Workshop electrics

[Karl]

Hi all

After some general advice.

My workshop is our integral garage, and the electrics consist of one double socket, with various extensions used to get to the different machines. Not great.

I am shortly going to be doing a re-work of our kitchen, and I know that the cooker ring is currently unused - our oven works from a separate 45a RCD which was installed before we moved in. So I have a spare 30a spur. Could this be used to power the 'shop electrics????

As part of the kitchen work I will have easy access to the wiring for the spare 30a spur, and extending the cabling through the ceiling void into the garage would be easy. From there I presume that I could have a separate consumer unit fitted, and as many power options as I could wish for!

Any help welcome.

Cheers

Karl

 

[dennyk]

Yes

I did that , rewired my whole workshop, put a new consumer unit in the workshop, off that I have one breaker for the lights , one for a 13amp ring main , and a separate 16amp fuse unit for my table saw

 

[Sparkypete]

Hi,as a qualified and registered electrician may i offer some advice.
First the circuit extension you suggest would be ok except:-that it will need to be inspected by a registered electrician.To comply with current regulations a safety test certificate will need to be sent to your local councils building control dept.failing to do so is a criminal offence and would also result in your building insurance being void should an incident occur!
The cost of a safety test and the issue of a certificate would cost between £80 - £120 depending on your area.
Sorry to be a bearer of bad news!
Pete

 

[Karl]

Thanks for the replies.

Pete - I was already aware of the ceritification requirements. Does the same apply if I extend from the exisiting socket? Am I right in saying that you can only take one further spur from that socket? Ideally I would like a further three doubles in the room. Not so that they would all be used at once, but simply for convenience sake. At the moment I have a few 4mtr extension leads going to machines.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Shadowfax]

Karl
If the work is carried out by an electrician or electrical firm who belong to a competant persons scheme, such as the NICEIC, the work can be certified without Buiding Control being involved.
Also the law currently allows you to do the work yourself and you can then get Building Control to inspect it for you. They will not like to do this but they do not have any choice in the matter if you stick to your guns.
Part P was not too well written and the testing and inspecting procedure was not thought through very well. Building Control must arrange the inspection and testing themselves and pay for it themselves as the law stands but obviously they would rather not do it that way because it will cost them.
All you have to do is put in your application. The fee will be based on the cost of the work and that is all you should pay.
Adam did this when he built his workshop. The thread will still be around but I am not too sure how long ago it was. Well within Part P territory anyway.

Cheers
SF

 

[lurker]

OR

You can do as you plan AND then swear blind the work was undertaken prior to part P :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[wizer]

OR

You can do as you plan AND then swear blind the work was undertaken prior to part P :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

I had my workshop wired the day before part P came into effect ( ). It runs from a breaker on the house CU to a new CU in the workshop with a seperate circuit for lights, roller door, alarm, 16amp, etc, etc. It's great not to have to use extension leads all over the place.

 

[PHiRe]

got to say for the sake of 100 or so quid it worth getting inspected or fitted by a pro sparks cos i certainly sure that if the worst did happen insurance is the would be the least of my worries, if some one got hurt it would be on my conscience.

 

[p111dom]

It's down to you really but I'd just wire it in and disconnect it when you leave or sell the property. If you can get a hold of the old coloured wiring (pre Part P) there wouldn't be any questions in the event anyway. It's all about common sense really. You are using powertools that could lead to serious personal injury if you are unable to follow the safety instructions. Part P was allegedly brought in to make things safer however from the governments own statictics the number of people killed from DIY wiring in the year before part P was a grand total of 4. If you are confident in what you are doing fine, if not get a pro in but I think it totally disgusting that the government has created an unnecessary situation where you have to spend hundreds of pounds for bit of paper to say you did it right in the first place. Leglslate for the lowest common denominator. That's the way to go. :roll: