Electrican & Plumber advice needed please?

Builderwoman!

Getting garden sorted out and before we do we need to run a cable down the garden to our shed. What type of cable and protective casing should we use? Our electrician is away on holiday and we need to just put cable down in the next couple of days before it's too late and garden's levelled and sowed before he gets back. Any advice welcomed. We will of course be leaving all the connecting up to him.

Same issue...we need to run a pipe for water down garden...what type of pipe do we use? We have a connection on the patio area and just want to run water down garden now and could possibly connect this up ourselves if we knew what type of pipe to use? Any advice please?

billy_beckham

On the electrical end here's some recycled info from an old thread, as regards depth etc of cable. On what size SWA to use....well depends on what you are going to be doing in shed. If its just lights and one or two sockets i would think 6mm would suffice...

Originally Posted by stevec
ETCI 2005 edition says:


Cables in the ground shall be protected against impact and other mechanical damage by:
- suitable mechanical protection in accordance with 522.6.6.1 and
- installation at a depth in the ground in compliance with Table 52B.
Where there is a risk of impact or other mechanical damage or where future excavation or similar activity is likely,
additional measures shall be taken such as:
- supplementary mechanical protection consisting of tiles, concrete slabs or metallic covers; or
- installation at sufficient depth.
Suitable indication shall be provided above a buried cable at a distance of approximately 300mm vertically below
the completed surface or midway, whichever is the lesser.

Table 52B states:
The minimum depth for SWA in domestic gardens is 450mm
Non armoured cable must be laid in pipe at min. 300mm

Builderwoman!

Thanks Billy...we probably need three or four flouresents in our rather large shed and a couple of double sockets. Pardon my ignonrance but what's non armoured cable?

watchingandwait

If your unsure what cable to use, you could just lay ducting in the ground and pull through whatever wiring, plumbing you need at a later stage. If its a long run, put a rope in now to safe hassle trying to fish the wiring through at a later stage.

Stoner

loads of good advice here builderwoman.

Don't bother worrying about non armoured cable, as billy said 3x6.sq.mm SWA would be the way to go, and have it installed in a pipe, and pull an alarm and phone cable in with it while you are at it.

BTW how did you get on with pricing the electircal installation? were you "looked after" I sent you and approx cost and spreed sheet but i never heard back.

Builderwoman!

Thanks guys, great advice there about the pipe Watching. Thank a mill Stoner, like the idea of a phone cable...then if hubby is hiding in the shed or polytunnel beside it and doesn't have his mobile with him I could keep ringing until he answered!!!!!! Stoner regarding the electrical installation would you believe it if I told you it's still not sorted?! Never deal with family because this is what happens. He still hasn't produced any invoicing and my husband believes it is because we have really paid him enough to actually cover the job and he cannot justify the rest. He's only a young lad and really hasn't a clue about business. We've firmly left the ball in his court and it's up to him to come back to us now. Thanks so much for the spreadsheet you sent me, I thought I had responded to you by pm. Sincere apologies for not doing so. Using your spreadsheet he was over pricing! Anyway he's away at the moment and if he agrees to run this cable we'll be happy to pay him for it and if not we'll just get someone else in soon to do this job and finish off a few other unfinished bits. We cannot wait around indefinitely. Finally, do you mind me asking what kind of pipe to use? I need to go and order it in the next day or so and haven't a clue what to get?!

Stoner

Builderwoman, standard black 2" hydrodare piping would do at the levels recommended by the lads above

Builderwoman!

Thanks Stoner and all. Much appreciated.

LegacyUser

Builderwoman! wrote:

Our electrician is away on holiday and we need to just put cable down in the next couple of days before it's too late and garden's levelled and sowed before he gets back. We will of course be leaving all the connecting up to him. Any advice please?

advise to leave it up to your electrician and plumber who will know what they're talking about.... as you say you will of course be leaving the connecting up to them so leave them do the whole thing and stop trying to save money by doing things half -@rsed yourself - total false economy at the end of the day.. they are the pros and should know what they're doing - if they dont then maybe you should consider doing all the connecting up yourself:D

Mr Magnolia

Is it a long distance from your house to your shed builderwoman?

@ponyumbrella: you don't have to be a pro to put a cable in the ground. Perhaps the OP has a landscaper coming and can't wait for the electrician. Either way advice was asked for, and advice was given. I don't see what you added to the thread really.

Builderwoman!

You hit the nail on the head Magnolia! The shed is about 30 metres from the house I think!