is wired.

You've terminated SWA in a BS 1363 plug?

FGS....

 

[ericmark]

You've terminated SWA in a BS 1363 plug?

FGS....

Not exactly used a backing box and lid to swap from SWA to flex.

 

[RF Lighting]

Didn’t know if it was something technical about 25m run and a 13amp fused plug. Hope the cable isn’t faulty as I buried it yesterday. How can I test the cable

With an insulation tester.

There’s certainly more than one fault with your installation work. You need to leave it disconnected until an electrician has made everything safe to use.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Not exactly used a backing box and lid to swap from SWA to flex.

OK.

I wonder why I thought you'd used a plug.

I thought it would be easier to make an extension lead which I would plug a light into.

So I bought 1.5 core armoured cable. (25 m length). One end I wired a 13amp 3pin plug.

Yes should work that's how my shed is wired.

Ah - that might be it.

 

[Skyefisher]

So only registered here so I can ask stupid questions. If I wire the cable directly into the external plug socket thus creating a spur off. If I touch the live with my little electrical light up screwdriver to see if it’s live will I fly across the garden?..

 

[John D v2.0]

you can wire it into a plug but not directly, you'd need a suitable adaptor box, and you should probably do some testing on it to make sure if you go through the cable with a spade or whatever, the fuse will blow in time to protect you. Sounds like at the moment if the cable is damaged then the armour may become live as there's no earth on it.
also, it's maybe easier to wire into a plug, as you'll avoid as many regs, but not because it's safer. Wiring it in properly into its own circuit if possible, or as a spur, with suitable testing to ensure tripping time would be a good idea. I'm guessing the fact that you dn't undertsnad the tripping means you didn't do the relevant testing. An electrician could probably do some testing and assessment for you.