wiring up a new circuit board in a workshop

[richardshall]

Hi guys,

I have got a circuit breaker in my workshop and i want to use it to run lights, sockets for tools and some outdoor lighting and water feature ect.

I have already connected the end to the new circuit board in the shed and run the armoured cable underground to the circuit board in the house but i am unsure where to connect it. Can it be connected directly to the red main switch the same as the existing board or can it be connected to a circuit breaker on the panel. I was advised to connect it to a 50amp breaker but i have been having problems with it so i disconnected it.

Any advise very much appreciated.

Thanks

Rich

 

[telectrix]

so many factors to consider. size of SWA cable. earthing system, shed construction. not to mention notification under part p. only advice i can give is to call in a registered spark.

 

[richardshall]

Hi thanks for the reply. the cable running from the house to the shed is armoured and is approx 10 -15 mm thick all together.The shed construction is out of shiplap and a timber base. Im not sure about the earthing system or the notification under part p that you mentioned.
I would prefer to do it myself as i am self employed and dont have much time to wait in for people, plus theres the cost.

Any info again would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 19807]

well the cost could be £5000 for not notifying building control

 

[stuart569]

Hi thanks for the reply. the cable running from the house to the shed is armoured and is approx 10 -15 mm thick all together.The shed construction is out of shiplap and a timber base. Im not sure about the earthing system or the notification under part p that you mentioned.
I would prefer to do it myself as i am self employed and dont have much time to wait in for people, plus theres the cost.

Any info again would be appreciated

Thanks

Well the simple fact is you are not compitent enough to be undertaking this work!Its downright dangerous to even attempt it.Do the right thing and employ a spark!

 

[telectrix]

to be honest, mate, each to his own. weigh up the cost of a professional spark against the costs of 1. notifying building control ( about £200 - £300 ) to comply with the law. 2. the possibility of your house burning down.3 . the possibility of you or your family being injured or killed. it's a no brainer mate.

 

[richardshall]

i wasnt aware that you had to notify anyone just to have electrics into a shed. I fully understand about laws as i am a business owner myself and yes it is a no brainer and i would never put my family in that situation.

 

[ganz]

Please do not connect that cable to a 50 amp breaker, 10 -15mm diameter does not sound at all like it can handle 50 amps. Call a qualified electrician.

 

[richardshall]

that advice did come from a qualified electrician lmao, what a joke with all due respect theres someone on here saying im not compitent enough and people saying to call an electrician and i was told to wire it up to a 50 amp breaker by a qualified sparky ffs doesnt gine you much faith tbh.

 

[ganz]

wat was the problems you were having with it, to disconnect it??

 

[telectrix]

richard, google part p. you can download the part p doc. this tells you that certain electrical works must be notified to your LABC ( local authority building control). amongst the works that must be notified is any electrical work outside and/ or involving new circuits. if you were to do the work yourself, you would need to notify beforehand. then they charge you a goodly sum to check/inspect/test. if it's wrong, they will make you rip it out and start again. you are then around £2-300 out of pocket with nothing to show for it.

by employing a registered spark you are then.1. getting the job done correctly and safely. 2. all the notification to comply with the law is taken care of.

 

[richardshall]

Hi Ganz thanks for the reply ....it was working fine at first, i had the lights connected as well as a single socket wired temporarily. I connected an extension lead to the socket to run a grinder and something tripped and now part of the board works and the other part dont. i reconnected a new socket as i thought it had blown the socket and tested it by switching the breaker onto the on position and it set the electric smoke alarms off in the house (i honestly dont know why and i admit that). i havnt used it since.

 

[richardshall]

so you have to pay just to have electrics in a shed. I know loads off people with outdoor electrics and electrics in sheds who havnt had to go through all that, How come ???

 

[leespeed]

just go on your local council website and look up building control the info is there m8
it will clearly explain for you to get a proffesional

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Nobody on here can give you the correct advise other than get a electrician in.

We would need to know every aspect of your installation including lengths and cable CSA's in order to give you any other sound advise.

If you have a wife and kids, please do not do any more and take the advise you have been given and get someone in.

