Using Extension Cable for Workshop light?

[Foresty Forest]

Am I allowed to run an extension cable out to a shed, to run a light? Just to be clear: one that plugs into a socket, unwinds and the light just plugs into it?

 

[ericmark]

Yes Part P even in Wales only applies to fixed items, so an extension lead in kitchen, outdoor, or other special location is not covered unless you fix it, so if you nail in a few cable cleats then it comes under Part P. Also pre-assembled stuff is OK, Blagdon did a range of pre-assembled stuff mainly for garden ponds simply to get around the Part P law. In England most of the Part P was removed, but in Wales the English law was written before we had a Welsh government but the removal was after so never got removed.

But it would seem what you are talking about is the same as parking a caravan in your drive and plugging it in, so as long as the lead is good quality and inspected at regular intervals like a caravan supply lead is each time a caravan moves site, then no problem. Assuming of course it is RCD protected.

 

[Foresty Forest]

Ok thanks. That makes sense. So If I run a light and a small power unit form the extension cable at the same time, that's ok?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yes if the load is small enough for the extension cable. Note that you must fully unwind the cable if it is on a reel, or it will overheat.
and, of course, as this is a temporary arrangement, when you have finished at the end of the day, rewind the cable and put it away.

 

[JohnW2]

In England most of the Part P was removed ...

Even in England, everything that was in Part P on the day it was born in still there. Mind you, that 'everything' is (and always has been) only one sentence, so they would have been hard-pressed to 'remove' much!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

Even in England, everything that was in Part P on the day it was born in still there. Mind you, that 'everything' is (and always has been) only one sentence, so they would have been hard-pressed to 'remove' much!

Kind Regards, John

OK I should have said most of the registering of work to the local authority building control has been remove, the requirement for work to be done safely is still there, in the main one needs to follow the requirements of BS7671 to comply, although you could follow a similar set of regulations, although I am not sure now we have left the EU what regulations we could follow? There has been raised the fact that many of the regulations are not enforceable in Wales as they have not been written in Welsh, however I would not want to be a test case, however the fact is when I tried to get replacement certificates the LABC were unable to produce them, so much for traceable records.

 

[Foresty Forest]

OK I should have said most of the registering of work to the local authority building control has been remove, the requirement for work to be done safely is still there, in the main one needs to follow the requirements of BS7671 to comply, although you could follow a similar set of regulations, although I am not sure now we have left the EU what regulations we could follow? There has been raised the fact that many of the regulations are not enforceable in Wales as they have not been written in Welsh, however I would not want to be a test case, however the fact is when I tried to get replacement certificates the LABC were unable to produce them, so much for traceable records.

Does this mean I can get a professional electrician to wire my shed up properly, without having to notify the council?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Depends on where you live

in England notification us only required for new circuits, consumer units and work done in certain locations (bathrooms eg).
One of those certain locations used to be electrical work outside. But (stupidly IMO) this was removed a few years ago.

so, what you need doing must comply with BS7671, and certified as being compliant. It must meet the requirements of Part P (ie it is safe). But you don’t need to tell the council in England about it.

 

[Foresty Forest]

Depends on where you live

in England notification us only required for new circuits, consumer units and work done in certain locations (bathrooms eg).
One of those certain locations used to be electrical work outside. But (stupidly IMO) this was removed a few years ago.

so, what you need doing must comply with BS7671, and certified as being compliant. It must meet the requirements of Part P (ie it is safe). But you don’t need to tell the council in England about it.

Thanks,

I thought there was a £5000 fine for just starting work wiring a shed, before even connecting to the mains. That's why I was asking about the extension cable - which in my opinion still is a pretty dangerous way of getting electric to a shed.

 

[ericmark]

I live in Wales, and even in Wales I do not know of a single case where some one has been fined for simply not notifying the LABC, for sub standard work, for claiming to be a scheme member when not, yes people have been fined, and clearly if your daft enough to tell the LABC I have done non emergency work without notifying first then you may have to pay extra to have the work registered, you have always been permitted to do emergency work and notify after, as to what is considered emergency work I don't know?

In Wales the welsh assembly set the fees as £100 plus vat for first £2000 worth of work, in England each council could set their own fees, the problem is most electrical work is well under £2000 so other than a full rewire, the council charges means it is not economically viable to do DIY work and notify, and the LABC can appoint an electrician to inspect and test, so you also have his fees, so to DIY costs more than to get a scheme member electrician to do any notifiable work, net result is people simply don't notify, and it is not helped by the paperwork issued, mothers house because she had carers visiting and I had to consider any claim if they injured themselves, I did everything by the book, so I had three sets of certificates, when I gathered them together to sell the house, I realised they did not really say what they covered, reading the two compliance and the completion certificate it did not even give a reference number to the installation certificate which it related to.

To be frank with 14 RCBO's in my consumer unit I am quite happy having two extension leads going down the garden with the plugs and sockets placed under the car bonnet so not exposed to direct rain, if it trips, it will only knock out power to part of flat under the house, so no real problem, lead comes out of house through the cat flap, and since the lock down the battery charger has been doing the rounds battery to battery to keep them all topped up, except for the Jaguar which the engine management controls battery charging and told should not put a charger on it except for emergency.

With the caravan we had used 16A leads to supply it for a month without looking at it, and my son had his narrow boat on shore supply for a year without moving the boat, it is really down to some common sense, if it is likely to get over grown and so hit with a spade or lawn mower then there is a danger, I have steel wire armour feeding shed in last house, but still plugged in, as that house only had two RCD's and wanted to be able to isolate should it get wet.

 

[AndyPRK]

Don’t think anyone has been fined yet

 

[Taylortwocities]

Don’t think anyone has been fined yet

Is there electricity in Wales then? Maybe that’s why nobody has been prosecuted.

 

[JohnW2]

Does this mean I can get a professional electrician to wire my shed up properly, without having to notify the council?

One thing that doesn't seem to have been mentioned is that if (in either England or Wales) electrical work is undertaken by a 'professional electrician' who is a member of one of the so-called "self-certification" Schemes (which really should be called "self-notification" schemes), the cost of any notification that is required (and, as said, that covers a lot more work in Wales than in England) is trivial - just a few quid, in comparison with the potentially 'hundreds' if someone who is not a member of such a scheme does the notifying.

Kind Regards, John