Outside plug - How easy would it be to wire it into a plug socket rather than to a 3 pin plug?

[reoreborn85]

hi.

A few years ago with the help of you lovely people I saved £300 and did my own outside plug. It's been a GOD send.

I used one of these or one like that. I wired it in myself to a 3 pin plug, sealing it etc and it's worked fine!

However, now i want to add one to the back garden. I was wondering would it be possible to just wire it directly into the plug socket rather than to a 3 pin, taking up a socket? After watching a few youtube videos they say you simply add the ends of the wire to the terminals... Is this true?

The plug it's working into isn't on a spur. Things we will plugging into the outside plug will be a small water feature, a strimmer or fairy lights etc.

ty for any help you can give

 

[ericmark]

It depends if a ring final or radial, or a spur off a ring final or radial, it is not simply just connect up.

The plug has a fuse in it, and we are only allowed a single or double socket on a spur, a double socket is rated 20 amps, not 26 amps, and the whole system is designed to limit the power to a safe level, there is also what happens if water does get in.

I have three outside sockets, two from a dedicated RCBO which are fed direct, and one from a wall socket on the front ring final, which is plugged in, so should I get a fault, which I did, I can simply unplug it.

 

[reoreborn85]

It depends if a ring final or radial, or a spur off a ring final or radial, it is not simply just connect up.

The plug has a fuse in it, and we are only allowed a single or double socket on a spur, a double socket is rated 20 amps, not 26 amps, and the whole system is designed to limit the power to a safe level, there is also what happens if water does get in.

I have three outside sockets, two from a dedicated RCBO which are fed direct, and one from a wall socket on the front ring final, which is plugged in, so should I get a fault, which I did, I can simply unplug it.

ty! it's not a spur but not sure what a ring final or radial is sadly so I can't be sure about that one. I'll just do it through a plug then lol ty.

 

[ericmark]

 

[pete01]

ty! it's not a spur but not sure what a ring final or radial is sadly so I can't be sure about that one. I'll just do it through a plug then lol ty.

What size mcb/rcbo is the circuit on?

 

[jj4091]

So unless I am mistaken you have an external socket plugged into an indoor socket. So effectively an extension lead proteced by a 13 A fuse in the plug. As long as the inside socket you have it plugged into is protected by an RCD OR RCBO then you can do what you are suggesting,
ie. another extension lead. But if you have a heavy load connected to the other sockets you risk blowing the fuse in the indoor plug.