Electrical wiring in garden shed and garden - unsafe?

DIYhelp76

Hi, in our home previous owners ran cabling from the house to a garden shed and from the shed on to garden lights which are cemented into the garden. 

As far as we can tell(?) the cable looks to have been run from an internal power socket - at least that is where it looks like it leads from.  The cable has been run across the top of a fence, unprotected, just clipped to the fence.  It is then in those round terminal junction boxes in the shed.  And run to shed lights, a shed power socket and on to garden lights.  It does look like they have "earthed" the supply as there is an earth cable.

The shed is not leakproof.

Are we right to think this is dangerous and should all be removed?

If so, with the mains electrics off, would it be safe to unwire the internal plug socket and see how they have run that cable out to the shed, simply detach that cable - presumably that would make the whole of the garden system "dead" and safe to remove all the bits in the shed and the lights.

Would this be a safe thing for us to attempt ourselves or need an electrician?  We have previously done simple electric tasks, like changing sockets and wiring in ceiling lights.

Grateful for any advice on this.  Many thx in advance.

Nearlyold

If you can find where this cabling is connected to the mains in the house and know what your doing you could probably remove it yourselves. However this cabling may be an indication there are other bodges as yet undiscovered in the property.  Not sure how long you've had this new place but it could be worthwhile getting a sparky in to check things over. 

DIYhelp76

Thanks, yes I agree there may be other bodges yet to discover.  We are trying to keep costs down and do what we can do, safely, ourselves.  What I am imagining, is that by opening the socket where the cable looks like it is running from, it would "simply" have been wired into that plug socket and that by removing those wires which lead out to the garden that would/should disconnect that hole garden supply - given I can follow the route of the cable as it runs from the house to the shed.  Am I over-simplifying?  Appreciate I don't know what I will find until I open that socket in the wall....

DIYhelp76

Also, I assume what is there is not safe as there isn't any "armour" protection for the cable and it shouldn't be running directly from a mains socket in the house?  Also the fact that the shed seems leaky!!!

flashg67

I'd suggest what you're proposing is fine and well within the scope of a sensible, competent DIYer - it does sound like it's a spur from an internal socket.  Not a sparky, so not sure on the rules, but agree that the outside cable should be armoured or protected 

Ectophile

Are we right to think this is dangerous and should all be removed?

It could be done safely.  But obviously, you don't think it has been.

If so, with the mains electrics off, would it be safe to unwire the internal plug socket and see how they have run that cable out to the shed, simply detach that cable - presumably that would make the whole of the garden system "dead" and safe to remove all the bits in the shed and the lights.

If you feel confident to do so.  Make sure the detached cable isn't just floating around in the back of the socket, waiting to touch some live wire when you push the socket back on the wall again.

secla

We had a similar situation with a outbuilding spurred off an indoor socket, ive no idea on the regs but it didnt seem safe to me so i removed it all, pretty simple job diy job.

When i get round to it i will replace with a dedicated cable from the consumer unit

As said if you have found one bodge job it may be worth getting everything checked over by an electrician

Keep_pedalling

It should be a dedicated armoured cable from the main consumer unit to a mini CU in the outbuilding equipped with a 6A RCD for the lighting and 16A for any mains sockets, none of which should be in a damp environment, so 100% not safe. 

QrizB

Sounds similar to the wiring in this case:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15180127/Couple-350K-legal-bill-dodgy-DIY-shed-fire.html

Best to disconnect it if you're competent to do so, or get an electrician in if you're not.

Heedtheadvice

I would second getting a qualified electrician to check over the property. Given one poor bit of installation indicates there could be more.

The sparky could remove the dodgy ( definately not compliant with regs and probably unsafe!) shed power at low cost or make it safe if you wish it for a larger outlay.

( note it is not  6A or 16A rcd that you need! That could be the current rating of MCBs in a CU but they have to be correctly rated not guessed!. You would need the whole exterior supply protected by rcd/ MCBR with a 30mA fault current trip and over current trip appropriate the the installed wiring capability. (It frightens me when people post blatently wrong information...if done inadvertently corrections should be made. I'm sure you will keep_ pedalling )