No power in the shed - Would you do the electrical install yourself?

[future_jack]

At the moment I am running a long lead out to the shed for power.

I was thinking of installing a fuse box with some sort of emergency cut-off. 2 16amp plugs and some 13amp standards. I would then be wiring one or two lights into it.

I was thinking of running the power to the fuse box from the fuse box in the house with another breaker there.

Now I'm not a sparky. I havn't done something like this before but I understand the basic concepts like the importance of safety! I don't think in my opinion that this is a difficult job.

Would you do it yourself though?

 

[Welderpaul]

Might be best to do all the hard work - running cables, fitting back boxes, digging trenches and all the bits that sparkys generally hate doing, then employ a spark to make the connections. Don't know what the rules are like in Ireland, but here you need a qualified spark to do any electrical work and issue a cert for it.

 

[Wedg1e]

Too bloody right I did... er, would.

The slight issue at the moment is that since sometime in '06(?) certain installations have to be inspected and certified by a 'Part P' qualified bod (for a fee, of course). Just to make it easy for them, most of the UK wiring colours have just been changed to match some Euro standard (well of course, perish the thought that THEY should change to OURS) - which obviously means it's simple to tell what's recent and what isn't.
Now if you could get hold of some old stock cable, say from an Ebay seller... :cough: all you need to do is make a 'workmanlike' job of it (so the place won't burn down) and Robert is your maternal parent's sibling

One thing to watch is that the average house main fuse is only rated at about 80A (you may be lucky and have 100A) so whilst it's easy to throw money and heavy-duty cable at the job, it's wasted if the fuse pops and costs you an Electricity Board callout first time you strike an arc.

I have aircon in my house and the compressor startup spike is 64A. I have to remember to switch it off if I'm in the workshop because the TIG set takes 27A flat-out and the compressor another 12A: goodbye 80A fuse...

 

[JimM]

Yep, I'd do it myself too - although as Wedg1e has already pointed out this will fall foul of Part P. No big deal as far as I'm concerned as not intending to move in the near future.

Depending on length of the run etc you might want to think of using a separate earth at the garage end.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Wozzaaah]

Just to make it easy for them, most of the UK wiring colours have just been changed to match some Euro standard (well of course, perish the thought that THEY should change to OURS) - which obviously means it's simple to tell what's recent and what isn't.
Now if you could get hold of some old stock cable, say from an Ebay seller... :cough: all you need to do is make a 'workmanlike' job of it (so the place won't burn down) and Robert is your maternal parent's sibling

No need to use old colours, new colours were available 2 years before Part-P was implemented so any installation done between 2004 and 2006 could quite easily contain a mixture of old and new colours.
The main thing is Jack, do you feel competent and confident enough to mess with something as potentially dangerous as electricity? If you do then by all means carry on at your own risk but if you're really not sure what you're doing then leave well alone and pay someone else to do it.
Take Paul's advice and do the groundworks, cabling etc yourself and just pay a spark to terminate everything, test and certify it if needed.

 

[Archie]

I did mine too. A good mix of old and new colours just to confuse myself totally. I've done it all properly so it should be safe. It's not kosher as far as the insurance co. is concerned unless, at the very least, it's checked over and signed off by a sparky. Otherwise if the place burns down due to an electrical fault you won't be covered.

 

[madkayaker]

Get in touch with a decent sparky and get him to tell you what type and size of cable needed it not just a case of running cable but what size type etc. Then do the donkey work and get him back to do the test and cert. You might find it hard to get someone to do this mind as its reducing what he can charge you for and with things beings slow any jobs good. Part P applies in North Ireland don't know about Southern Ireland but I guess there will be the equivalent. As for doing this my self I'm an NICEIC sparkey so this is what I do.

 

[Welderpaul]

Yeah, have a chat with a spark first who will size up the cables, breakers etc to save you wasting your time installing the wrong thing.
I did the same in my unit - ran all the SWA, installed all the breakers, DB's, 3 phase sockets etc, just left everthing open so my mate (qualified spark) could check everything. Once checked, he made the final connection and we were live!
He issues the cert, i buy him a few drinks, and we are all on a winner!

 

[madkayaker]

Where in Ireland are you? (fancy a weekend away)

 

[andypocock]

This is not how I suggest you do it - just a note I of what I do now as I find myself living in a country where I am not allowed to put in a socket in my own bl**dy house.

I just stick whatever is needed in and should I ever be asked the answer is "it has been there for years mate".

So if I was to feel confident about running power out to my shed too right I'd do it myself.

