50 metre swa cable to feed an outbuilding 16mm too much?

industryspark · 24 Sep 2009

First step - Speak to your builder, was the electrics for the building included in his qoute? and he was then paying a spark?

If yes then he needs to get a spark who is registered and competent to do the work and who can supply you with certificates after completion. If he is unwilling or unable to do this then you need to find your own competent spark and deduct what the spark charges from the builders bill. He probably wont like this but he cant do feck all about it seen as he's stitched you up royally to start with!

Oh, and i agree with BAS, the amount and type of lighting your planning seems all wrong.

Regards

sparkwright · 24 Sep 2009

you should use 16 mm 3 core swa as RF and others have suggested. you should also insist that a suitably qualified electrician carries out the installation and signs it off.
you want the job done properly don't you?

jagdeepp · 24 Sep 2009

ban-all-sheds said:
jagdeepp said:

i need to avoid unnecessary costs where possible.

Click to expand...

Then ditch the idea of using that ludicrously inefficient lighting.

jagdeepp said:

Heres the score. My builder has a sparky (Polish) Seems very competent.

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He probably is - I believe that the training and qualifications regime in Poland is much more robust than ours.

But unless he is registered with a UK Competent Person scheme he may not self-certify his work as compliant with the Building Regulations.

I now need another electrician to inspect, test and certify. I hear what you say but i am where i am. Period.

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But where you are is somewhere you should not be and cannot remain. No amount of fatalistic shoulder shrugging is going to change the fact that unless you change your plans you are going to end up in a whole mess of trouble with Building Control.

I'm now looking at a way of resolving this and appreciate the difficulties in getting a sparky to confirm anothers work but again i have no choice.

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You do have a choice - keep the builder and ditch the electrician, or tell your builder that he must get a registered electrician to do the work.

Please dont turn this thread into a 'slag the builder thread'. Advice re the question i've asked is really needed.

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It's not really slagging the builder, although he has stitched you up by lying to you, and you need more advice, of much greater importance, than just the answer to your question.

Which you've been given - as several people have said

My builder is doing the work and i'm then going to get it signed off by a sparky

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won't work.

And also as previously asked, what was said on the application for Building Regulations approval about how Part P would be complied with?

I'm building an outbuilding under the permitted development scheme. I've given building notice and need to provide a certificate at the end.

I've ordered a mood lighting system - scene style 4 which sets moods and allows me to dim the gu10's right down. I'm never going to have the main circuit on much at all to be honest and will rely on wall lights. The ceiling halogens will be 35w each and will be dimmed down most times. I'm told this reduces the energy costs. (?) I've also got ropelight which combined with wall lights will be on more. My soffits along the side walls will house a few gu10's but much less than the ceiling.
I take on board everything all are saying here. My sparky is arranging for a qualified chap to come along and view all stages. He'll supervise the whole process and then sign it off. Thats gets past that hurdle.

16mm cable 3 core it is then! Does my light usage still sound so ridiculous?

jagdeepp · 24 Sep 2009

oh.. in terms of the lights on the ceiling there are 11x 35w halogen gu10's. The room is 6mtrs by 5.6mtrs so quite large.

ban-all-sheds · 24 Sep 2009

jagdeepp said:
I'm building an outbuilding under the permitted development scheme.

Which relates to planning permission, not Building Regs approval.

I've given building notice

A bit risky, surely, given that a full plans submission costs no more?

I've ordered a mood lighting system - scene style 4 which sets moods and allows me to dim the gu10's right down.

They don't like that.

The ceiling halogens will be 35w each and will be dimmed down most times.

They particularly don't like that.

I'm told this reduces the energy costs. (?)

a) not much
b) it increases lamp replacement costs, as it shortens their life quite a bit.

I've also got ropelight which combined with wall lights will be on more.

What about a cornice, or a dropped ceiling section with concealed cold-cathode lighting?

My sparky is arranging for a qualified chap to come along and view all stages. He'll supervise the whole process and then sign it off. Thats gets past that hurdle.

Sounds workable.

16mm cable 3 core it is then! Does my light usage still sound so ridiculous?

I think you could do a lot better - don't restrict yourself to what you see in the sheds.

More suggestions here: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1343161#1343161

Steve · 24 Sep 2009

jagdeepp said:
oh.. in terms of the lights on the ceiling there are 11x 35w halogen gu10's. The room is 6mtrs by 5.6mtrs so quite large.

I was in the "hospitality suite" of the local community stadium, built 2007. The room is about 50m x 20m. It is lit almost entirely* with halogen downlight lamps. With the room empty, the carpet is peppered with light and dark spots. Utterly hideous. It didnt help that the room had a very low 8ft ceiling (for its size this is low), and this meant you were either sat in the dark, or you forehead was boiled by the intense halogen light.

And the energy bills must be horrendous.

*Around the bar were recessed CFL lights - these gave a much more pleasant light.

jagdeepp · 24 Sep 2009

i love that cold cathode lighting! Brilliant. I'm going to look into that tonight!

My room is to be a dedicated home theatre. Spotlights fit the bill for the room and again i wont have the on all the time. The side wall lights will be on far more. Could you guys offer some alternatives? I'm very much open to suggestions for ceiling lighting with home theatre in mind..

jagdeepp · 24 Sep 2009

ban-all-sheds said:
jagdeepp said:

I'm building an outbuilding under the permitted development scheme.

Click to expand...

Which relates to planning permission, not Building Regs approval.

correct

I've given building notice

Click to expand...

A bit risky, surely, given that a full plans submission costs no more?

I was able to start without waiting for approval. It suited me. No issues so far and the build is almost complete with everything passed succesfully.

I've ordered a mood lighting system - scene style 4 which sets moods and allows me to dim the gu10's right down.

Click to expand...

They don't like that.

Well, i've had varilight dimmers on my gu10's in my lounge and they've had zero issue so far with the level of dimming. They dont mind the dimming at all.

The ceiling halogens will be 35w each and will be dimmed down most times.

Click to expand...

They particularly don't like that.

As above, the varilights i've had have been dimmed down without issue. My cousin has a Lutron setup and he dims down without issue.

I'm told this reduces the energy costs. (?)

Click to expand...

a) not much
b) it increases lamp replacement costs, as it shortens their life quite a bit.

I've also got ropelight which combined with wall lights will be on more.

Click to expand...

What about a cornice, or a dropped ceiling section with concealed cold-cathode lighting?

My sparky is arranging for a qualified chap to come along and view all stages. He'll supervise the whole process and then sign it off. Thats gets past that hurdle.

Click to expand...

Sounds workable.

16mm cable 3 core it is then! Does my light usage still sound so ridiculous?

Click to expand...

I think you could do a lot better - don't restrict yourself to what you see in the sheds.

I dont follow.

More suggestions here: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1343161#1343161[/QUOTE][b][/b][b][/b]

ColJack · 25 Sep 2009

by "sheds" he means the DIY superstores..
what he's saying is not to just pick one from the lighting display in your local B&Q.. there are more options than the range that they sell...
try a specialist lighting store.. they'll have more choice..

djrock · 25 Sep 2009

It’s not about having problems with the level of dimming halogens. I think the dimming of them stops the process that returns small fragments of filament from being returned to the filament. Which can mean the bulb does not last very long.

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50 metre swa cable to feed an outbuilding 16mm too much?

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