SWA Drive

[karlitob1983]

Hi all,

Question: Can swa be laid so that the end point in the run is a garden light?

Background: I'm getting the patio/drive excavated in the next few weeks. I'm will be laying swa and cat6a in a trench for the planned garden room. No problem there - have previously been advised. However, I would like to have some lights in the garden. I won't be connecting anything up to anything - I'll get an electrician to do all the connecting, testing etc etc whenever I get any money together to buy garden lights - but I want to plan it now as whatever goes down won't be coming up.

As you can see in the picture, the idea is to bring swa from the closet which houses the consumer unit and bring it around the garden along the border where I'll have hedges/flowers etc. A few sections will be buried - under the drive entrance etc.

I suppose my question is - I don't have a circuit or loop. There'll be one end attached to the consumer unit. Am I correct in saying that it's ok that the other end is attached to a garden light?

Hope that makes sense what I'm asking. Is it ok to lay it like this or will there be problems down the line.

Planning on laying 3x1.5mm - the run is about 30m.

Many thanks.

 

[JohnW2]

I suppose my question is - I don't have a circuit or loop. There'll be one end attached to the consumer unit. Am I correct in saying that it's ok that the other end is attached to a garden light?

You are correct, but ...

... I won't be connecting anything up to anything - I'll get an electrician to do all the connecting, testing etc etc whenever I get any money together to buy garden lights - but I want to plan it now as whatever goes down won't be coming up.

You need to involve an electrician at this stage since he/she might not be prepared to 'connect and test' something that they have not been involved in the 'design' or installation of (particularly if it is buried under a patio and "won't be coming up"!)..

Kind Regards, John

 

[karlitob1983]

You are correct, but ...
You need to involve an electrician at this stage since he/she might not be prepared to 'connect and test' something that they have not been involved in the 'design' or installation of (particularly if it is buried under a patio and "won't be coming up"!)..

Kind Regards, John

Thanks John
Thats really helpful information.

I had an electrician quote for a different swa out the back garden for a future garden room. He was planning to bring one loose end into the cupboard where the consumer unit is - but not connect it…leave it loose; and the other end loose at the end of the garden. €1250 inc VAT here in Ireland. I bought 70m of 16mm swa for €550 inc VAT. I wasn’t inclined to spend €700 to bore a hole. I was doing all the trenching and all the laying. Things are a bit crazy at the moment.

 

[karlitob1983]

Could I ask one more question, if you wouldn’t mind me leaning on your expertise again.

Obviously the swa would need to be cut to wire in a garden light. I presume - because of the thickness of the swa - that wiring in both ends to a garden light is difficult.

So am I correct in saying that you need to wire both ends into an exterior grade terminal box - and then a third wire from the terminal box - into the garden light.

Stupid question I know - but just wanted to check with someone knowledgeable.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Yeah that's the usual way- SWA is stiff and awkward to terminate, the glands work best on a flat surface. You may also need some fusing in that box (16mm SWA straight into a skinny bit of flex would be foolish).
Since you're in Eire this is all academic- far as I am aware you need an REC to do the work

 

[karlitob1983]

Yeah that's the usual way- SWA is stiff and awkward to terminate, the glands work best on a flat surface. You may also need some fusing in that box (16mm SWA straight into a skinny bit of flex would be foolish).
Since you're in Eire this is all academic- far as I am aware you need an REC to do the work

Thanks for that. Yes RECI will do the work whenever I get the money to finish it off. The swa out the front will be on a separate cable 1.5mm is what I’m going for. The 16mm is for the garden room out the back.

 

[karlitob1983]

Just to check. Do you need an electrician to install a garden light outdoors? I’ll be getting the sparks to connect the the swa to the consumer unit - no doubt about that. But I wouldn’t have thought that garden lights would need a sparks?

 

[conny]

A spark is needed to do the lights as it is a new circuit, also so he knows it is done correctly and he is able to sign it off.
Personally I think the best thing you can do is to dig a trench all the way around and lay some ducting in it. Don't just put it in ducting under the drive, by putting it the whole distance of the run you are 'future proofing' in case you want to draw more cables in at a later date. As you are laying the ducting feed a length of strong nylon cord through to act as a drawstring for the cable. Keep bends to gentle curves if possible rather than sharp turns and once the drawstring is in temporarily seal the ends of the pipe/ducting to prevent debris/water ingress. When the electrician draws the correct sized cable in he should also draw a new drawstring in with it.
Speak to your electrician about what to use at the points the lights will be situated.

 

[karlitob1983]

A spark is needed to do the lights as it is a new circuit, also so he knows it is done correctly and he is able to sign it off.
Personally I think the best thing you can do is to dig a trench all the way around and lay some ducting in it. Don't just put it in ducting under the drive, by putting it the whole distance of the run you are 'future proofing' in case you want to draw more cables in at a later date. As you are laying the ducting feed a length of strong nylon cord through to act as a drawstring for the cable. Keep bends to gentle curves if possible rather than sharp turns and once the drawstring is in temporarily seal the ends of the pipe/ducting to prevent debris/water ingress. When the electrician draws the correct sized cable in he should also draw a new drawstring in with it.
Speak to your electrician about what to use at the points the lights will be situated.

That’s very sensible advice. And I think the best option for me. Thank you.

 

[securespark]

Don't skimp on the cable. Larger sizes are pennies extra per metre.

Instead of 1.5, consider bigger. You may need it in the future.

 

[karlitob1983]

Don't skimp on the cable. Larger sizes are pennies extra per metre.

Instead of 1.5, consider bigger. You may need it in the future.

Good suggestion. I hadn't planned to - I had just read that too bog can be as much of a problem.

Any general rule of thumb for what I'm laying. They'll be standard garden lights - Id imagine LED. Don't know what they'll be yet.

3 x 10mm? 3 x 2.5mm? 3 x 4mm?

 

[winston1]

I doubt you’ll be running a mig welder at the front! 1.5mm is more than adequate for a few LEDs. Even a 13a socket could be added to vacuum out the car.

 

[Simon35]

Thanks John
Thats really helpful information.

I had an electrician quote for a different swa out the back garden for a future garden room. He was planning to bring one loose end into the cupboard where the consumer unit is - but not connect it…leave it loose; and the other end loose at the end of the garden. €1250 inc VAT here in Ireland. I bought 70m of 16mm swa for €550 inc VAT. I wasn’t inclined to spend €700 to bore a hole. I was doing all the trenching and all the laying. Things are a bit crazy at the moment.

700 euros to bury 70m of cable doesn't seem expensive to me TBH.

 

[sxturbo]

700 euros to bury 70m of cable doesn't seem expensive to me TBH.

Op already said he was going to do the digging and filling himself.

 

[sxturbo]

Good suggestion. I hadn't planned to - I had just read that too bog can be as much of a problem.

Any general rule of thumb for what I'm laying. They'll be standard garden lights - Id imagine LED. Don't know what they'll be yet.

3 x 10mm? 3 x 2.5mm? 3 x 4mm?

Go for 2.5mm, most garden lights are low voltage and have a transformer with a 3 pin plug, but it all depends on what type of lights you are installing.