outdoor power supply

[dr_technical]

I want to install a power supply to my garden for a pond pump and lighting. If I use 4 core SWA cable to a junction box, I can have the switch inside the house. The problem then is to split the supplies for the pump and the lights. Is it feasible to to have two more local switches from the JB to the pump lights so that I don't always have to have both on? Any ideas how I can do this. Do I just wire the lights in series from a single switch?

 

[Graeme]

Hi a look here might help //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2679 I just used an external double socket (placed in a cabinet due to the sockets not being weatherproof with plugs permanently in) with a plug timer set to initiate the lights from 2100-0100.

 

[breezer]

save money, use a two core cable since with a swa cable the armour is the earth

 

[dr_technical]

Graeme,
Thanks, I never thought of using a timer. Not being into these things (i.e it was a "I think we'll have a pond, pump, lights etc etc" conversation), does the pump have to be on all the time? It will be quite a large pond with fish that "we" want!

Breezer,
I intended to use 4 core SWA so I could use the other 2 cables as the switch wires and have the switch in the house rather than having to go out all the time. If the pump is on 24/7 as Graeme has suggested, then I could switch just the lights internally as required rather than use a timer. Does this sound feasible? - it seems to work on paper.

 

[Graeme]

Yes the pump needs to be on 24/7 to help oxygenate/circulate the water. Of course you''ll need oxygenating plants as well.

Good luck.

 

[breezer]

the pump only needs to be on 24/7 when there are fish present you may want to see this for more information.

as for the cable you can do as you suggest, but i would have thought that a two core cable and timer would be cheaper than a 4 core cable

 

[dr_technical]

Thanks for the help and advice guys.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I will add that most pumps of mains voltage also have an earth wire even though fully insulated, just in case. We have three pumps and a U.V., all different manufacturers, all three core. So you need three core as a starter anyway. Only thing thats two core is the l.v. lighting which is a seperate matter anyway.

Oh and if you have koi, forget the oxygenating plants, to them its food. Believe me they'll go quicker than you can buy them !!!!

 

[breezer]

sorry to say this scoby_beasly but a 2 core swa is fine swa is steel wire armoured cable and in order to use it you have to have cable glands, the glands are then connected to a metal box at each end (if not the consumers unit) the wire armour is used as the earth wire

If you do not use metal boxes you have to use an earth tag, but anyone using swa would know that.

sorry again

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I stand corrected breezer I should of remembered what the gland are for !!!!
I just used three core in a load of old conduit I "borrowed" from work before anyone stole it !!!

 

[breezer]

keeping it safe then! tell you what, why don't you "test it" to see if it is suitable, you could "test it" at your house

dont want to rub salt in, the same also applies to metal conduit ( but that means you would need to "borrow" a 20mm di and holder as well, not to mention the pipe vice / bender) hope for your sake it was plastic conduit.

Plastic conduit when used outside is inclined to bend, (gets warm and expands) so use a lot of saddles to support it

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

No breezer all steel, as I think I've mentioned before me old mans a retired plumber but still got all the kit, conduit bent nicely into j/b's, earthed and threaded, I'm a lucky bugger,

 

[breezer]

just hope no one wants it back, but you could always say you are evaluating it

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I'm evaluating how long steel (galvanised) survives in a heavy clay soil !!

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Still going well