Garden cables routing

[craig1000]

Hi all now i know the regs etc for cables buried etc & sure i can remember reading there not to clipped to fences etc as they do not form a secure fixed structure, cant remember where in regs book, maybe I'm wrong as been scanning the book this evening.

Tin hat time i guess, in reality if the customer want power a-b & it is not possible or customer will not allow digging up of their lawn, flower bed, drive or whatever, & no wall available where can we run cables or is it a simple no cant do the job?
Fences for example if iv read the regs correct aren't classed as a fixed structure for the running of cables yet I see lights installed along fence routes ll the time! either im wrong or many people ignore that rule!
Have a couple of garden lighting jobs to loo at & want to know where I stand! What also about getting power along fence for a socket or hot tun at bottom of garden. It s afar better price for customer if I just install cable or conduit along fence as soon as the ground needs to be dug they'll be put off by the disruption & extra cost!

 

[mickys86]

If you want to abide by the regs then they believe that it's safer to leave the cable on the ground than clip it
To a fence. I can see both sides of the argument to this one as I believe it's safer on the fence. But if it blows down etc then problems could arise. Telectrix once told me that he would fix some wood across the fence from post to post and clip it to that

 

[Farmelectrics]

good idea wooden battens across fence posts swa cleated

 

[mickys86]

good idea wooden battens across fence posts swa cleated

That's why he's our top poster lol

 

[ackbarthestar]

Every job is different so you will have to make decisions regarding the positioning of the wiring system. You could run a SWA along the side of a path or under stone slabs, along the base of fences or batterned to the bottom of a fence.

Most gardens where the client wants feature lighting and its not a complete design or new build doesn't want their plants disturbed so it is unlikely that you will be able to dig it all up.

 

[Engineer54]

Never ceases to amaze me, these people that want electrical supplies in there garden, but think more of the dammed plants and lawns than their own and others safety!! There is no way i would leave an energised supply cable laying on the ground, armoured or not!! ..end of!!

The problem with fixing to these pre-cast concrete fence posts, is that you end up with bloody great chunks out of the concrete (exposing and leaving the steelwork to corrosion) because they are full of steelwork that is literary just under the outer finish.

 

[Guest55]

..................
The problem with fixing to these pre-cast concrete fence posts, is that you end up with bloody great chunks out of the concrete (exposing and leaving the steelwork to corrosion) because they are full of steelwork that is literary just under the outer finish.

Nah , its a piece of cake to put fixings in concrete posts , just drill without hammer-action to reduce cracking.
And if you know where the steel rods are inside ( which on a standard slotted i-beam post is in each corner ) you wont hit metal.
Practice makes perfect as they say.

 

[Engineer54]

Nah , its a piece of cake to put fixings in concrete posts , just drill without hammer-action to reduce cracking.
And if you know where the steel rods are inside ( which on a standard slotted i-beam post is in each corner ) you wont hit metal.
Practice makes perfect as they say.

All i can say is that the construction of those precast concrete fence posts must have changed a hell of a lot. If you didn't use hammer action you weren't going anywhere!! They use to have more steel bars in them than the concrete encasing them!! lol!! Same with the precast concrete panel garages, if they still make them. Bloody nightmare to get a fixing in them, if you weren't hitting steel you were taking lumps of concrete out of them!! lol!!

 

[ackbarthestar]

Never ceases to amaze me, these people that want electrical supplies in there garden, but think more of the dammed plants and lawns than their own and others safety!! There is no way i would leave an energised supply cable laying on the ground, armoured or not!! ..end of!!

Its only dangerous if you hit it with a spade..... and then the RCD operates immediately. I'd be more worried about damage to the sheath and the eventual corrosion that will eat into the armour over a couple of years

 

[mickys86]

Its only dangerous if you hit it with a spade..... and then the RCD operates immediately. I'd be more worried about damage to the sheath and the eventual corrosion that will eat into the armour over a couple of years

Are you presuming that the armoured has been glanded off correctly....

 

[dellboy78]

Depending on layout of the garden and cable run then how about a catenary wire if no other way possible? No digging and as long as you have a secure fixing at each end, i.e the house wall and your shed or garden wall at the end then could get you out of trouble. Could even have it running along side the fence without having to actually fix it on to the fence itself. Just a thought!

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Nah , its a piece of cake to put fixings in concrete posts , just drill without hammer-action to reduce cracking.
And if you know where the steel rods are inside ( which on a standard slotted i-beam post is in each corner ) you wont hit metal.
Practice makes perfect as they say.

