Steve's workshop - Painting the outside walls

[Doug B]

It used to be 2'6" for a water pipe Steve, the last main I put in was 12 years ago & I'm not in a hurry to do another.

 

[Halo Jones]

I think 700 mm is correct for the depth of the water pipe (however, I found my mains water pipe buried - by professionals - at about 200)!

 

[Steve Maskery]

I shall definitely check - I don't want to have to do it twice!

Though it's hardly a main - it's just going to an outside tap. But maybe that doesn't make a difference.

 

[Graham Orm]

It's to do with freezing Steve. In 1963 4" pipes froze 3 feet down. 2'6" was the standard when I was an apprentice. We had a notch cut out of the spade handle.

 

[Brentingby]

I got the 400 - 700mm figure from my tame plumber...

What does your wild plumber have to say?

 

[n0legs]

Also if swa is in a conduit (ie plastic pipe) then it is down rated (I assume because it cannot dissipate heat as easily into surrounding soil)

H.

This is correct.
If you are using brand new SWA and you take care not to knick or tear through the outer pvc, then the best install would be lay the cable into the trench which has been "blinded" with a few inches of stone dust (not sand as sand insulates the cable far better than stone dust thus keeping the cable warm).
Make a good job of keeping the cable in the middle of the trench, then cover the cable with at least 6" of stone dust.
Compact the dust then lay a marker tape stating "Electric Cable Buried Below" or similar. I like a 6" by 3 foot path edges personally, but I play with bigger cables :wink:
Grade your backfill, no big stones or bricks, and fill the trench.
This bit is optional,
I have never ever liked the use of the steel wire armouring as the CPC (circuit protective conductor) A.K.A the earth.
I consider it to be bad practice. Steel does not have the same conductivity as copper, if the outer sheath gets torn or damaged the risk of corrosion in the armour is high and therefore the earthing will be compromised. Sometimes earth continuity is lost completely.
Poor workmanship in installing the glands can also be an issue.

Use a 3 core SWA cable of a suitable size, use 2 cores for phase (live) and neutral and the third as the earth. The other option is to run a separate earth alongside the SWA but care needs to be taken in choosing one that is sized properly and suitable for direct burial in the ground. A PVC/PVC type would be the best bet for this method (2 layers of pvc sheathing).

Building entry would be best done below the surface, just don't make the hole to small. Get a good neat hole in the house wall and then seal it with a quality sealant.
Duct into the house would be the best, it stops nasty chaffing to the outer sheath and is easier to seal well. Push a washing up sponge into the duct at least an inch below the surface, then use a sealant to "cap off" the duct.

24 metres of trench !! Should have been done before lunch :lol:
Good work guys, nearly there =D>

 

[Steve Maskery]

[

24 metres of trench !! Should have been done before lunch :lol:

You are welcome to come and give a hand...

Thank you for all that, I'll pass it on to the Boss.
S

 

[mindthatwhatouch]

Some good advice from nOlegs there, use a 3 core SWA cable, don't mess around with the separate CPC or relying on the armouring.

I would be tempted to put a duct in, especially for the CAT 5 cable with a piece of rope for future use, rather than burying an armoured CAT 5 cable. Makes it easy in the future if there is a problem or you wish to add to it. If you pull an additional cable through add more rope so its there for the next time. Depending on what you intend to use it for consider upgrading to a CAT 6 cable.

Let me know if you need some tape for marking the trench.

Well done on the trench digging, not the most fun job!

 

[custard]

I've got an armoured, buried Cat 5 cable to my workshop.

Overall I'm happy with my workshop build but there are a few things I wished I'd done differently, smaller south facing windows, install a sink, and run the armoured cabling through a pipe.

 

[yetloh]

install a sink

One of the best things I ever did in my workshop. And if it can have hpt as well as cold as mine does, so much the better. My sharpening station is right next to it - perfect, and that's just the workshop benefits. Coming indoors from the garden with clean hands and not messing up the indoor towels is another significant benefit in the domestic relations department.

Jim

 

[Steve Maskery]

I'd really like to do that. In fact I have already put a base unit in the far right corner. I've not discussed it with my BCO but I bet he will not allow me to drain waste water into the rainwater soakaway, which means I would have to store it in a caravan-style waste barrel or pump the waste water all the way back up the garden. I'm not going to do the latter, although the former would not be too onerous.

It's a pity, as there is a downpipe from the gutter just the other side of the wall....

 

[Harbo]

Does it matter what you do after things are signed off?

 

[Graham Orm]

Does it matter what you do after things are signed off?

I was going to say that, but I've already had my wrist slapped for buying a dodgy DVD.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I couldn't possibly comment...

 

[Doug B]

As long as it's waste water & not soiled water it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've had a reply from the BCO regarding depth - he couldn't care less. He says they are not bothered about services, it is drainage that concerns them. As long as the sparky signing it off is happy, then the BCO is happy.

So I rang sparky. 12". Well we have over 16, so it looks like everyone is happy.

So now I have asked the BCO about grey water going into the soakaway and am waiting a reply.

----------------
Ray came and continued digging whilst I was Gopher General. We'd been going about an hour when I got a call from my mate Stuart. Stuart used to live round the corner but last year emigrated to Whitby. Could he pop round? Well of course he could, he's a retired electrical engineer and there is work to be done...

So I put the kettle on and gave him a screwdriver.

and half an hour later that messy pile of cables in the middle of the floor looked like this:

We also got all the labels on the MCBs in the distribution box. The electrician is supposed to be coming next Wednesday to hook up into the house and, I hope, sign the job off. Everything else electrical is now done.

Meanwhile, out in the winter sunshine, Ray the Trojan kept digging.

But I was showing willing, too

We dug out the usual rubbish, bits of a bike, some reinforced glass, etc, etc, and a couple of concrete slabs in good condition, which were immediately put to good use

So now we have just got about 5m or so left to do tomorrow.

 

[wcndave]

I seriously need to get myself a Ray!

 

[Graham Orm]

I've had a reply from the BCO regarding depth - he couldn't care less. He says they are not bothered about services, it is drainage that concerns them.

I'm struggling with that one Steve, if you bury a pipe/cable a spades depth down....ready for the next digger to hit, there's no problem?

Also....does Ray know just how famous he is?

 

[Steve Maskery]

I was a bit surprised myself, TBH, but that was his response, so I'm not going to make a fuss. We are well down, in practice.

I'm trying to keep the publicity from Ray, he might increase his charges...

Actually keeping him oblivious isn't difficult. He doesn't do computers and he doesn't have a mobile phone. His wife is his technology consultant. I have, however, forwarded Dave's post, though, just for fun. I'll see them again this evening, we are all going to a pancake party..

S

 

[mindthatwhatouch]

Hi Steve,
I have located the tape, pop it in the post tomorrow hopefully.