power to garage

[mattp_uk]

I know there have been similar questions posted here before, and they have answered most of my questions. I just want to confirm I have understood the advice correctly and not missed anything.

I am planning on supplying power to my garage to fit 3-4 sockets and 2-3 lights. I am looking at buying a garage consumer unit with 2 mcbs one for lighting and one for the sockets. I have some armored cable to run from the house to the garage. The consumer unit in the house does not have any spare circuits and no rcd, so I am planning to run a spur from an existing socket to the garage where the garage consumer unit will be installed and from there wire the socket and lighting circuits.

I have seen mention on some threads about fitting an rcd to run the spur from ? is this necessary if I am using a garage consumer unit ?

Also should the power and lighting circuits in the garage be wired as a ring

Have I missed anything ?

 

[breezer]

you still will not have rcd protection by using a second consumers unit.

the lights are not run in a ring,

It depends on what load you will be having in the garge (you will be limited by the fuse in the spur), personally i would suggest you have the main consumers unit changed.

 

[il78]

as breezer said any socket outlet that is likely to be used to power equipment outdoors should be protected by a residual current device (this needs to be sorted to comply) you could always fit an RCD fuse spur but this leaves the rest of the downstairs sockets not protected.....your also restricting yourself on what you use in your garage (as breezer said).....is there no way of installing a new supply from your distribution board?

 

[mattp_uk]

I am looking to fit this unit in the garage which does have an RCD

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?ts=99584&id=63138

There are no spare fuses/mcbs on the main consumer unit.
Changing the main consumer unit would be an option but
as the garage is at the back of the house and the main consumer unit is at the front I was trying to avoid having a long run of cable outside and the extra expense of having to change the main consumer unit, although it may be the best way in the end.

If I were to change the main consumer unit would I have to run to the garage from the consumer unit or could I run a spur from elsewhere on the ring.
The garage is going to be converted for use as an office so I'm not planning on using high power equipment but of course the possibility is always there

If I were to change the main consumer unit what type of unit would be best ?

 

[evdama]

A 12 way split load rcd protected one woulud be good for most.
You should put your garage supply on the rcd side of the box

 

[il78]

Split-load is the one but it depends on how many circuits you using now to determine the size...count them up and leave a couple of spare ways..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Carefully plan what circuits you'll want, with a couple of spare places. If you take the view that you only want to have RCD protection on the ones that you must, then most if the split-load boards will be OK. If (like me) you want to have everything on RCD except for the few you shouldn't, like lights and fridge/freezer, you may find that the split is in the wrong place in a lot of them.

With some units you can adjust the split between RCD/non.

Also - you get what you pay for - avoid cheap ones - MK, MEM etc get consistent recommendations from the pros.