Out building

[Jimbo74]

Hi,
We have recently moved to a farm house and we want to run power to the out buildings. There is already power in 1 or 2 of them, however I looking to put power in the other building as well. The old fuse board needs replacing. I'm also planning on renting out 1 of the buildings and need to put a meter in there so I can charge them the correct amount.
Am I able to use 16mm swa, then go into a 125amp switch, split the cables, 1 for the rented building, the other of my use, and put both into boards. The 1 for my use will be a 80amp 4 way board with 1 mcb 6amp for lights (1.5mm cable), 1 mcb 16amp (2.5mm cable) for sockets on a ring in the building near the board. The other 2 spaces in the board can I use a 16amp(2.5mm cable) for lights (strip lights and pir security lights) and would it be a 32amp(4mm cable) mcb for power as these building are further away. In the building I'm going to be renting, I am planning on using a 40amp 2 way fuse board as this is close to the fuse board, 1 x 6amp (1.5mm cable) for the lights and the other a 16 amp (2.5mm) for the power which will be on a ring.
Can someone please tell me if I'm correct with what I'm planning on doing.
If you need any more information, then please just ask.
Many thanks.
Jimbo

 

[ban-all-sheds]

• Are you aware that this work is notifiable?
  
  
• For a circuit to supply a given load, how would you go about deciding what cable and protective device to use?
  
  
• Do you know which circuits can be ring finals and which cannot, and what the advantages and disadvantages of each are?
  
  
• Do you know what the two main lighting circuit topologies are, and what the advantages and disadvantages of each are?
  
  
• How do you calculate maximum demand and how can diversity be used?
  
  
• What are the 3 different types of domestic single-phase supplies provided in this country, how would you recognise them, and what differences do each make to the requirements for the rest of the installation, particularly any outdoor supplies?
  
  
• Can you correctly identify all components and connections of a circuit by method of testing or otherwise? In doing so can you identify or recognise anything wrong or dangerous with the circuit?
  
  
• Do you understand how the way in which you install cables affects how much current they can carry?
  
  
• What are the rules concerning cables concealed in walls, partitions and under floors?
  
  
• What are the rules for cables run outdoors, buried in the ground or overhead?
  
  
• Where cables need to be joined, how should this be done / not be done and in what circumstances are different methods acceptable?
  
  
• Can you identify extraneous conductive parts, and do you know the requirements for main and supplementary bonding of them?
  
  
• Which circuits should be RCD protected?
  
  
• How do you propose to isolate your supply so that you can connect up your new CU?
  
  
• Do you know what tests you would carry out on the installations - what sequence you'd do them in and at what point you would energise the installations, and for each test do you know what is being measured, why it is important, how you would carry out the test, and with what equipment, and what sort of results you would expect to get if everything was OK?

The thing is, rewiring a house, installing new CUs, outside supplies, submains etc is not a trivial job, and I can assure you that it involves knowing far more than you think it does.

Asking questions here can be a useful part of a learning process, but they are not a substitute for proper structured studying. The key term there is "learning process" - you cannot learn all the things you need to know just by asking questions here. It isn't structured enough - it won't provide you with a way to progress where each step builds on what you learned before.

You can't carry out a job of this magnitude by asking whatever random questions happen to occur to you. What if you get something wrong because you have no idea your knowledge is wrong? What if you miss something because you simply have no idea it even exists, and just don't realise you don't know it?

• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/1.1.htm[/list]I suggest you get stuck into the last link right away - it won't give you design ideas, and unfortunately it doesn't refer to the current edition of the Wiring Regulations, but it's free, and will still give you a good grounding which you can augment with more up to date publications.
  
  
  But I think you would be mad to do anything other than use an electrician for this.

 

[Jimbo74]

My knowledge is limited, however I know more than the average person. The reason for asking the questions on here is so that what I've been told/read is correct. Once I've installed the wiring, I'm going to have it all tested and signed off by someone who is qualified. I just don't want to install all the wiring just to then have it all ripped out cause its wrong. Many thanks for the links. They will be very useful.
Jimbo

 

[OwainDIYer]

Hi,
We have recently moved to a farm house and we want to run power to the out buildings. There is already power in 1 or 2 of them, however I looking to put power in the other building as well. The old fuse board needs replacing. I'm also planning on renting out 1 of the buildings and need to put a meter in there so I can charge them the correct amount.
Am I able to use 16mm swa,

Probably not. How did you arrive at that cable size? And what type of meter will you be using to comply with the metering requirements for reselling electricity?

