Outbuilding electrical supply.

[NJC92]

Hi all,

I recently moved house where there was a run down garage. We had this removed and had a summer house installed in its place. The original garage had an electrical supply that comes out the main CU in the house. It looks to be 2 core 2.5mm SWA. It comes off a 15A breaker at the main CU.

The distance from the main CU and the summer house is roughly 12-15m. The old garage had multiple sockets along with some lighting.

Would I need to upgrade the cable size if I wanted to run a tv, few sockets, heater and lighting on the new outbuilding?

Would I also need to add a garage CU in the summer house to run my new circuits from?

Thanks

 

[ericmark]

The heater is the only item which could push the load over 13 amp, if the heater is no more than 2 kW you can likely get away with a 13 amp supply or the original 16 amp supply. For lights 16 amp is max, and normally we would want 6 amp, but a switched fused connection unit (FCU) as the light switch will allow lights to be 3 amp fused. So no real need for a consumer unit (CU).

This wiring matters from IET goes further into the requirements the problem arises putting power into a metal building, with wood no real problem.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The heater is the only item which could push the load over 13 amp, if the heater is no more than 2 kW you can likely get away with a 13 amp supply or the original 16 amp supply.

The 16amp, could probably be swapped to a 20amp, to allow a bit more headroom.

 

[ericmark]

The 16amp, could probably be swapped to a 20amp, to allow a bit more headroom.

That would be a good idea, but over 13 amp we are looking at a consumer unit, and the need to register fitting it. In Wales it would be work in a special area (the garden) so would need it anyway, but the requirement was removed in England, I wonder if I fitted an old Wylex fuse box in a garage would it need registering?

One could argue all the circuits were there before in the old location, and it is not a consumer unit. But if anything went wrong could not see a court being impressed, basic 13 amp DIY over 13 amp needs a scheme member.

 

[JohnW2]

That would be a good idea, but over 13 amp we are looking at a consumer unit ...

Why?

20A radials usually have more than one socket, without any intervening "CU". Lighting can be supplied via an FCU(with,in an outhouse, a switched FCU often used as 'the light switch').

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

20A radials usually have more than one socket, without any intervening "CU". Lighting can be supplied via an FCU(with,in an outhouse, a switched FCU often used as 'the light switch').

Or even via a switched 13amp socket, plug and lead - which is how garden hut is lit.