Multiple garden building wiring

[Pete6512]

I live in a semi detached house with the consumer unit situated at the front of the house, I have a large garden and have built a workshop about half way down it. I am planning to have the electrics installed by a local company but before I do I want to do a little forward planning if I can and am seeking your advice.

The workshop stands on a concrete base through which I have made provisions for a cable to enter from under ground and when it has been put in I intend to fill the hole with concrete and finnish the floor inside.

BUT What about the future, I may want to have some garden lights, another out building, a hot tub (well we can all dream!!!) but none of this is likely to happen for a couple of years.

My point is, once the workshop has been finished there is no way I will be able to use the supply that goes to it for anything else and for any future additions whatever they may be and I would be reluctant to keep having my garden dug up for a new cable for each.

Is there any such thing as having a central point within the garden (ie, a small purpose built electrical shed sort of thing) that I can have one cable laid to and then run any additions from this in the future?

Or what is the best approach for something like this, all suggestions appreciated.

Cheers
Pete

 

[sparkyspike]

Why not have a fuse box in the workshop with enough capacity to feed garden lighting etc? Or you can plan further ahead and run ducting from the workshop, or from the CU in the house, to where you might want power; just leave a draw line in the ducting and seal the ends.

 

[Steve]

How far would the cable run be from the consumer unit in the house, to the main shed?

 

[Pete6512]

Hi Steve, its about 35 meters

 

[ban-all-sheds]

My point is, once the workshop has been finished there is no way I will be able to use the supply that goes to it for anything else

Why not?

 

[Pete6512]

The workshop stands on a concrete base through which I have made provisions for a cable to enter from under ground and when it has been put in I intend to fill the hole with concrete and finish the floor inside.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So for a future cable exiting the workshop why couldn't you go through the wall?

Or down through the floor, and dig out under the slab to get to it?

 

[plugwash]

Or just lay a duct in the concrete so you can pull extra cables in later.

 

[Steve]

Or not fill that hole with concrete?

 

[Pete6512]

Thanks for all the replies, and I must admit, all have made me think a little harder to the extent that I am now closer to a solution but, and there is always a but, here are some photos to let you know what I am up against.

This is some drainpipe i put in to allow for cable entry

how would you do it?????

 

[rssteve]

i'd use a drill, sds i would put a 10mm hole through at an angle, then my 16/20mm then the 25. Or if the hole needed to be bigger id use a core drill. I don;t really see what the problem is here?

 

[rssteve]

have just had another look. I'm not sure what size cable your using, but if its 35m and you want to run a few buildings i guess its going to be atleast 10mm2, you will have lots of run trying to pull it through that drain pipe. you should have run in some ducting with a smooth curve or even put the drain at a 45' angle.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yo - my first thought as soon as I saw the first photo was "good luck trying to pull 10mm² SWA round that 90° elbow...."