 

[Rockingit]

Hi Richard. What you are experiencing is fairly common - the whole process of sort of knowing that if you make a circle then you make the light work. Part P (which to give it it's full title is Part P to the Building Regulations) was introduced by the government a few years ago - 2006 if memory serves. It's designed to allow home owners the flexibility to do certain DIY electrical tasks if they feel able but puts a greater responsibility on the more critical aspects like whole new connections and circuits, new fuse boards and so on.

What you've described here is that you don't quite fully know what you are up to, but some mate in a pub has made some suggestions. Thinking of your 'circle', what 'starts' in the shed also 'starts' in your house. I've a mate who does Elvis impressions, I don't for one moment think that he is!

Please, I've been a sparky for a long time, and I've seen the mishaps of DIY time and time again. By the sounds of it, you've got the basics of the materials, you just need a little know-how. Buy it in the form of a Part P registered sparks.

 

[leespeed]

as elvis says ......thankyou verrrrrrrrry much huhaw

 

[richardshall]

What you've described here is that you don't quite fully know what you are up to, but some mate in a pub has made some suggestions. Thinking of your 'circle', what 'starts' in the shed also 'starts' in your house. I've a mate who does Elvis impressions, I don't for one moment think that he is
.

That sounds very patronising to be honest. i am compitent but i just needed a couple of small pointers. I didnt know about the part p so thats fair enough. to everyone that has said about my family i would say that goes without saying, i would never put my family i danger so i dont need people telling me not to on a forum. All i asked for was a small amount of advise and a few people on here started to get funny. I dont see what the need for it was tbh.

 

[richardshall]

That sounds very patronising to be honest. i am compitent but i just needed a couple of small pointers. I didnt know about the part p so thats fair enough. to everyone that has said about my family i would say that goes without saying, i would never put my family i danger so i dont need people telling me not to on a forum. All i asked for was a small amount of advise and a few people on here started to get funny. I dont see what the need for it was tbh.

and please read back because i did state that it was not someone in a pub it was a QUALIFIED sparky

 

[Peter Stanley]

can you tell why u are having problems with the 50A MCB
with what u have told me the total load in the shed will not exceed 32A the cable u use between the shed and source must be rated at greater size of 32A
The protective device at source should be a an RCBO device
the shed earthing could be either TNC-S or TT

 

[unit-electric]

Richard, it sounds like the diameter of the cable is too small for 50 amps. I would advise to find out the correct Cross sectional area of the cable before you connect to anything. If the person who gave you the advise is a sparky, he should be able to help you.

And the others are right, you will have to get the work tested and verified by a qualified electrician, and then registered to the council under part P laws

 

[telectrix]

so you have to pay just to have electrics in a shed. I know loads off people with outdoor electrics and electrics in sheds who havnt had to go through all that, How come ???

basically, if they have done the work after part p was introduced in 2006, they have broken the law. it's similar to gas safe, used to be corgi, for gas. only registered gas safe personnel can do work on gas. everybody and his dog knows this. the part p regarding electrics is not so well known.

 

[rugbynick]

As the others have already told you-use a part P registered Electrician. Part P has been law for over 5 years. Check online with Elecsa or Niceic

 

[richardshall]

ok thanks, ill get it all checked anyway

 

[Rockingit]

Richard, look, sorry if offence was taken because none was meant. But the mere fact that you are asking about Part P, admitting that 'things have tripped' and setting off smoke alarms etc etc just tells us all that sadly you are NOT competent. And a 'qualified electrician' should have known better than dishing out advice about changing circuit protective devices, grades of cable and god knows what else without 1) also knowing that it would be subject to part p (assumes you're not in Scotland) and 2) that it will need testing and certifying regardless and 3) that you may not be up to do it.

Did he ask you what your Ze is at origin, length of cable required, loading calculations (with diversity applied if applicable) for voltage drop, installation method to account for thermal degradation, earthing method, equipotential bonding arrangements and means of protection before telling you to 'bung a 50A breaker on it' in order to gain a correct value of Zs to meet satisfactory disconnection times in accordance with BS7671??

Hmmm.....let me guess........