Hi Ive been asked to fit some lights and a socket in a new stable yet to be built but its giving me a bit of a head ache. I haven't done a stable before so i just want to check with people in the know whats the best way of going about it. First of all there will be two stables sited in a paddock behind the customers house. They will sit directly behind a garage which will be converted to a tack room and storage room. The garage already has a supply fed by 2.5 SWA direct from the house CU (RCD protected side) on a 16A MCB. They have used a 16A because the run starts off as 2.5mm T&E buried in plaster and joins the 2.5mm SWA somewhere in the house. (This derates cable to 18.5A according to BGB) The garage has two strip lights and 4 double metalclad sockets on a ring. The house supply is TNC-S and is a good 25meteres maybe more from the garage. I measured the voltage in the garage and it was 239v, i checked the EFLI at a socket in the garage and i got 1.23ohms.
They want a light in each stable, a light in front of each stable, an outdoor socket near to them and the lights in the garage reconfiguring to accommodate the new layout. Im told the socket outside is for clippers and the sockets inside the garage will be for radio, battery charger or the like. Nothing major although they want an electric garage door at some point.
I cant see the load going over 16A at the moment although you never know in the future, They want to keep existing cable as its run underground and not easy to to run a new one to the stable, in fact it would be a real nightmare! I want to put a mini CU in the garage then have a DP main switch, two MCBs one for lights and one for sockets but this is where my problems begin, First of all i dont like it all being run off the RCD side of CU because if theres a fault in the garage or stable the whole house trips (although this is how it is set up now), secondly i can put a 6A MCB for lights but i cant put a 16A MCB for for sockets as there is already one at the other end. I thought about putting a 16A RCBO in the CU so at least if it tripped the rest of the house would be ok but what about the MCBs in garage?. The cable runs in the stable would be in plastic conduit and not near the horses i.e. up high and run outside. The customer wants to keep existing sockets in garage but they are just T&E clipped to the wall and i dont think they would last 5 minutes when the rats find them! I suggested just having a couple of sockets and changing to conduit. I'm also a bit worried about volt drop as its a long way to go in 2.5mm when you add on the circuits in garage and stables. My calculations dont add up to the 239volts i measured. It would all be protected by 30mA RCD or RCBO.
Any help and advise would be gratefully appreciated as its doing my head in trying to figure what to do for the best. If i could i would just run a new SWA cable from a new board but as i said its not really an option it involves going over a neighbors property, digging up landscaped gardens etc etc etc
Cheers in advance
Michael
They want a light in each stable, a light in front of each stable, an outdoor socket near to them and the lights in the garage reconfiguring to accommodate the new layout. Im told the socket outside is for clippers and the sockets inside the garage will be for radio, battery charger or the like. Nothing major although they want an electric garage door at some point.
I cant see the load going over 16A at the moment although you never know in the future, They want to keep existing cable as its run underground and not easy to to run a new one to the stable, in fact it would be a real nightmare! I want to put a mini CU in the garage then have a DP main switch, two MCBs one for lights and one for sockets but this is where my problems begin, First of all i dont like it all being run off the RCD side of CU because if theres a fault in the garage or stable the whole house trips (although this is how it is set up now), secondly i can put a 6A MCB for lights but i cant put a 16A MCB for for sockets as there is already one at the other end. I thought about putting a 16A RCBO in the CU so at least if it tripped the rest of the house would be ok but what about the MCBs in garage?. The cable runs in the stable would be in plastic conduit and not near the horses i.e. up high and run outside. The customer wants to keep existing sockets in garage but they are just T&E clipped to the wall and i dont think they would last 5 minutes when the rats find them! I suggested just having a couple of sockets and changing to conduit. I'm also a bit worried about volt drop as its a long way to go in 2.5mm when you add on the circuits in garage and stables. My calculations dont add up to the 239volts i measured. It would all be protected by 30mA RCD or RCBO.
Any help and advise would be gratefully appreciated as its doing my head in trying to figure what to do for the best. If i could i would just run a new SWA cable from a new board but as i said its not really an option it involves going over a neighbors property, digging up landscaped gardens etc etc etc
Cheers in advance
Michael
