UK Running power to garden room

[Spinfaster]

Hi all.

I'm thinking about adding a garden office and will obviously need power. Can power be taken from a normal plug socket somewhere at the rear of the house, or does it need its own circuit from the main consumer unit? If it needs it's own circuit it's a non starter project as I don;t want to rip up flooring or damage ceilings!

Cheers!

 

[brianmoooore]

It can be taken from a 13A socket, subject to certain provisos, but it's definitely bad practice. I wouldn't even take it from the CU, but from a stand alone s/fuse along side it.

 

[SJD]

If you are installing a new circuit from the consumer unit (or separate switch/fuse) there might be other options apart from ripping up floors and ceilings. Often SWA through nearest outside wall, then routed to said outbuilding, either clipped to the outside wall or suitably buried in a trench, or some combination.

 

[brianmoooore]

If you can determine whether the first floor joists are running the correct way, it might be worth drilling a hole in the outside wall, between ground floor ceiling and first floor ground level, at a carefully thought out position, and introducing a small camera to see what's in there. Depending on the internal upstairs wall type and the sort of strutting used, you may be able to get a cable right across the house.

 

[pc1966]

As above, you can run an extension-lead style of power supply provided you don't need anything like 13A or above.

If you have a modest heater, say no more then 2kW, a basic PC (not a monster gaming rig) and some LED lighting you can work with a 13A fed supply, but it is not ideal.

Even if you decide not to put in a dedicated circuit, you would be well advised to put in proper outdoor cable for your "extension lead on steroids". Ideally SWA (steel wire armoured cable) so it can be buried directly as needed, and fairly safe against small garden tool mistakes.

At the very lease something like NYY-J (not very flexible, basically like SWA but without the armour) or H07RN-F (flexible rubber cable as often used on power tools) if the cable run can be safely made without direct burial. For example if clipped to walls/fences, or run in proper duct where it has to go underground.

 

[Spinfaster]

Thanks all. For a bit more information I'm in a 200 year old terrace so can't run cable round the outside. I've also done all the floors and ceilings so I know there's no chance of running cable across the ceilings. I have two possible internal plug points that I could take from, both are on the kitchen circuit.

I've attached a pic of what I hope that plan would be. Coming out the back of the utility room socket, through the wall and then the appropriate cabling up to the new room.

 

[SJD]

I've done up to the loft, across the loft, and down again to get from front to back of an old terrace.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I don’t see much information on the first big question.
what electrical items will you want to power in the garden room?
Hot tub, heating, water heater, computers, how much lighting, fridge/freezer, pizza oven…

Only once that list has been created, can an estimate be made of the estimated maximum current needed.
Can’t suggest solutions without knowing this.

PS How far is the house from the garden room?

 

[Spinfaster]

@SJD - I did wonder about that but I have a double pitched roof, two lofts that aren't connected. I can't see a way of running cable under the gully that runs down the centre of the mine and the neighbours roofs.

@Taylortwocities - Sorry, the title said room, the description said office. So a couple of LED lights, laptop, 4K monitor and an appropriate heater for an 8ft x 6ft room.

Ta.

 

[Taylortwocities]

@Taylortwocities - Sorry, the title said room, the description said office. So a couple of LED lights, laptop, 4K monitor and an appropriate heater for an 8ft x 6ft room.

You could run that from a 13A fused spur, but not much more. Heating 2Kw soaks up a lot of the budget. No room for future proofing.

 

[brianmoooore]

PS How far is the house from the garden room?

 

[BurcLen]

It really depends on the items you're gonna use in your garden room. And the distance between your house and the garden room really matters

 

[James]

Please note, this thread is a year old.
they may have done it by now!!

 

[BurcLen]

Yeah, I'm sorry for reviving it, haven't noticed. I just wanted to warn the OP about the wiring system in the garden room. It's essential to know the actual purpose of the garden room before doing any work there. When I read an article on homegardenroom.com about the garden rooms, I understood what I did wrong from the start. I wanted to have a cinema/gaming room but neglected the importance of having a protected wiring system. So eventually, a short circuit damaged my TV and caused other minor problems. I was too careless, I admit it. I hope the OP didn't make such a mistake.