Hello biff55, I'd love to watch that.

 

[ackbarthestar]

Are you presuming that the armoured has been glanded off correctly....

Yes I know it has been glanded off correctly

 

[ackbarthestar]

Depending on layout of the garden and cable run then how about a catenary wire if no other way possible? No digging and as long as you have a secure fixing at each end, i.e the house wall and your shed or garden wall at the end then could get you out of trouble. Could even have it running along side the fence without having to actually fix it on to the fence itself. Just a thought!

catenary wires are fine for a straight run from building to building or post but not really suitable for running a cable wire around a garden, particularly if the purpose of the lighting/power is to show off the plants, shrubs, water features, statues, sculptures et al.

 

[HandySparks]

Its only dangerous if you hit it with a spade..... and then the RCD operates immediately. I'd be more worried about damage to the sheath and the eventual corrosion that will eat into the armour over a couple of years

If I couldn't bury it, I'd be inclined to run the SWA inside some polythene cable duct to protect the sheath from garden tools. (Like the blue underground water pipe, but black.)

 

[Guest55]

Hello biff55, I'd love to watch that.

Make an appointment and you can come and watch.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Make an appointment and you can come and watch.

:smug: Ok, seriously now, how do you get through a pressed concrete post biff55 without hammer action?

Most "hammer" action drills I have seen and used over 30 years don't even start to make an impression. The only way I have managed to drill into a pressed concrete steel reinforced post is using an SDS drill. with the hammer action most definately on.

Without it you will just sit there watching the bit get hot ?

Just confused? Do you have a secret method?

Just wondering if you are on the wind up ... ?

S.

 

[Guest55]

You only have to drill in the first half inch without hammeraction before switching it on to prevent cracking on the surface.
And modern fence post concrete isnt particually dense , rather powdery i find.
And if your just plugging for a cable cleat , then youre only drilling 30mm deep with a 5.5mm bit , quality sds bit should cope.
Dont see what all the fuss is about to be honest.
And i find it best not to take forum debates too seriously

 

[SPARTYKUS]

You only have to drill in the first half inch without hammeraction before switching it on to prevent cracking on the surface.
And modern fence post concrete isnt particually dense , rather powdery i find.
And if your just plugging for a cable cleat , then youre only drilling 30mm deep with a 5.5mm bit , quality sds bit should cope.
Dont see what all the fuss is about to be honest.
And i find it best not to take forum debates too seriously

no fuss, it's a forum!

I'm glad you don't take them seriously.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Guest55]

You're welcome lol.
Every day has a new arguement to get stuck into , thats how i look at it ;-)

 

[ackbarthestar]

If I couldn't bury it, I'd be inclined to run the SWA inside some polythene cable duct to protect the sheath from garden tools. (Like the blue underground water pipe, but black.)

I'd agree. Its very useful if penetrating deep into a flowerbed. But difficult to maneuver around a path.
....and as for drilling preformed reinforced concrete posts with a non-impact drill - lol

 

[HandySparks]

I'd agree. Its very useful if penetrating deep into a flowerbed. But difficult to maneuver around a path.
....and as for drilling preformed reinforced concrete posts with a non-impact drill - lol

Yes, it's not very flexible. If you have to have tight bends, then the twin wall corrugated stuff might do the job, but the minimum size commonly available round here is 63mm OD I think, so quite bulky.

 

[ackbarthestar]

Yes, it's not very flexible. If you have to have tight bends, then the twin wall corrugated stuff might do the job, but the minimum size commonly available round here is 63mm OD I think, so quite bulky.

We've used the corrugated pipe as well with some success. The Polyethylene water pipe is the best. You can hit that stuff all day with a pick axe and the SWA inside is still unaffected.

The main point here though is: If the job is done properly then you would normally do a risk assessment and calculate the likelihood of damage and take precautions. In some cases, quite expensive, plants and undergrowth withstanding. Ideally, conduits are laid in trenches with inspection hatches while the planning and earthworks are being established with termination boxes placed in the hatches and further pipework to the point of utilization. Anything less in the planning stages is just DIY. - lol

 

[telectrix]

you been smoking them funny smokes again, rodney?

 

[DPG]

Mastering every electric powered opinions you could be able to assistance in producing ones back garden to take a look much more wonderful and protection./

I liking assistance for garden in with gates. Electric wires possibly due to stoats. Daz

 

[wildgoose]

Think of a more positive message for this customer who is concerned about his bedding plants!

After April 6th he'll be able to do it himself anyway. Then I'm sure it will be a safe and compliant installation