workshop feed and consumer unit

[clarko00]

Can anyone help?

i've just moved to a new house and are just wanting to check the electrics for the shed/workshop are correct. (Seems as the previous owner installed his self)

The cable is 16mm SWA approx 50m long

The fuse is 32A, re-wireable.(House Consumer Unit)

The consumer unit in the workshop is a split board with 100A main switch, and a 63A RCD.

The RCD protects 3 circuits, 32A Ring main, two 16A Sockets

The Main Switch Feeds two 6A MCB for lighting, and the Above RCD.

What do i need to sort first.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Any idea how long ago he installed it?

Are there any electrical certificates for it, or indeed for any of the property's installation?

Are there any buried pipes entering the workshop (water/gas/oil/drainage), or does it have a steel frame sunk into the ground, etc?


Apart from the lack of discrimination between the 32A MCB in the workshop and the 32A fuse in the house (which is not dangerous) then from your description there is nothing obviously wrong with it.

If there's no certificate the thing you should sort first would be an electrician to check it all for you. Depending on what the answer to my first question is you might be able to get the previous owner to pay for that.

 

[clarko00]

Hi thanks for the quick reply.

I'm told the shed was built in 2010.
This shed/Workshop is wooden built, approx size 5m x 6m.

No Electrical Certs for the shed, we received the Electrical certs for the house, no mention of the shed.

No buried pipes, just the SWA for electrics.

As for discrimination, i'm told this can be solved by uprating the fuse in the house? What would this need to be?

 

[clarko00]

The supply cable from the Main Consumer Unit to the shed is 2 core, and he's used the armouring as the earth for the sub board, is this allowed??

 

[dingodeano]

Providing the cable is made off correctly in the appropriate glands and connected to earth of installation both ends, then the steel armour of 16mm swa can be used as the circuit protective conductor.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm told the shed was built in 2010.

Therefore Part P applied to the electrical work.



Depending on your appetite for it, you could go after the seller and ask him for proof that the electrical work was done to a standard which would comply with the law and provide you with the degree of safety you are entitled to.

What would this need to be?

It could well not be possible.

When you have an electrician involved he'll be able to make any recommendations.