Adding Consumer Unit To Workshop - Regs?

[Cosha]

Hello everyone,

Thank-you for reading me!

Im having a few troubles getting correct information on adding a seconday consumer unit into a tiny workshop!

A bit of background information:

I have my main consumer unit at the front of my house, and i have a tiny workshop in the rear of my garden, 8-10 meters away. I have a slight problem that i live in a mid terrace house. The reason to add a consumer unit is i want to run a CNC machine out there, including lighting, ventilation (hoover) 2 Pc's and a monitor - plus other electrical bits when the CNC machine is not in use.

I belive i have to bury (in piping) some steel armoured cable in the garden running up to the workshop that minimum of 500mm depth? My only way of doing this is running the cable from the Unit at the front of the house, up into the roof, across, back down the back of the house then buring into the workshop!

I just been told that im not allowed to run live cable up the side of a house or thorugh the roof space?

Is that correct? If not, im stumped as i cant think of anyway getting the cable under the house!

I phoned a local sparky and was totaly not interested in helping at all, i have a few other misc jobs that need doing (Have the old type fuse consumer unit that needs updating)

I would like to run most of the work before a sparky turns up to connect it all, but i dont want to waste somones time if the cabling is wrong or not upto regs!

Anyhelp would be greatly recieved, and i have come to a bit of a stand still!

Naughty of me but i used to run in a rented house of an extension lead: 1080 watt Spindle/2 Pc's/Monitor - it worked fine but now i have just brought my first house and dont expect to move for years id like a safer setup!

Thanks In advance

Ben

 

[trev]

If you run the cable in unsupervised you may find the spark you get in will refuse to sign off and notify as he didn't see how it went in. If I were you I'd run a cable in the ceiling void, to an adaptable box outside (suitably IP rated of course) then down to your trench which I'd take down to about 900mm. Just my personal preference and I can't remember what the regs say about depth.

 

[Knobhead]

Why introduce a box if out new friend is willing to run the SWA through the house to the CU?

600mm + for depth in the garden with suitable protection and identification.

I’m sure if you post your location someone will help you out.

 

[trev]

I thought T+E running through the house, through a bit of conduit in the wall to protect it then a box might keep the price down a little Tony

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Hello everyone,

Thank-you for reading me!

Im having a few troubles getting correct information on adding a seconday consumer unit into a tiny workshop!

A bit of background information:

I have my main consumer unit at the front of my house, and i have a tiny workshop in the rear of my garden, 8-10 meters away. I have a slight problem that i live in a mid terrace house. The reason to add a consumer unit is i want to run a CNC machine out there, including lighting, ventilation (hoover) 2 Pc's and a monitor - plus other electrical bits when the CNC machine is not in use.

I belive i have to bury (in piping) some steel armoured cable in the garden running up to the workshop that minimum of 500mm depth? My only way of doing this is running the cable from the Unit at the front of the house, up into the roof, across, back down the back of the house then buring into the workshop!
There is no minimum depth...common sense is applied and the cable must be below the depth where it is likely to be disturbed. This would be far deeper crossing a veg patch than under a slabbed path for example. It is normal practice to half fill the trench with fine material and apply a yellow warning tape over the cable before fully backfilling.
I just been told that im not allowed to run live cable up the side of a house or thorugh the roof space?.By someone who only thinks they know!. SWA is fine with no further protection on an outside wall. Flat T/E needs protection from the elements if outside....usually in conduit....either can be run through a roof space unprotected,but should be kept clear of insulation.

Is that correct? If not, im stumped as i cant think of anyway getting the cable under the house!

I phoned a local sparky and was totaly not interested in helping at all, i have a few other misc jobs that need doing (Have the old type fuse consumer unit that needs updating)

I would like to run most of the work before a sparky turns up to connect it all, but i dont want to waste somones time if the cabling is wrong or not upto regs!
No problem with running the cable yourself...but as you will need a cert and B/C notification find a spark who is willing to connect,and get his advice before running the cable.
Anyhelp would be greatly recieved, and i have come to a bit of a stand still!

Naughty of me but i used to run in a rented house of an extension lead: 1080 watt Spindle/2 Pc's/Monitor - it worked fine but now i have just brought my first house and dont expect to move for years id like a safer setup!

Thanks In advance

Ben

................

 

[clicon357]

If running the cables yourself then be sure to clip them properly at the proper centres. PM me your email and I'll scan and send you something on this.

