electrical help req please

jafsie

I want to put a light in my garden shed. The shed is about 6 feet from a small kitchen window so the electric cable would be exposed in all weather.

Would this be safe? and if so would 1.5mm 3 core flex do the job?

Thanks

marleyboy

I have an extension that leads to my shed, its survived the weathers for the past few Years. You should be ok, maybe a slightly thicker core cable would be advisable, be aware of security from your window and safety from tripping over the cable.

norbet

If you're proposing to route the cable through the kitchen window, then no it's very unlikely to be safe.
The cable being exposed to UV (which will deteriorate the cable over time) is one thing, but you need to consider how you'd safely connect this up to your household wiring. Although it sounds simple enough, this is probably a job best left to those who know what they're doing.
Also bear in mind that now you want a light, but perhaps in future you want an external socket (lawnmower etc).

jafsie

Inside the house near to the window is a electric socket for the washer, I was thinking of just plugging in the shed light as and when I require it so it wouldn't be permanently on.

What do you think?

Apreciar

Really you need armour protected cable, preferably underground with a RDC inside the house for protection. If I was doing it, I would do as suggested and go the whole hog and install sockets as well.

norbet

Yeah, the extension lead and plug into socket sounds more of a temporary measure, if you're looking to something more permanent I'd suggest getting an electrician to install you a dedicated circuit, that way you can be sure it's not overloading anything else and that the cable run is secure (ideally underground using armoured cable).

C_Mababejive

Are you familiar with Part P legislation?

http://www.neweysonline.co.uk/PartP/Static.raction

paulmapp8306

Not needed for plugging in a and running a cable from an existing socket.

If you need a separate ring you'd need part P.

You dont need armoured cable either - was that a serious comment?, unless your planning on just laying in across the floor which isnt a good idea for lots of reasons.

You could put an extension to the existing ground floor ring I guess, but you would have to either lay the cable in the ground (with depths as per 17th Edition wiring regs) OR suspended at the correct height (again as per 17th edition).

Personally, if I wanted power in an outbuilding, id take a feed from the main consumer board, and take it to a daughter board in the outbuilding with its own fusebox. you could have a lighting circuit, and a mains power ring then with no issues really (bar cost of course - though probably not as much as you think).

diable

Use a torch.

jafsie

This is more complicated than I thought I think I'll stick with the flashlight

Thanks for the input everybody:)

T_T_2

If it is just for occasional use then why not use either a battery operated 'press on, press off' light or install a solar powered shed light. They start from about £15 up. You just stick the PV cell on the roof of your shed, wire it through the shed roof/wall and mount the light on the inside wall.

Both options will never give you a powerful and unlimited use light but they will work for infrequent use.