Installing an out door lamp

[mogsa]

Hi i have bought an outdoor 1 metre high lamp for my patio. max 60 watt bulb.
I have a garage with a double 13 amp socket for my fridge and tumble drier.
I have lost the instructions for the type of cable i need, but it seems its the cable i need is the type my neighbour has on his pond pump 3 core with the rubber sheath. I remember they stated it had to be run in plastic conduit to protect the cable.
I do have 2.5 armoured cable at hand and was wondering if i could use this. I was thinking stripping back the armour and putting a 13 amp plug on one end which would be plugged into an rcd protected socket and running the cable underground to the outdoor lamp. would this be ok?
The armour would not be earthed I know but there wouldnt be any digging where the cable would be run.
If it did need earthing then would it be ok to earth one end of the cable, ie supply side.

 

[RF Lighting]

You can use SWA.

But as for your proposed termination methods

No, no and no.

 

[mogsa]

Thanks m8,
I just thought if you could use the correct rubber sheathed cable and run it underground in plastic conduit, then i could use the 3 core swa without earthing the armour, because the lamp fitting would be earthed from the socket, also the cable would be harder to damage than the rubber coated type. the lamp side connection is just a terminal block.

Could I use standard 2.5 flat cable and run it in underground conduit and if so, wouldnt that be like using armoured cable without the armour.

 

[Spark123]

A few things you need to note, armoured cable is fixed installation cable, the cores although stranded are not made to be continuously flexed. SWA is ideal for underground cable runs, it however must be terminated correctly. The idea behind SWA is that the cable is mechanically protected by means of an earthed metallic sheath, if you don't earth it it will not provide the required protection should you accidentally dig the cable up. Plastic conduit is not adequate to bury a flat twin+earth cable underground, it will not provide adequate protection.
I would advise you to seek advice from an electrician who is a member of a competent person scheme, they will probably be happy to let you dig the trench for them if you want to save a few £s.
You'd almost swear I have my Part P head on today.

 

[mogsa]

thanks spark123
It did state use the correct cable, ie the weatherproof rubber sheathed type and to use plastic conduit to protect cable so i am assume this meant I could use this conduit underground. So if buy the correct cable and fit a 13 amp plug with 3amp fuse and plug it into a socket via powerbreaker. would this be acceptable.
This would be a lot cheaper than buying the glands and terminal boxes just to put a light in the garden.
the cable underground would be approx 5ft.
thanks again

 

[Spark123]

Use armoured cable with the correct glands, hard wired into a fused spur unit. Plastic conduit does not give the same protection against impact as armoured cable does hence is not suitable. Doing a job properly hence safely is more important to me than doing a job cheaply. Please note as this is fixed wiring in a garden it is also notifiable to LABC under part p of the building regs which is why it will almost certainly be cheaper to call in a spark.

 

[mogsa]

thanks spark123
I agree, safety first.
buying all I need today.
thanks for your help.
regards