Putting a Commando/CEE socket in the garage

Owain_Moneysaver

jellie wrote: »

It seems a bit odd that we shouldn't trust a professional, but we should trust strangers on an internet forum? That's quite a scarey thought for those who have no knowledge of electrics.

Strangers on an internet forum shouldn't have a vested interest i.e. they're not selling something. Also busy and relevant forums are peer reviewed and any incorrect advice usually gets picked up and corrected fairly quickly.

fwor

Well I guess I'd better wrap this one up. Here's what I ~think~ from the above I should expect to have done on the second (currently unused) RCD, all of which can be done within the existing consumer unit:

1. Retain existing 6A MCB for future external lighting, and have half of the existing internal lighting moved onto it.

2. Remove existing unused 32A MCB.

3. Add 16A MCB, dedicated to garage Commando socket - which should have an interlock.

4. Add 20A MCB for future external power radial circuit.

Anyone anticipate any issues with this?

One further question: do the current regulations permit external power and lighting circuits to be carried in a single steel armoured cable (i.e. on separate live wires, but within a single armoured outer, sharing common neutral and earth)? It's no big deal if they have to be completely separate - I just need to know before the cabling actually goes into the ground.

fwor

Excellent - no news is good news, as they say.

Thanks chaps, you've been great. No really.

The appearance early on in the thread of a gas fitter (I guess, from the username) telling people not to respond to my electrical questions because he knew I would do something Really Naughty with the answers made the whole thing worthwhile in comedy value alone.

Thanks again to Owain for setting me straight on the shuttered outlet business.

For anyone looking at getting their heads around the basic house wiring terminology, there are some really great no-nonsense guides out there, like this one:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=House_Wiring_for_Beginners

But there are ~loads~ of others! Don't forget to drop in the odd term like "Equipotential Bonding" next time you speak to your electrician. He really will appreciate that you've bothered to do your research.


(P.s. yes, I know I might have an issue taking both internal and external circuits from one MCB, but it's no big deal - I doubt I'll get round to adding outside lighting anyway)

southcoastrgi

glad to have brightened your day

Owain_Moneysaver

fwor wrote: »

One further question: do the current regulations permit external power and lighting circuits to be carried in a single steel armoured cable (i.e. on separate live wires, but within a single armoured outer, sharing common neutral and earth)?

You must have separate L and N conductors for each circuit. They can be in a common cable and have a common earth. You may need to provide a core for the earth in addition to the armour.

from the mention of armoured cable, is your garage detached, and how far from the house?

Do you know what type of earthing your house uses, as this may affect wiring to the garage?

fwor

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

You must have separate L and N conductors for each circuit. They can be in a common cable and have a common earth. You may need to provide a core for the earth in addition to the armour.

from the mention of armoured cable, is your garage detached, and how far from the house?

Thanks for that.

The garage is integral with the house and has the consumer unit in it, so no earthing issues. The SWA cable would be for the pond/lighting stuff, but to keep it simple I may drop the lighting ideas, as it looks like I will be out of space for MCBs in the consumer unit.

Owain_Moneysaver

fwor wrote: »

For anyone looking at getting their heads around the basic house wiring terminology, there are some really great no-nonsense guides out there, like this one:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=House_Wiring_for_Beginners

You'd be very welcome to join the newsgroup