Wiring into attached Garage

[AlwaysPondering]

Hello

My garage is attached to the side of the house. All the wiring from what I can see/work out is 2.5mm T&E.

At the moment there is a double socket in the garage, the wire to which disappears into the house (somewhere under the 1st floor floorboards). There are no sign of any fuses or anything up-wire from this socket. There is then a wire from this socket to a fuse, then from the other side of the fuse it goes into the conservatory light switch, from which it goes to the lights in the conservatory. There is another wire coming from the house, which goes to the light in the garage - and on to two switches (This is connected to the 1st floor lighting ring).

At the moment it seems to work. However as I'm wanting to add more sockets to the garage am thinking that I would sort the above out at the same time. From what I can work out this socket is an unfused spur. Now reading the rules I understand that I am allowed at most a double socket on an unfused spur, is this correct? If this is correct how does then putting the lighting for the conservatory affect it?

Also there is also a wire that comes from a double socket in the conservatory, at the moment this is not connected to anything, as it was connected to the lighting side of the fuse, but I was not happy at the time of having a fused spur (and lighting) from an unfused spur.

In terms of what I want is another 3 double sockets in the garage (in addition to the double socket that is already in there) and a waterproof double socket on the outside wall of the garage and to connect the double socket in the conservatory up. Also a couple of extra lights (these are for use over the workbench - although I could always use desk lamps plugged into the socket)

Now as I understand it I can do one of the followings:

a) make a 4 fused spur's and attach each of the double sockets to one of the fused spurs, I have enough sockets in the house to allow for this (I understand I can do this and not have to inform anyone)
b) Turn the existing double socket into a fused connection unit, then just daisy chain all the double sockets together - knowing that the 13A fuse in the FCU will blow before I overload the circuit beyond (I understand I can do this also and not have to inform anyone)
c) Wire in a new Customer Unit in the garage (like this) and create a new ring for all the double sockets and lighting in the garage (including the double socket in the conservatory). Taking power from the House Consumer Unit (I have a couple of spare spaces). This I would need either to let an electrician do, or notify the local building regs people and get them to check it etc.

Is my understand correct?

At the moment I'm trying to find out my options, which is the preferred way, what each option will cost me (both in terms of money and time) etc etc..

Just a quick question on option c, is it allowed for me to say do 90% of the work (i.e. putting the cables in the right places, wiring in the sockets etc etc) if an electrician came and did the final testing/connection? Or would this be down to the individual electrician himself?

Cheers all

 

[Chri5]

Sort the feed in to the socket in the garage 1st

Does it feed from the 1st floor ring (pull fuse and check).

Then remove a few socket covers on sockets on the 1st floor, you are likely to find one socket with 3 cables, ring in- ring out- and spur feed to garage.

Now if the above is correct after investigation, what are the prospects of getting another cable from the socket on the 1st floor with 3 cables in it, down to the garage?

If you can, then you can re build the 1st ring circuit to take a ring feed in to the gargae and have sockets that have no limitations other than the main 30/32a fuse at the CU.


Lighting can be via fused spur adjacent to any of the sockets you have in the garage.

 

[holmslaw]

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[AlwaysPondering]

Thanks Chri5

I have found that the lighting in the garage is connected to the 1st floor lighting circuit.

In terms of the socket in the garage, I've checked all the sockets on the adjoining wall to the garage and they all have only 2 cables. I'm left wondering if all the connections are indeed made under the floor somewhere.

Assuming for the moment that there is a junction box or some other sort of connection made under the floor, and the existing socket in the garage is a spur from this. Am I allowed to run another cable up to this junction box and extend the ring down into and around the garage, then back up another junction box and around the rest of the ring?


holmslaw - in terms of power in the garage, I'm prob going to end up with the following in the garage that I know of at this time are

-2 battery chargers plunged in for the motorbikes all the time - these I know have 3 amp fuses in the plugs
-freezer
-tumble drier
-pillar drill
-lathe

ok so I will not be used say the pillar drill at the same time as the lathe, but would rather just trip the power to the garage than the power to the whole house, esp as SWMBO is normally in the kitchen baking and I'd get into lots of trouble..

 

[holmslaw]

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[AlwaysPondering]

Thanks holmslaw

Am guessing that whilst I'm at it, prob want to change the CU at the same time (it's in the kitchen and no matter how much I've tried to clean it over the years since I moved in, it is still covered in cooking grease and fat and is just generally horde)

Replace Existing Consumer unit with new one. Currently, this has
-100A Main Switch
-Cooker (20A MCB)
-Fixed Ring (32A MCB)
- Alarm (although no idea where this goes as don't have an alarm on the house) (16A MCB)
-Immersion Heater (16A MCB)
-Lights 1st Floor (6A MCB)
-Lights Ground Floor (6A MCB)
-Smoke Alarm (6A MCB)
-Sockets (32A MCB/RCD)
Note - all these values are from what I can read off the unit

Install a Garage CU (powered from the above CU so I can isolate all power to the garage from the house) in the garage (attached to the house), wire up the following
-One interior light (with 2 switches) + One exterior light (one switch - this switch to be the 2nd gang of one of the switches for the interior light)
-6 double sockets, one of which is to be an outside waterproof double socket, via a switch so I can isolate power to the outside socket, whilst power to the rest of the garage remains

Add another connection into the garage from the House CU, to a suitable junction box/Switch. So that in the future this can be connected to SWA cable to provide power to the shed. Again I want this to be able to be switched off from the house via the CU.

Any idea how much a ball park figure would be to get someone to do this for me?

Also would most guys be happy if I laid out most the cables, put the socket back boxes on the walls etc etc, so there was less work?

 

[1john]

Also would most guys be happy if I laid out most the cables, put the socket back boxes on the walls etc etc, so there was less work?

Some will, some wont, enquire first, dont plough into it. Get several quotes. Reccomendation is best but be sure they are members of a competent persons scheme also.

 

[holmslaw]

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