rewiring a garage for conversion to utility and play rooms

[ianmcm]

Just got round to looking at the electrics in my garage.
I understand that any one reading this will be giving me advice from what I describe here. I am not a electrician and really wish to know were and what my problems are before I get an electrician to take all my money to fix the problems

1. My garage (9ftx16ft) is about 7' away from the house it has an electric cable coming in from the upstairs of the house which after pulling fuses from the mains fuse box, seems to be the upstairs light ring. This supply is then running a fluorescent light and a socket and an oil boiler. I KNOW, My brain is saying Danger!!!!!!!!
So my questions
What would an electrician do?
I would like to have a supply for
1/ the boiler, on it says`230v-50hz/0.1156kw is the demand of electric it needs?
2/ a washing machine `a` rated
3/ tumble drier
4/ small freezer
5/ TV/ radio
6/ game console
And a outside socket for gardening tools
(Not all running at same time, but im trying to give the idea of demand)
And 3 fluorescent lights
The closest ring would be the kitchen
Then the living room
The mains circuit board has a 240 v 20 amps spare?
Could this be used to run an armoured cable to for just the socket demand or both.
Could I still use the danger wiring for the lighting?
Would I be able to run the cables myself and get an electrician to connect and test the wiring?

Is this a major job ? Would any one like to help me out? In advising me what to do and how to do it. I think it would be a good thing to learn with some help

Thank you

 

[oharaf]

Now then how is beautiful Belfast today? Where are you?

IMO, I would look to install a 'garage' CU so that you could supply a ring fianl / radial and your lighting requirements.

Look to change the 20A MCB for a 40A and the use of SWa would be ideal but would require some diggin.

Get a local sparky round (reccommended etc) explain what you want and he will advise, look for TRUST mark and registered competent person.

Cannot see many sparks certifying your work.

Would offer to call in but not over until the summer!!

Best of Luck

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I would do this:

1) Split the meter tails with a Henley block, and run a 2nd set to a switchfuse.

2) From the switchfuse take armoured cable underground to the garage and into a small CU.

3) Use an RCBO or an MCB on the RCD side if it's split-load, for the W/M, T/D, sockets etc.

4) Have a non-RCD circuit for the freezer and boiler, and a non-RCD one for the lights. You could be ultra cautious and have the fridge on an FCU rather than a socket, but IMO a socket behind the freezer, with a non-standard earth pin could not reasonably be expected to be used to supply portable equipment for use outdoors....

BTW - W/M implies extraneous-conductive-parts, possibly, which could affect how you do earthing and bonding if you have a PME supply. See this.

Would I be able to run the cables myself and get an electrician to connect and test the wiring?

ONLY if you first find the electrician, and agree that he is happy for you to do that and if you do it exactly how he says.

You can certainly dig the trench yourself...

 

[ianmcm]

(i was informed that my fuse box spare would not do and that i would need to have an additional unit to carry the load)
installing 6mm T&E cable (40Amp) supply from meterboard protected by a 40Amp MCB sw fuse and connections to mains Across bedroom floors and to outside of building, span across to garage on cable tray and in garage fit 6way 30ma RCD protected fuse board complete with breakers.

In garage area install 2 x ceiling rose drops and switch, 3 x twin sockets in playroom area.

In utility room area install 1 x light and switch, 1 x supply point for boiler, 1 x twin socket and 2 x single sockets each wired as separate circuits to fuse board
would cost approx £850 !! is this right ?

 

[Click-Sure]

£850 sounds reasonable considering the amount of work that is actually involved there.

oharaf:

I somewhat dispute your reference to the TRUST Mark scheme, as only electrical contractors / domestic installers that are registered with NICEIC, Napit and ECA can actually be acreddited to TRUST mark. Qaulified, competant ELECSA sparks are left out in the cold here!

 

[daytona]

get him to use catenary wire instead of cable tray.it will look much neater

 

[ianmcm]

May be britian is different than northern ireland as we do not use part p , we can still buy electrical sockets cables etc so £850 to me is a little expensive so after several men visiting the site and doing the usual hymmn and haaing
i got a genuine certified electrician to do the job for £540 all in