I have had a new shed erected and would like advise on what cable I should run to it from my house. I plan on fitting around 3 double sockets and two strip lights. The distance from main fuse board to the shed is approx 25Mtrs. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Jim
For your current needs you only need 2.5mm2 three core SWA cable (brown blue green/yellow). To future proof yourself, if it were min, I'd do it with 6mm2 three core SWA cable. For the relatively small amount extra you'll pay for the cable, you'll never be kicking yourself that you didn't think ahead ... like I'm doing now!
More to it than cable size calcs ...... Been plenty of similiar posts recently. It all sounds so so easy but........ More to it than that ‘Sparks’ at the ready .......
Er ....., Um......, spose...,..... Things like ‘what colour socks is the OP wearing’ And other ‘stuff’ But I’m not going into it tbh
I plan to run the cable to my main fuse board and if necessary put in a separate control box there, I have fitted four double sockets and two strip lights. There won't be anything heavy duty running off it.
Why are you doing this work...if you are unqualified, not a competent person..and in breach of Building Regs ? How will you test it.... ? Will your house insurance be invalidated by this work ? Getting my drift ? Rs
I am not going to connect the electric supply up myself, I have a electrician to do that. All I have been looking for is advice on what size cable I should use .
Well why don't you ask this "electrician".... Surely when he agreed to sign off this rank amateur diy work...he gave you some idea on cable specification? He is responsible for the design.(and the entire job) Or is he 1. busy... 2. on holiday. 3. phone not working. 4. friend of a friend 5. bloke down pub and you can't catch him. 6. (please insert some other inane nonsense) RS
The electrician will need to certify the installation and notify it to the local authority- it’s a new circuit. He will sign a declaration that he has designed installed and tested the whole thing. You are designing it on an Internet forum, and installing it yourself How can he certify and notify this as his own work? Do you expect him to lie?
Good advice above - engage with a local Spark who will advise what is needed and likely will then let you lay the cable for him to connect up. For a 25m length, probably 6mm SWA to allow a decent load and future proof, 4mm may also be fine. Earthing arrangements and connection at the CU end also need to be considered in the overall design. Its not that simple this electricity stuff.
Before you buy or install your SWA cable, you need to know what earthing system you have in your house. Get it wrong in one way, and you could be redoing the whole lot. Get it wrong in the other way, and you might have bought an SWA thast is much more expensive than necessary.