Get power to garage behind our house?

kinger8938

kinger8938

kinger8938

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Basically we are in a new build and the garage is behind the house and not actually attached to the land/property so it didnt have power to it from the start. Our neighbours garden is longer and extends to the rear of our garages so they have a door to theres and it is powered

Im wondering if its possible to have power put in to our garage or was there some reason it was done like this in the first place?
 
And be careful with the earthing arrangements.

If your PME/TNCS you cannot export the earth beyond the building its supplied to, that's not just wiring regs but stipulated under PME rules from your network operator.

It's possible but you'd need to run the outbuilding as TT earthing and make sure the 2 earthing systems are not interconnected as you will have different potentials (dangerous potentially)
 
Just string a cable up on a high pole above your garage to your property. It's what they do here where some streets have garages/gardens at the other side of a back lane access road.
 
Lumeycom said:
And be careful with the earthing arrangements.

If your PME/TNCS you cannot export the earth beyond the building its supplied to, that's not just wiring regs but stipulated under PME rules from your network operator.
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I am going to call your bluff on this one Im afraid, where does BS7671 prohibit this?
 
BS7671 rarely probits anything being an advisory and non statutory document.

I'll explain a little if you want to go down bluff calling.

PME earths often float a little above true earth due to their nature, partly due to volt drop down the neutral side of the DNO network and also due to induced fault currents from the many properties connected to it. This means that there is 'likely' to be a potential difference (ie voltage) between the PME earth and True earth. Exporting a PME earth beyond the equipotential bonding zone is considered bad practice due to the above and the plentiful availability of a true earth outside the zone (ie the earth/ground/floor/metalwork contacting the floor/etc itself) So while there is nothing specifically written to say its forbidden there is plenty in there about design earth currents and voltages that you would struggle to meet with an inherent potential difference.

You can do it but you should supply a bonding conductor to the outbuilding of, at least, the same size as the incoming earth from your PME cutout, that way your bringing the outbuilding, effectively, into the equipotential zone. Often the practice of running a suitably sized earth (and suitably derated for route and length, also mechanically protected if appropriate) will prohibit this.

If you want the in's and outs go buy the IET Guidance Note 7 (Special Locations) and also to a point in Guidance note 1.

edit - its likely one of the reasons that new builds do not have supplies in their outbuildings as its difficult to fully comply given that 'most' new builds will have PME cutouts
 
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LeeUK said:
Just string a cable up on a high pole above your garage to your property. It's what they do here where some streets have garages/gardens at the other side of a back lane access road.
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Not sure if you allowed to do this, running a cable through / over someone elses or public land...and if allowed would you be responsible if any accident happens?

Also might not be practical as it should be a minimum of 2.5m high or 3.5m if vehicle access below.
 
Lumeycom said:
BS7671 rarely probits anything being an advisory and non statutory document.
You can do it but you should supply a bonding conductor to the outbuilding of, at least, the same size as the incoming earth from your PME cutout, that way your bringing the outbuilding, effectively, into the equipotential zone. Often the practice of running a suitably sized earth (and suitably derated for route and length, also mechanically protected if appropriate) will prohibit this.
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If one is exporting the equipotential zone to a satellite building then:

1) The protective conductor would need sizing in accordance with table 54.8 , which may not require it to be as large as the earthing conductor. I.e. it needs to be sized as per the requirements for main protective bonding, rather than equal to the earthing conductor from the cutout

2) This is only relevant if you have services in the satellite building which require bonding, a brick built garage is unlikely to.

If you want the in's and outs go buy the IET Guidance Note 7 (Special Locations) and also to a point in Guidance note 1.
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I cannot see that GN7 would have anything usful as a domestic garage is not a special location. I will consult GN1 however I do not beleive it will tell me much, I do remember trying to consult GN8 on the issue a few years back an finding very little written on it.

edit - its likely one of the reasons that new builds do not have supplies in their outbuildings as its difficult to fully comply given that 'most' new builds will have PME cutouts
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I would have thought cost cutting has more to do with it.


At the end of the day its upto the designer to consider whether to accept the minor risk of slighly elevated earth potentials, to to go down the route of creating a TT island and relying on an RCD (which could fail) for ADS. I would have no issue with taking the PME to a detached garage on a housing estate
 
HardwareGeek said:
Not sure if you allowed to do this, running a cable through / over someone elses or public land...and if allowed would you be responsible if any accident happens?

Also might not be practical as it should be a minimum of 2.5m high or 3.5m if vehicle access below.
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Where I've seen this done the cables have obviously been there 20-30 years+ probably put up in the days when no one gave a ****. :)

Must be high enough as bin lorries get down.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.1...4!1s1yaT2wutGsfcPTXCpKQMvA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
 
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Unfortunatly the exit to our neighbours garden in between us and out garage, so it would need to cross someone elses land. I would probably get someone in to do it just wondered it if was actually possible/allowed
 
Have you asked your neighbours if they'd mind you laying a buried armoured cable through their property to your garage?
 
amigafan2003 said:
Have you asked your neighbours if they'd mind you laying a buried armoured cable through their property to your garage?
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I havent mate, this is the sort of thing i dint know about so now i know what to ask lol

To complicate things, they dont own that house. The chap bought it when we bought ours but he rents it out so would have to contact him i imagine
 
Can you knock up a quick paint diagram just so we know the layout you're describing?
 
amigafan2003 said:
Can you knock up a quick paint diagram just so we know the layout you're describing?
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house.png


then to the left would be another semi that matches ours
 
cadmunkey said:
A new build and they didn't lay power to your garage?? Get onto the developer about it!
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It's because the garage and the house are separated by a different plot. It's fairly standard practice not to put power into a garage in this scenario, and unless the spec specifically states the garage will have power it will be a complete waste of time having any conversation with the developer.

My neighbor next door doesn't have power to his garage as my house is between his and the garage. I was fully expecting him to ask me about it but it's not something they have ever raised.
 
kinger8938 said:
just think it would be useful some day, pitch black out the back in winter, no lighting over the garage area/parking,
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It's just a thought, but if it's just lighting you need then you could look at a getting 12 volt lights and running them off a leisure battery with a solar charger. However you won't have much luck running a tumble dryer.
 
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