Pond Pump Connection

[Ziggy]

Hi

I'm thinking about installing a pond in the corner of the back garden approximately 8ft from the back of the house but I'm concerned about connecting the pump to the mains supply.

The plan I have in mind is to enclose the pump cable (as it leaves the pond) in some plastic overflow pipe which will be above ground and supported on bricks, then as the cable reaches the house to drill a hole in the wall so the cable plug can be connected to the mains supply via a normal socket fitted with a RCU.

The setup may appear to be messy but I intend to paint the plastic pipe and most of it will be hidden by plants anyway also it will not interfere with access to anything.

So is my idea OK.

PS Many thanks in advance.

 

[Steve]

"concerned about connecting it to mains"

Why? Its what its designed for.

You should not run flex outdoors for a great distance. You should run armoured cable, from a fused spur, 18 inches deep, to a weatherproof socket (which can be sealed shut with a plug inserted) close to the pond, fixed to something permenant, this can be a wooden stake driven firmly into the ground.

This is a job for an electrician as it needs to be notified to the local building control, which may cost YOU more than it would cost to pay an electrician, who doesnt pay quarter as much as you to notify.

Putting flex inside hidden plastic conduit/pipe is not adequate, it is at risk of you or the missus putting a shovel through it. 18 inches deep and armoured is much, much safer.

 

[Ziggy]

"concerned about connecting it to mains"

Why? Its what its designed for.

My concern was about doing it safely.

Putting flex inside hidden plastic conduit/pipe is not adequate, it is at risk of you or the missus putting a shovel through it. 18 inches deep and armoured is much, much safer.

But it will be in the corner out of the way, no need to access that area

Thanks for your reply

 

[Steve]

I was merely telling you how to do it safely. It is up to you whether you want to do this. You're not breaking any laws by not doing it safely, and as you say, its out of the way, but remember this, electricity has no prejudices, if it goes wrong it will kill ANYONE. This includes, you, your wife, the kids, grandkids, the dog. When it goes wrong outdoors, its normally with worse consequences due to the wet ground on which you will be stood.

 

[Ziggy]

I was merely telling you how to do it safely.

I appreciate that and I do respect dangers associated with electricity, hence the post in the first place mentioning "concerned about connecting it to mains".

From the info you've now given me (which I respect too) maybe I will think again although it's just that's the cable will be in a discreet place and visible.

 

[Steve]

There are probably much worse pond lashups out there (Even my local pond and aquatic centre has some "creative" lashups)

 

[Ziggy]

There are probably much worse pond lashups out there

That's true

Thanks for your input Steve

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You're not breaking any laws by not doing it safely.

Actually, in England and Wales you are.

But the OP's proposal wasn't necessarily unsafe, but it was rather nasty - holes through the wall and plugs inside.

Ziggy - it would be much more elegant to have a socket outside (I recommend MK Masterseal) with the pump plugged into that, or a switched FCU outside with the pump cable wired in. If the outside wall of the house is a sensible place for it given where the pump will be then you could put it there, or you could put it somewhere else in the garden where it might also be handy for plugging in garden machinery.

The advantage of putting it on the house wall is that it could be fully on the socket circuit and not a spur.

If the socket circuit isn't RCD protected then you must change that, or use an RCD socket or FCU.

Where I am concerned about safety is with the flex running inside plastic pipe, particularly if camouflaged and hidden by plants. It would be all to easy for someone in the future to accidentally cut into it. You say "it will be in the corner out of the way, no need to access that area" but a future occupant might decide to have at those plants with a machete.

It is so easy to do it properly that it's arguably unreasonable not to, which would make it illegal in E&W.

And if you are in E&W, then no matter how you install this, it is, as Steve said, notifiable. Plugging it in does not make it not so.

 

[Ziggy]

Ziggy - it would be much more elegant to have a socket outside (I recommend MK Masterseal) with the pump plugged into that, or a switched FCU outside with the pump cable wired in.

Presumably this will need an electrician, the cost involved would probably outweigh the need to have a pond.

Thanks for your advice

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Presumably this will need an electrician

In E&W that would probably be the cheapest way to do it lawfully.

 

[Ziggy]

As an after thought could I get around my electrical dilemma by using a low voltage pond pump.

 

[Ziggy]

I've managed to find a few low voltage Hozelock water pumps so that part has now been sorted but can anyone advise me if pond filters are mains powered or not?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Shame Breezer has left us - he could have told you a thing or two about ELV pumps (the one you were originally considering was low-voltage BTW. //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands).

Unmitigated sh*te was his summary, IIRC...

 

[Ziggy]

It was this one in particular Hozelock Cascade 1500 LV

http://www.hozelock.com/aquatics/pumps/fountain-and-waterfall-pumps/cascade-1500-lv.html

Any idea about the pond filter, mains or not?

 

[Steve]

You might have trouble finding an ELV UV filter. I know they make 12 volt fluorescent lamps (same principle), but not sure if you'll find a 12 volt UV filter (though you could retrofit 12 volt control gear and tube to a mains unit)