electric regulations

QueenBarnes

Does anyone know how deep armoured wire has to be buried in the ground when installing electrics outside from the house to a part of the garden? Apparantly this is regulations now and we want to dig ready for an electrician to install it (which is the rules now)

FilthyLuka

Best thing to do would be to check with the electrician whos going to fit the cables

ormus

Many dwelling houses have buildings associated with them which are not directly part of the main structure.

These include garages, greenhouses, summer houses, garden sheds, and so on. Many of them have an installation to provide for lighting and portable appliances.

It is important to appreciate that the lightweight (and sometimes temporary) nature of such buildings does not reduce the required standards for the electrical installation.

On the contrary, the standards of both the installation and its maintenance may need to be higher to allow for the arduous conditions. Particular attention must be paid to the following:

1. - supplies to such outbuildings must comply with the requirements for overhead and underground supplies.
Garden layouts are very likely to change over a period of time, so all cables should be buried to a depth of at least 450 mm with a route marker tape at 150 mm. Cable runs must be recorded on careful drawings, and wherever possible should follow the edges of the garden plot,

2. - the equipment selected and installed must be suitable for the environment in which it is situated. For example, a heater for use in a greenhouse will probably meet levels of humidity, temperature and spraying water not encountered indoors, and should be of a suitably protected type,

3. - the earthing and bonding must be of the highest quality because of the increased danger in outdoor situations. All socket outlets should be protected by 30 mA RCDs.

brightontraveller

Should you wish to bury SWA...? (it can be suface, overhead run etc ) in the ground are normally buried at a depth of 600mm (This is considered lower than double spade depth) and covered with a layer of sand before backfill. PVC highly visible marker tape is normally laid 150 mm below the ground surface.

The only reference to depths of buried cables(domestic) in the Regulation used to be 522-06-03 where it stated: Buried cables shall be marked by cable covers or a suitable marking tape. Buried conduits and ducts shall be suitably identified. Buried cables, conduits and ducts shall be at a sufficient depth to avoid being damaged by any reasonably foreseeable disturbance of the ground.

The NICEIC covered this subject in depth in Connections Journals and a Technical Manual topic C5-77.

Although it depends on what they will be supplying...?