Fitting outside electrics

misterthrifty

I'm tempted to fit a power point in the gazebo, some 10m from the house to add lighting and heating but just want to check on the correct way of doing this.

Though fairly handy with DIY, this is a new one for me and the combination of electricity/rain/children makes me keen to get this right so are there instructions or a diagram online that may help? I have made a quick search but cannot find anything suitable.

Cheers :beer:

Mr T

bella123

All i can tell u is that the electricity cable must be 12 inches under the ground.

YorkshireBoy

bella123 wrote:

All i can tell u is that the electricity cable must be 12 inches under the ground.

I know it's a DIY forum, but come on!!! In the field of electrical engineering, this falls under the area of "Special Installations" and "equipment for use outside the main equipotential zone". It even has it's own section within the IEE Wiring Regs. You simply can't just pluck a figure out of thin air.

It was a guess? Right? Anyway...

From BS7671 (IEE Wiring Regs), Regulation 522-06-03 states that...

"Except where installed in a conduit or duct which provides equivalent protection against mechanical damage, a cable buried in the ground shall incorporate an earthed armour or metal sheath or both, suitable for use as a protective conductor, or be of insulated concentric construction. 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 to the ground."

The regulations do not give a defined depth or specific installation method. You have to apply your knowledge, experience, and technical ability to determine this for yourself. However, there are various guides and Approved Codes of Practice (some produced by the IEE and some produced by other industry bodies) available to help guide you through this specialist area of electrical installation work. One such internet search (of a professional body) has just returned me a depth of 400mm (16") under a path and 700mm (27") under cultivated ground - SIGNIFICANTLY deeper than the 12" guess above.

Finally, it's a Part P job. I suggest you employ either a specialist contractor or use your Local Authority for guidance and Part P approval. To save money you can obviously do the manual work but the DESIGN of the installation is a bit more than just another job for your average DIY'er.