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Skyr4t

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Hi all! thanks for the add :)
I consider myself to be pretty competent with my wires. I completed the level 3 electrical building and structures course a few years back. Never progressed any further unfortunately due to health problems.
But anyway I just need a bit of advice on a workshop I'm building. My partner and I have just moved into a new,ish townhouse, about 7 years old. I'm going to be building a workshop at the back of its garden and I'm trying to work out the best/ safe/ most importantly Cheap, way to wire it.
The shed side is pretty easy, little 2 way CCU with 20 and 6 amp mcbs and a 30Ma RCD. Was gonna run single cores 2.5mms and 1.5mms in plastic conduit to the work bench sockets and light batten, but not sure the latest regs will allow that anymore. I'm sure i heard somewhere it has to be steel conduit only these days.
But anyway thats the shed side, so then connected to 2.5mm 3 core SWA and run to the house. Unsure as to whether it has to be buried 3ft down, or if I can just clip it to the wall that runs from the house to where the shed will be. Obvs prefer not to have to mess about with shovels as one, the wife will murder me for destroying her new garden, and two, ill probably kill myself anyway as heavy work is quite difficult for me these days.
The hard part though is where it gets to the house. Being a newbuild its a pain in the arse. The CCU is under the stairs right in the middle of the property. Modern split board, although it is plastic, but has 1 or 2 spare slots for me to add the 32amp shed MCB.

I just cant work out hows best to get the cable to the CCU though? In my last house I ran the cables in the crawlway but this house seems to have a solid concrete floor throughout. I want to try and minimise the destruction to the house as much as I can but also want it to meet the regs :/

Cheers for any advice :)
Kind regards
Andy
 
Hi Andy, welcome to the forum. You will have to clarify your competency, and there are forums rules on members giving step by step advice.

To kick things off, swa cable doesn't have to be buried and can be suitably clipped to a wall. Your design idea, seems to be placing two RCD's in series? As this installation is a new circuit, it should be notified to your local building control.
 
To meet the Regs employ an electrician who at the same time is able to self certify as those works are notifiable to building control.
 
This should be in the reply box before you post;

Write your reply here.... Make sure your reply is in-keeping with the forum rules, polite and professional. If you disagree with the post(s) above, you can still be professional with your reply. And friggin well READ what other members have already posted :p
 
I don't normally repeat or quote What he said I just didn't take in the last bit in #2.
 
not the best way to do it, but as long as the shed loading is light, you could come off a convenient socket, suitably fused, of course.
 
This deeply concerns me, I would ask why not?

The hard part though is where it gets to the house. Being a newbuild its a pain in the arse. The CCU is under the stairs right in the middle of the property.

Maybe his missus is expecting everything to be bluetooth and no cables can be visible or no floorboards can be pulled up, which will cause a mess.. :)
 
Hmm, valid points. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to get the shed powered without blowing the bank. My plan was basically to do the bulk of the work myself and then to get in a fully qualified spark to inspect, test and sign off. Cant really afford to have all the work done for me as itd cost hundreds just to get a guy out let alone actually touch anything haha.
Total load on the cable should be less than 26amp though as the only mcbs on the shed end are 20 and 6. Hadnt taken into account the RCDs in series, been a while since I read my 17th edition, 18th now too. I'll just get a unit with an 100amp isolator instead.
Shouldn't concern you though, its just a practical question. Just wanna know if anyone has any ideas if I can avoid carving a trench through the floor or wall to run it.
What ever I do its gotta be better than the previous owners solution of traipsing an extension cord out the window and around the garden to the old shed :/
 
as itd cost hundreds just to get a guy out let alone actually touch anything haha.

bollox. i'd call and advise for less than £80, depending which side of Manc. for that you'd get a detailed spec. and a quote for the whole job.
 
Thats actually pretty decent. Its the quote for the whole job that scares me though :S. Getting the house has already stripped our bank accounts
 
a quote is a quote. you don't have to act on it immediately. cut down a few beers, takeaways, and allowing the wifey to buy 100 pairs of shoes, handbags and hairdos, you soon have enough to pay me.:D:D:D:D:D.
 

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