Power to my shed

[JamieSkinner]

Hi, I have a typical shed in the garden about 15m away from my house...
At the moment I just get out an extension lead when i'm in there...
But would it work if I put the extension lead in a hose pipe (£15 from B&Q and use some hose pipe fence clips to clip it to the fence.. Then thread the lead through a hole in my house's wall and plug it into a normal 13A socket??

My shed won't have much in it, a light and 2 13A sockets..

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Why don't you get the job done properly?
Hardwire some steel wired armoured cable to you consumer unit and run that to the shed.
Extention leads should be used on portable appliances and not on fixed installations, you also need RCD protection.
What you are proposing to do could be very dangerous
I suggest using an electrician to do this as it will be deemed notifiable work under building controls.

 

[JamieSkinner]

To the consumer unit will require loads of cable, Would it be better to put the cable in a hose pipe and bury it then as apposed to clip to the fence?
And won't it still be classed as a "tempoary fitting" such as an extension lead?

 

[RedHerring2]

Sorry,


it's not funny.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It would always be better to bury the cable underground, but you need to use Steel Wire Armoured cable as this has mechanical protection.
You also need to comply to certain requirements when cable is buried, to prevnet it from damage through ground movement and any digging that may go on. It needs to be in a specially laid trench 600mm deep.

 

[JamieSkinner]

Would I just be able to put a plug on the end of steel armoured cable (thats buried in the ground) and plug into a 13A socket within the house? As I really don't want to touch our consumer unit.. And I should explain I do not require power 24.7 in the shed.. so it will be switched off over night etc

 

[RedHerring2]

After falling off my chair laughing....Perhaps I can add some positive contribution
25metres of 4.0mm SWA (Steel Wire Armoured) cable will cost you about £30 bought on-line.
Lay it yourself and get an electrician to connect it up both ends.

I'm not suggesting that 4.0mm is the correct size, it's just an example.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You would find it near impossible to fit SWA cable on to 13A plug top!
Extension leads should not be used as a permanent solution.
If you want power to you shed, I suggest strongly for own safety to have it done by a competent person. In compliance to Part P and BS7671:2008.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Required Cable Size 4 mm
Voltage Drop 3.91 Volts.
Percentage Drop 1.7%
Current Load 26.0 Amps
Max Cable Load* 32.0 Amps

that's for 15M

 

[RedHerring2]

Just been on an on-line calculator;
4.0mm for 25 meters is OK for about 26 amps/6Kw
6.0mm for 25 meters is OK for about 35amps/8Kw.

The time consuming, hard work part is the digging of the trench and laying of the cable, and making good afterwards.
Contact an electrician, explain what you want and what you are going to do. Make sure they're OK with you laying the cable.

PBD:
Beat me to it!

Edit; I'd better add; for guidance only!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Required Cable Size 4 mm
Voltage Drop 6.52 Volts.
Percentage Drop 2.8%
Current Load 26.0 Amps
Max Cable Load* 32.0 Amps

This is for a 25M run

 

[r896neo]

I have lost count of the number of times i have put a spade straight through the electrical cable in hosepipe to the shed arrangement. Most of them have been buried about 3 inches.

It's not just you that might get killed by your slap dash efforts.

 

[dingbat]

It needs to be in a specially laid trench 600mm deep.

Does it? Reg 522.8.10

 

[electronicsuk]

If you must run in the supply in a more permanent fashion and you really won't get an electrician in, you could run in a length of SWA and then gland it into an adaptable box at the house end. From there, you could then take a flex through the wall and plug into a 13A socket. This is far from professional, but much better than your proposed solution of a flex buried and 'protected' by a length of hosepipe.

If you've never even terminated an SWA cable before, I wouldn't even bother starting this job, as it's likely that you will end up with something even less safe than the extension lead you use now, should you mess up the earthing arrangements.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It needs to be in a specially laid trench 600mm deep.

Does it? Reg 522.8.10

Did not want to confuse JamieSkinner by overloading him/her with too much info, I think they have gone for either a lay down or 15M of hose pipe and some 1.00 singles.