I want to operate two 13A appliances in the garden, semi-permanently.
I could just run two extension cables from my garage (15m length), plug them in to the 30A ring mains, and (I believe!) that would be perfectly acceptable. The ends of the extension cables will be in a weather-sealed housing, and the garage circuit is protected by a 30mA RCD. (It would need two cables of course, because whilst a single extension cable might have two sockets on the end, it would only be rated at 13A total current - I need 26A.)
I'm thinking of 'improving' this arrangement as follows:
1. Run the two extension cables (orange flex) from a double socket in the garage as above, but at the appliance end, wire them up together in a twin, weather-sealed socket.
2. Sheath the cables in plastic conduit where they run from the garage to the outdoor socket (above ground).
Is this perfectly reasonable, or am I now creating a 'radial spur' which really should be installed professionally, connected to the ring via fused spur junction rather than socket+plug, the cables buried 2ft underground etc. etc.? In other words, do my attempts to make the setup a semi-permanent 'improvement' on a couple of extension cables actual 'raise the bar' on how it should be installed?
I *think* that, because at the end of the day I'm still just plugging in to a (twin) 13A consumer socket with fused plugs, it's perfectly ok, is that right?
A second question.. would it be permissible to only use (suitably rated) 2 core cables, and use a 1.2m copper rod in the ground to provide earth at the extension socket?
I could just run two extension cables from my garage (15m length), plug them in to the 30A ring mains, and (I believe!) that would be perfectly acceptable. The ends of the extension cables will be in a weather-sealed housing, and the garage circuit is protected by a 30mA RCD. (It would need two cables of course, because whilst a single extension cable might have two sockets on the end, it would only be rated at 13A total current - I need 26A.)
I'm thinking of 'improving' this arrangement as follows:
1. Run the two extension cables (orange flex) from a double socket in the garage as above, but at the appliance end, wire them up together in a twin, weather-sealed socket.
2. Sheath the cables in plastic conduit where they run from the garage to the outdoor socket (above ground).
Is this perfectly reasonable, or am I now creating a 'radial spur' which really should be installed professionally, connected to the ring via fused spur junction rather than socket+plug, the cables buried 2ft underground etc. etc.? In other words, do my attempts to make the setup a semi-permanent 'improvement' on a couple of extension cables actual 'raise the bar' on how it should be installed?
I *think* that, because at the end of the day I'm still just plugging in to a (twin) 13A consumer socket with fused plugs, it's perfectly ok, is that right?
A second question.. would it be permissible to only use (suitably rated) 2 core cables, and use a 1.2m copper rod in the ground to provide earth at the extension socket?
