Supply to summer house.

[PAD66]

Been asked to install 3 X sockets 1 X light 1 X PIR light into a summer house. The building is 45 mtrs away from the house and I'm unable to wire back to the board. My plan is to take a fused spur of the ring and use a 4mm SWA to feed the summerhouse. In summerhouse I intend to install a 2 way garage unit for the circuits. My query is would you use a RCD main switch or a normal isolator. The ring Is RCD protected already. My other question is this a minor works or installation certificate. My thoughts are minor works as it is an alteration to an existing circuit.
Thanks.

 

[PAD66]

Have tried to think of another way to do it. Can't get back to board as it is at the other side of house, has double height hall way with no way across. Going around the outside is not an option either, so going off the ring seems to be the only option. My plan is to have a switched fused spur at the house end and a 20 amp switch in the summer house to provide a local means of isolation if required, then fuse the lights down to 5amp. Not ideal but cost effective, as long is the test are within regs. Not ashamed to admit I've retrained was TV engineer for 15 yrs, put my self through night school for 2 years to get my qualifications, still learning aiming to do my NVQ.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Nothing wrong with that if it's the only cost effective way, as long as total load is within 13a!

 

[davesparks]

Oh yes, as long as the tests are within regs then it must be ok!
Don't worry about the reg which requires good workmanship or any other nonsense like that, if you start paying attention to that then you'll be in danger of taking pride in doing a good job!

 

[Dave OCD]

And why exactly will that method not be a good job ?

 

[PAD66]

Have not taken any offence to the criticism of design. That's why I asked the question, guys on here have far more experience. Not had the advantage of an apprenticeship, but did my city and guilds level 3 as a service engineer so do no a thing or two about ohms law etc. Have done my 2395/2394 as well. What lets me down is the experience of the best way of tackling certain jobs.

 

[Pete999]

Have tried to think of another way to do it. Can't get back to board as it is at the other side of house, has double height hall way with no way across. Going around the outside is not an option either, so going off the ring seems to be the only option. My plan is to have a switched fused spur at the house end and a 20 amp switch in the summer house to provide a local means of isolation if required, then fuse the lights down to 5amp. Not ideal but cost effective, as long is the test are within regs. Not ashamed to admit I've retrained was TV engineer for 15 yrs, put my self through night school for 2 years to get my qualifications, still learning aiming to do my NVQ.

Good for you Mate, perhaps if you had mentioned you were still learning you might have got a more sympathetic response, certainly my reply would have been less caustic.

 

[Octopus]

Maybe the OP should be allowed in the trainee section so he can post in their and get useful advice and confirmation from the contributors out of the way of prying eyes and the general public?

 

[Englishman]

I used a similar system to the OP a few months back. In all fairness, I had nothing to do with the design of it. A girl at work (painter) had just had a summer house built and wanted power, she'd had a piece of 4mm armoured that had been down years and wanted connecting. It was also spurred off the ring via a 13a FCU. I just put a 20a isolator as it entered the summer house, ran 3 sockets, and fused down the lighting to 3a.

However, as stated, I hadn't designed the whole lot, and was merely working with existing. All tested out fine, and I saw no major problems with the operation of it.

 

[sparksburnout]

Nothing wrong with that if it's the only cost effective way, as long as total load is within 13a!

Exactly, it's a SUMMERhouse, not an aluminium smelter.

 

[7029 dave]

Emm, it's all too easy to say this an that, not the best design, but nothing wrong with it, providing the ccc an ocpd/ testes are all in order,it is very difficult out there in the real world,if the job might be jeopardized all because of price, I absolutely hated battling with clients, you gave them the best solutions an advice, an them trying to get you to work for next to nothing and the cheapest way, in an lot of ways thank goodness for newer regs= rcd's split boards rcbo's. part p ( had to throw that in tee hee)

 

[jeremy]

Just out of interest, what type of earthing system is it, what's the Zs at the point you're taking off, what size of breaker is supplying it?

 

[Hellmooth]

Not everyone knows the answers to everything Davesparks we're not all blessed like yourself :tongue3:

Nothing wrong with asking others better methods, even if you do know the answers, confirmation is helpful, and sometimes we ask questions without thinking them through!

Hostility is now in the other forum, let it stay there.

 

[HandySparks]

I really don't have a problem with this sort of installation. I've just quoted to run a supply to a tiny summerhouse. They want a double socket to plug in a small tubular heater to take the chill off plus a radio and a couple of wall lights. No problem taking this off a socket circuit via a SFCU. Max load is probably going to be less than 3A.

On the other hand, I'm doing two 'garden office' supplies this week. Both on 32A dedicated circuits.

 

[PAD66]

It's a TNCS system, the ZS of the circuit is 0.62 and is on a 32amp mcb

 

[PEG]

It's a TNCS system, the ZS of the circuit is 0.62 and is on a 32amp mcb

...Nice return-of-the-ball,with some stout facts...fair play:clap:

 

[DPG]

What you do in your own house is up to you, but if you sell that to a customer as an installation design then that's a different matter.

I don't see how spurring from a ring circuit to feed a summer house gives good segregation of circuits or minimises the potential disruption in the event of a fault.

I really don't see the point in replies like this, and the forum is risking going back to it's 'unfriendly' nature which it had a few months ago.

What is wrong with an FCU on the ring feeding a summer house with minimal load. Potential disruption is minimised, fusing is appropriate, RCD protection is in place. He's already looked in to going direct back to the board and can't so at least he's considered it.

Daz

Daz