What sort of outbuilding is it and are you aware of the requirements for locations where animals may be present?

then go into a 125amp switch,

Probably not. How did you arrive at that cable size?

split the cables, 1 for the rented building, the other of my use, and put both into boards. The 1 for my use will be a 80amp 4 way board with 1 mcb 6amp for lights (1.5mm cable), 1 mcb 16amp (2.5mm cable) for sockets on a ring in the building near the board.

How did you arrive at that MCB and cable size? It isn't a standard circuit.

The other 2 spaces in the board can I use a 16amp(2.5mm cable) for lights (strip lights and pir security lights)

How did you arrive at that MCB and cable size for lighting? It isn't a standard circuit.

and would it be a 32amp(4mm cable) mcb for power as these building are further away.

Would it be? You're designing the circuit, show your calculations

In the building I'm going to be renting, I am planning on using a 40amp 2 way fuse board as this is close to the fuse board, 1 x 6amp (1.5mm cable) for the lights and the other a 16 amp (2.5mm) for the power which will be on a ring.

How did you arrive at that MCB and cable size for a ring? It isn't a standard circuit

Can someone please tell me if I'm correct with what I'm planning on doing.

No, you're very far from correct. Your statements show a complete lack of understanding of even standard circuit designs, and what you require are not standard circuits. They must be designed individually to show compliance with BS7671.

 

[OwainDIYer]

My knowledge is limited, however I know more than the average person. The reason for asking the questions on here is so that what I've been told/read is correct. Once I've installed the wiring, I'm going to have it all tested and signed off by someone who is qualified. I just don't want to install all the wiring just to then have it all ripped out cause its wrong. Many thanks for the links. They will be very useful.
Jimbo

It doesn't work that way.

An electrician cannot sign off someone else's design, installation, or inspection and test.

Your electrician might let you dig and fill in the trenches if you ask him nicely.

 

[riveralt]

Unfortunately, while you are demonstrating a level of knowledge that will be perhaps beyond some diyers, most of what you are proposing is wrong, potentially unlawful and probably dangerous - I don't think you mentioned additional protection for example.

As BAS has highlighted this is notifiable work and this work is well beyond the scope of most diyers and indeed yourself. Doing the work yourself and expecting any legitimate electrician to sign it off under part p will not happen unless that person has been fully involved in the design, installation and testing - it would be illegal for him to do so. If he agrees you can do the bulk of the hard labour but not laying or connecting cables and most certainly not the design.

Your designs make massives assumptions without mentioning critical issues such as voltage drop, RCD protection, the current installation(s), the load on the current installations, the earthing systems.
Your description of the boards used - 80Amp & 40Amp do you know what this means? Are you talking about main switch loads or load for each consumer unit. Have you spoken to your electricity supplier about your plans - they may well insist on running a new supply to the outhouses or upgrading your main supply to two or three phase.

My advice would be to get several quotes from registered electricians but be advised that what you propose will be expensive. Having said that you can reclaim the majority of it from the profits you make on the rental property.

 

[OwainDIYer]

moreover, if the outbuildings are commercial/industrial then the Electricity At Work Regulations will apply.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

We have had some anonymous alerts that this work is not notifiable.

I never knew that alerts were anonymous - I always assumed that you knew who they were from.

 

[chivers67]

We have had some anonymous alerts that this work is not notifiable.

I never knew that alerts were anonymous - I always assumed that you knew who they were from.

I'm just guessing whoever sent it was in the bath on a laptop at the time

 

[Spark123]

If the supply is common to the dwelling then Part P does apply and the work is notifiable to the LABC, the EAWR will also apply.

If the outbuildings were on their own, completely independent to the dwelling's supply from the electricity board (which reading above isn't the case) then Part P wouldn't apply.