Outdoor lights from indoor socket questions

[AP77]

Hi,

I am hoping to add 2 outdoor wall lights to light up my patio.

I have a double socket indoors next to the patio door, which is not a spur, so am planning to run a 1 metre length of 2.5mm cable from the back of the socket to a new fused switch on the wall above the socket. Then run some 1mm cable from the back of the fused switch to the 2 outdoor lights.

My questions are:

1) Re. The latest regulations, am I allowed to do this myself?
2) What is the best way to feed the cable from the socket to the fused switch? I have plaster board walls so am thinking that I will need to first make a hole in the plaster board for the new fused switch then drop the 2.5mm cable down to the socket in the wall cavity. If that's correct is it ok if this cable is not to attached to anything, i.e. batons, between the socket and switch?
3) Can I use interior 1mm lighting cable when running cable from the new switch to the lights outside? The lights will be attached to the outside wall about 2m above ground level. Total distance from the switch to the lights will be about 5m.

Many thanks.

 

[EFLImpudence]

1) Yes.
2) That's fine. The cable drop should be vertical (or L shaped so that is is vertical and/or horizontal from socket and switch - hardly possible if just dropping it down). There
3) Don't use twin and earth if exposed outside (doesn't look good any way) use round flex suitable for outside, usually black rubber.

 

[AP77]

That's great, thanks for the quick reply.

Have the regulations changed in recent years? I thought a few years ago regulations were introduced to stop DIYers doing things like this although I never fully understood exactly was allowed.

Appreciate your help.

 

[JohnW2]

Have the regulations changed in recent years? I thought a few years ago regulations were introduced to stop DIYers doing things like this although I never fully understood exactly was allowed.

It's always been possible for DIYers to do anything (if they are competent so to do), but some jobs have to be 'notified' to the local authority and since the 'notification fee' can sometimes be very much 'into three figures', it is often not cost-effective to DIY such jobs.

When the system was first introduced (in 2005), quite a lot of things were 'notifiable'. However, that was considerably relaxed (in England, but not in Wales) in 2013, such that very few things are now notifiable. Provide you are in England (rather than Wales), what you are talking about is definitely not notifiable now.

Kind Regards, John

 

[AP77]

Excellent, thanks for the clarification.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I see a bit of my post has disappeared. I did write -

There may be noggins in the way of your cable drop.

 

[AP77]

Thanks for the point about the noggins.

I have just been tapping the wall and I think there may be a couple of horizontal noggins in the way.

Any thoughts on the best way to handle these? I guess I may need to cut out a vertical piece of plasterboard for the full length between the socket and new switch so I can feed the cable through the noggins.

Thanks.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I guess I may need to cut out a vertical piece of plasterboard for the full length between the socket and new switch so I can feed the cable through the noggins.

Yes, a notch will do.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

3) Don't use twin and earth if exposed outside (doesn't look good any way) use round flex suitable for outside, usually black rubber.

Better still, have no cable visible outside, of any type.