Who is going to "design" the system for you? Things like what load, how long the run is, cable size etc? It's a bit more scientific than finding some "armoured" at the boot fair! You DON'T have to put your armoured cable in steel piping by the way..................

 

[Octopus]

If running the cables yourself then be sure to clip them properly at the proper centres. PM me your email and I'll scan and send you something on this.

Who is going to "design" the system for you? Things like what load, how long the run is, cable size etc? It's a bit more scientific than finding some "armoured" at the boot fair! You DON'T have to put your armoured cable in steel piping by the way..................

Great, so send him/her the information to clip properly but little of nothing on how to assess the loads, cable sizes, protection, earthing, etc etc.

I do wonder why so many people on this forum give away so much information, then wonder why they can't find work!

 

[ian.settle1]

Do you know if the houses current supply will take the CNC machine this is why you need someone to carry out a proper design for you.

 

[Cosha]

Thank-you for all your replys!Im not trying to poach information to do this myself:Im not trying to design the laods myself, i just need to know if i could run cable myself.

My CNC machine does not draw huge amount of amps, the spindle is only 1080 watts full load, my pc i can roughly work out pulls 3.5 amp max spike, monitor 2.54amp spike cnc controller 3amp spike (I think a pc runs at .9amp and minitor 1amp)I also know i need to take account of voltage drop over a long distance.

Would it be advisable to 'pin' the trunking along the bottom of my fence (not a walkway or has traffic) with yellow lables, and trunking up the side of the house, again labled...I would like the electrican to supply the cable, or advise etc...

My main fear is i would dig a trench and put trunking up the side of my house to only find a electrican wont write it off

...I live in Warminster in Wiltshire if anyone is local to me?

 

[Cosha]

Sorry for the above post, it would let me add a paragraph

 

[Cosha]

This is the design i think will be ok...40A Double Pole Fuse Switch(Next to the fuse box)10mm T&E(Up into the roof space)100mm Adaptable Box(Corner of the roof space)10mm Armoured Cable(Pinned to the bottom of the fence)Garage Consumer Unit – 16A & 6A MCB(Inside Workshop)16A Split 6A Split2.5mm T&E 1.5mm T&ESingle Single Socket Switch2.5mm T&E 1.5mm T&EDouble LightSocket 2.5mm T&E Double Socket 2.5mm T&E Single Socket Thoughts?

 

[clicon357]

Great, so send him/her the information to clip properly but little of nothing on how to assess the loads, cable sizes, protection, earthing, etc etc.

I do wonder why so many people on this forum give away so much information, then wonder why they can't find work!

There was me thinking that my second paragraph covered your concerns when I asked who was going to design it etc! Unless you somehow limit Joe Public's access to the forum you will always get this type of question..................

 

[72-van]

Perhaps if the members of the forum feel that this type of posting is not appropriate then the moderators should politely seal such posts and perhaps point the questioner to an appropriate suitably qualified person in the disciplines relevant to the question .

However this has been friendly assistive light hearted forum and i hope it remains so .

There are some people out there in every trade who act like extras in a john wayne film and if the consumer has taken the trouble to seek advice he will be able to identify the fact that hes not getting what he needs or is paying for.

 

[Cosha]

Im sorry if this is causing a bit of a drama in the elite electrical forum!I have been bitten before by electrics ( sparky putting in a timer to trip my lights, so he could keep coming back and charging me)Only doing some research so something like it does not happen to me again!Cheers!

 

[trev]

Cosha if you take a look on the Electricians Unite subforum there's a thread in the stickys section Find An Electrician In Your Area there's almost 40 pages of sparks looking for work there I'd be willing to bet that there'll be a couple in there that are fairly close to you who would come and quote you on your job.
While I think your originalpost came across like a "How do I do this" I reckon you have probably done the right thing asking for advice rather than picking a random name from a phone book or the internet. My concern would be that if you went ahead and installed cables and adaptable boxes the electrician coming to test and connect could and probably would refuse to do it as they did not see them going in and therefore had no knowledge that they had been correctly installed in safe zones. It is very important therefore that once you have selected a contractor to carry out this work that you consult them about this, most would be happy that you're willing to do some of the dirty work for them.
Hopefully you don't think of us as a bunch of elitist jerks since in my opinion the forum is here as much to help the homeowner as it is the qualified spark