Advice on running electrics to shed

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Hello all

Looking for anyone knowledgeable enough to tell me whether I need a qualified electrician to do a job for me or whether I can legally perform the job myself.

I have electrics in my garage. Dedicated spur and fed from house CU. There's clearly a SWA connection and it runs underground, certified from when the house was built 17 years ago - I would assume this wire is sunk at the appropriate depth, etc.

The CU in the garage has 2 circuit breakers - one for lighting and one for sockets.

The garage is about 12 metres from the shed project (another thread).

Is it possible to DIY a connection from the garage CU or from the garage electrics themselves? Wires ideally located on a wooden feather-board boundary fence or the retaining wall that the fence situated above.

All I'm after in the shed is a light or two and a socket or twin for "small" duties. No power tools - just maybe a battery charger/phone charger or radio/Alexa+speaker?

For temporary lighting setup I've been using a 300W halogen bulb wander lamp, connected via a socket extension, but extension only unreeled and plugged in when I've been working inside the shed.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Spectric]

I would think the electric's in your garage are probably the bare bones for a light and socket as fitted during the build of the property. You are looking to extend this supply to another outbuilding for a light and a socket but you have not mentioned the means of earthing in the actual property or given enough details. You cannot just run any cable along a fence unless it is mechanically protected and it would require a protective device such as an RCBO in the garage. I doubt you have the test equipment required to ensure loop impedances are suitable for cable lengths or disconnection times for protective devices comply with the regs so for your own safety it would be better to just get an electrician to undertake the job if you want a permeant supply otherwise you will need to use temporary extensions when required.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

I would think the electric's in your garage are probably the bare bones for a light and socket as fitted during the build of the property. You are looking to extend this supply to another outbuilding for a light and a socket but you have not mentioned the means of earthing in the actual property or given enough details. You cannot just run any cable along a fence unless it is mechanically protected and it would require a protective device such as an RCBO in the garage. I doubt you have the test equipment required to ensure loop impedances are suitable for cable lengths or disconnection times for protective devices comply with the regs so for your own safety it would be better to just get an electrician to undertake the job if you want a permeant supply otherwise you will need to use temporary extensions when required.

Thanks Spectric - appreciate the swift reply.

Garage has B16 socket and B6 lighting protection. Lighting is 2 x 4ft strips and a 300W security light on a PIR. Sockets are 2 x twins, but I only use 1 socket at the back for a fridge freezer and the twin at the front are mainly for my DIY tools or power washer on an extension reel to the driveway.

I understood about protecting the wire and RCBO from reading up on what is notifiable or not, but as you say I don't have professional test equipment. I wondered whether using SWA would imply a requirement for a separate CU in the shed, or whether just a simple T&E inside a conduit was acceptable. Can't find much on that - maybe because it is a touchy area.

Sems like a visit from a spark is the way to go.

 

[ChaiLatte]

Make your temporary extension lead a little more permanent in location but without making it part of the fixed installation.

Buy a 15m extension lead with a four gang outlet and remove the plug (https://www.industrialextensionlead...y-13amp-25mm-cable-extension-lead-11189-p.asp). Poke the cable through some 20mm plastic conduit clipped to the fence. Install new plug on end of lead and plug into existing socket in garage.

Providing you do as you say and do not exceed the capacity of the extension lead, it is the same as your existing arrangement only you do not coil it back up after use.

As it is not part of a fixed installation you do not need any special qualification for the work. The moment in time and point in space when and where you involve yourself in the fixed wiring is where the regulations kick in.

The only competence you need to route the extension lead is in removing and fitting a standard plug. Because it is plugged into an existing socket, it will inherit all the protection of the circuit on which that socket is fitted.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Make your temporary extension lead a little more permanent in location but without making it part of the fixed installation.

Buy a 15m extension lead with a four gang outlet and remove the plug (https://www.industrialextensionlead...y-13amp-25mm-cable-extension-lead-11189-p.asp). Poke the cable through some 20mm plastic conduit clipped to the fence. Install new plug on end of lead and plug into existing socket in garage.

Providing you do as you say and do not exceed the capacity of the extension lead, it is the same as your existing arrangement only you do not coil it back up after use.

As it is not part of a fixed installation you do not need any special qualification for the work. The moment in time and point in space when and where you involve yourself in the fixed wiring is where the regulations kick in.

The only competence you need to route the extension lead is in removing and fitting a standard plug. Because it is plugged into an existing socket, it will inherit all the protection of the circuit on which that socket is fitted.

This sounds like an eminently sensible way forward, at least in the short term. Lighting would be modern low power (outside IP66) LED anyway and could be on a plug with an inline switch - I would imagine acceptable due to low power draw and temporary plug/socket setup.

 

[Fitzroy]

Ran my shed from an extension cable for nearly 4 years. Had proper electrics installed earlier this year, so much nicer to have a light switch and some sockets in sensible places. Use an extension to get by for now but plan to get the electrics done sooner rather than later.