Extending the garden power ring

[stephennn]

Hi
We just moved into this house and in the utility room there is a normal wall socket with a plug going up ontop of a wall unit and into a very old junction box where it changes to a weather shielded cable & out the wall, along the side of a fence and into a doublesocket weathproof box, as per the attached photos. There used to be a garden water pump attached, but we filled in the ponds and now this socket is only ever used for an electric lawn mower

The housing is broken so I want to replace it, I also want to get a socket to the opposite side of the garden & maybe into the shed so I might as well do all at the same time.

Is it safe just to continue that spur & have external speakers, lawnmower on it? should I put a fused spur after this broken/replaced socket for shed/speakers etc.

Potentially & in a few years if we upgrade the shed to a garden room would this spur be viable?

thanks
.

s

 

[littlespark]

Ok… running a load of sockets off a plug top is fine. Everything is protected by the 13A fuse in the plug….. BUT

As it’s for power outside, there should be rcd protection.
I presume it’s armoured cable going outside? It’s not terminated properly into a suitable box… at either end.

What are all the other black flexes at the socket?

 

[stephennn]

Hi
there's about 10m of extra cable looped up, I assume the previous owner had the socket elsewhere and moved it to it's current location & couldn't be bothered to cut the excess.
I just presumed it was armoured...I'll open up the junction box after work and see if I can see any metal sheath.

Based on your reply, I'll take the existing 'armoured' wire and replace the broken socket with an outdoor 13a RCD fcu (as per image)

from that I'll take 2 connections, 1 to a replacement double socket and the other to a ip68 3port juction box->new double socket and the wire terminated inside the box ready for me extend whenever required through the unused port.

I'll also be buying new 2.5mm armoured cable to extend, but if the existing cable is not suitable I'll replace it all with the new stuff

 

[DPG]

Hi
there's about 10m of extra cable looped up, I assume the previous owner had the socket elsewhere and moved it to it's current location & couldn't be bothered to cut the excess.
I just presumed it was armoured...I'll open up the junction box after work and see if I can see any metal sheath.

Based on your reply, I'll take the existing 'armoured' wire and replace the broken socket with an outdoor 13a RCD fcu (as per image)

from that I'll take 2 connections, 1 to a replacement double socket and the other to a ip68 3port juction box->new double socket and the wire terminated inside the box ready for me extend whenever required through the unused port.

I'll also be buying new 2.5mm armoured cable to extend, but if the existing cable is not suitable I'll replace it all with the new stuff

View attachment 98763

Presumably you will be using appropriate glands for the SWA.

 

[James]

To be honest, the whole setup looks like a DIY BODGE
for your safety and peace of mind i would recommend getting an electrician round to do a proper job.

 

[littlespark]

First of all, check there is no RCD protection in the house already. You dont need a new one outside, if the socket its plugged into is already on an RCD at the board.

Double sockets tend to be cheaper than single.... One of those things.

If it is armoured cable.... you must use the appropriate glands... and they should be the weatherproof type for outside.

Best course of action is, as mentioned above, get an electrician in. They could put a circuit in direct from the consumer unit, armoured cable, whatever and most importantly, it will be tested and safe.

 

[James]

also one thing to note:
If there is already an RCD supplying the socket then if you fit an rcd socket or rcd fused spur, often when you press the off/test button on the socket, it will trip the rcd in the house and you loose power to everything it supplies.

 

[stephennn]

I went and had a look at the cable and consumer unit, the cable is shielded and the consumer unit is old and I don't see any RCD's, this utility room circuit is on the more modern (but still no rcd Extension Fuse Box).


With this info am I back to replacing that black jb with 13a RCD FSU & then outside to replacement ip66 sockets & junctions. The junctions i've got bookmarked come with grommits. At least until the CU gets replaced & we rewire outside as part of it OR the utility rooms gets refurbed (was #4 on the list when we moved in but big jobs have been paused for a couple of years)