Electrical question

[rockweasel]

It's time to wire up my workshop and I have a couple of questions regarding the type of cable to use. Google has thrown up mixed results.

At the moment I have an RCD unit in an outbuilding that is fed from my main consumer unit in the house. SWA is run underground between the house and the building. I'd like to use one of the spare ways on the RCD to supply my workshop lights and 13 amp sockets. The workshop is only 3m away from the RCD. My plan is to dig a trench and lay the cable in it.

So: What cable to use? My first instinct was SWA, but is this overkill? Would T&E suffice providing the trench is deep enough and I put a bed of sand under and on top of the cable to prevent mechanical damage from stones? The Wise Old Internet has pointed out that gray T&E has been run externally on catenery (sp) wires.

Second similar question. I have a dedicated 16 amp socket in a porch at the rear of my house for my arc welder. It's maybe 10m from the workshop. Could I safely run the extension cable for the welder from the porch in a trench and into the workshop?

The back yard that the cables would be run in only has foot traffic. The ground is mainly clay. Drainage is so-so. I'd expect the cables to get damp.

Thanks.

 

[BrokenBiker]

i would use swa to fees the workshop, an adequate breaker in the out building cu and then run everything through the workshop cu with proper protection.

but, if you are unsure of what cable to use, how far you can run it, how deep it needs to be etc i would suggest you speak to a local leccie, offer to do the leg work, digging, fixing of sockets and so on, price will drop dramatically if he just has to turn up, connect a few cables and test it

 

[Robotstar5]

What size mcb/cable is feeding the current outbuilding? (spare capacity for workshop)

Don't run T&E on a catenary, the sheath will be affected by UV (sunlight). If you want to run T&E underground (not ideal) use polypipe (waterpipe) to provide mechanical protection.

Ideal installation is SWA buried 600mm with warning tape 100mm above it.

Local sparky will give best advice after a site visit.