I might think about having a big circuit breaker at the house so that I could isolate the shed when it wasn't being used.

 

[mileshc]

I think caution is a very good idea, I have been fiddling with electrical & electronic bits since I was a kid & have been involved with many installation of low voltage systems.

The death of a politicians daughter & a lot of awfully installed kitchens & accidents, caused a draconian tightening up, in my opinion of the regulations. Making a competent DIY'er have to get a "proffesional" in, & or inform Building Control & or get it tested by a qualifed person.

But I have seen over the years allegedly qualified people conduct (pun-tastic) very very poor installations. I recently went on a plumbing course(heating); at the same site you could do a week long part P course & come out with the qulification to allow you to do domestic installs etc. I met two people who had done the course, both of them where largly clueless & one in conversation with a tutor, he'd poped in for advise, scared the hell out of me with the questions he was asking.

It is not that difficult if your are of reasonably average intelect, able to read, assimilate what you have read & are a practical carful, methodical possibly neat, person. There are some really good books on electrical installations & on-site guides for domestic installs.

But as Woz. & Mad. says, if as a lot of people say electrical bits confuse you get someone in. Why doesn't it pour out of the sockets when nothing is plugged in?

You might look to have appropriately sized (max.load & distance?) SWA (Steel Wire Armoured) cable cleated & feeding via appropriate glands & boxs from your consumer unit (fuse board) which would have, space permitting, a new MCB or even RCBO of amperage suitaible to the proposed total loads. This would then terminate in the garage with perhaps a garage consumer unit & then internaly cabled either with normal Twin & earth or in conduit, this being a neater install. You might want to if it's wet or gets a lot of condensation use water resistant fittings & lights too. There is more, earthing, transition from SWA internally, testing the install of course but that gives you a start, or a stop, erk.. Ohh & don't forget grommets, you can never have to many grommets I think.

(All links are just examples, everything is just an example, non of it is real, it's all virtual)

Please do get a kosher quote, you might be suprised. You could as I will have to when I re-wire our new (old) house. Pay either Buliding Controls tester or an indendant company, to test & certify (where is that jacket) the install, this will be aroud £170-£270 for the whole house, a garage should be less. I hope. Testing of the whole house & garage might be worthwhile so you know absolutly everything is right?

Take great care, take it easy.

Miles HC

 

[hareng]

Share that view Andy, hopefully i have only got 4 more double sockets, and two 32A sockets to put in. Cables some years old.
MEB changed the meter a few years back, no problem. Months passed then someone checked the work and changed the 100amp? fuse for a 65A. I let rip but no joy, cooker hob alone will draw a continuos 32A it usually flips the fuse, add tv etc etc then when i start the lathe up or compressor 20A its cutting it too fine.
Have to make sure everything is off in workshop before firing up something else.

 

[madkayaker]

Who changed the fuse and what was there reason?

 

[scarecrow]

You will need an RCD and switch fused unit in the house and another switch fused unit
in the workshop if the workshop is separate from the house it might be better to put in the separate earth bar armoured cable is the best for underground but not cheap it's not illegal to use the grea cable inside another pipe then it's just trips for plugs and lights
if you live near me I might be able to help im in North Tip

 

[Paul.]

This is not how I suggest you do it - just a note I of what I do now as I find myself living in a country where I am not allowed to put in a socket in my own bl**dy house.

I just stick whatever is needed in and should I ever be asked the answer is "it has been there for years mate".

So if I was to feel confident about running power out to my shed too right I'd do it myself.

I might think about having a big circuit breaker at the house so that I could isolate the shed when it wasn't being used.

Far be it for me to encourage people to break the law, but I am inclined to agree, for years part of my job has been designing and building machinery, including the electrical and control systems this is just a simple one, but some have been very complex, yet under the new rules I'm deemed not sharp enough to wire in an extra 13 amp socket, "Part P"

 

[madkayaker]

Tidy work Paul. Part P is a pain but its trying to stop some of the bad work out there.

 

[madkayaker]

The same argument could be made for gas but it seams executable that corgi is a must

 

[Paul.]

Thanks,
Yes I understand the motives behind it, but will it really stop people doing what they want in their own homes, where will legislation stop, next it could be stopping unqualified people repairing their own cars, or needing to show your C&G before you can buy a welder, who knows!

 

[madkayaker]

Who knows where the legislation will strike next

 

[Robotstar5]

I've always been in maintenance, but my company recently sent me on a 17th edition course, I know how to fill in the inspection & test paperwork (got access to test gear) so can I do part P instals?