Outdoor Heating, Blind Motors, New Circuits - Brain hurts!

[gembrain]

So, with the house job nearly completed, the wife wants some outside heating and the blind man needs to connect his motors for the new outside blinds coming...

HEATER
She’s found a 2kw infra red heater that, while I’m not keen on trailing cables on the deck will probably do the job if it’s close. I can easily add an external socket off the downstairs RFC which is RCBO protected. I assume I can do that myself?

If I want a tidy job with a heater on the wall and an isolator switch does it then become a fixed 2kw appliance needing it’s own circuit? Bearing in mind how infrequently it will be used it seems a bit daft.

BLIND MOTORS
They had asked for a 16 amp supply (with isolation at the CU) but when he turned up said it would be max 8 amps even with all motors working at once. So he said he could just plug it in - so separate circuit (which wasn’t ready anyway!) not needed. OK or not?

MORE HEATERS
Ideally there would be 2*2kw heaters mounted high up but the only “conduit” that could be used from the CU would be the 20mm (external) yellow pipe that I put in that goes under all the floors and comes out under the deck. It was going to be for some LED lighting The pipe is too small for a hituf or SWA 4mm cable and with an internal of 15mm I can’t see a 2.5mm going through easily either.

So, for 2 heaters it would be one new not tough cable in unapproved conduit for one heater, an external FCU off the RFC for the other, and external JB’s to tidy it all together. So seems like a no-no to me!

Professional comments to add to my list of opinions?!

Sorry for such a long post....

 

[Pete999]

So, with the house job nearly completed, the wife wants some outside heating and the blind man needs to connect his motors for the new outside blinds coming...

HEATER
She’s found a 2kw infra red heater that, while I’m not keen on trailing cables on the deck will probably do the job if it’s close. I can easily add an external socket off the downstairs RFC which is RCBO protected. I assume I can do that myself?

If I want a tidy job with a heater on the wall and an isolator switch does it then become a fixed 2kw appliance needing it’s own circuit? Bearing in mind how infrequently it will be used it seems a bit daft.

BLIND MOTORS
They had asked for a 16 amp supply (with isolation at the CU) but when he turned up said it would be max 8 amps even with all motors working at once. So he said he could just plug it in - so separate circuit (which wasn’t ready anyway!) not needed. OK or not?

MORE HEATERS
Ideally there would be 2*2kw heaters mounted high up but the only “conduit” that could be used from the CU would be the 20mm (external) yellow pipe that I put in that goes under all the floors and comes out under the deck. It was going to be for some LED lighting The pipe is too small for a hituf or SWA 4mm cable and with an internal of 15mm I can’t see a 2.5mm going through easily either.

So, for 2 heaters it would be one new not tough cable in unapproved conduit for one heater, an external FCU off the RFC for the other, and external JB’s to tidy it all together. So seems like a no-no to me!

Professional comments to add to my list of opinions?!

Sorry for such a long post....

You need to get Professional help here, hire an Electrician to design and install the circuitry required for the equipment you need, bodging the job is not an option.

 

[gembrain]

Thanks Pete,

Ignoring the dual heater set-up (which would require design and installation) I’ve never read anything against external sockets off a ring other than the obvious tripping risk.

While it’s certainly not an elegant solution does the use of a plug in an IP66 switched socket for the blinds motors actually break any regs?

Thanks

 

[gembrain]

Cancel the question - done some more reading

Sparky time!

 

[GeorgeCooke]

External heaters are VERY environmentally unfriendly. You cannot heat the outside. Get her to think again. If it is that cold don't go outside or buy some woolies.

 

[telectrix]

infra red heaters on push-for- ON timers would be a good idea. just keep you warm when outside. used with good effect in the leper colony wall free sheds ( smokers' areas) at loads of pubs.

 

[gembrain]

Thanks both.

Agree on external heating generally and happily the idea of dual fixed heaters is now off the agenda. A single plug in infra red table heater for when required is now the agreed choice. And I’m sure I can find a shed to hide it in....

I’ve contacted my electrician who has now moved back local and can (hopefully still) put up with all my questions