Spec me electrical cable to go outside.

Stonedofmoo · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:00

Hi all

I have 2 sheds at the end of my garden that have lights and plugs. I'm just about to tear these down and replace with a single larger shed as they are both rotten and nearly finished.

Now the wire going to those sheds is ordinary pvc coated cable and looking at it has been out there for some time. I don't trust it and want to change it for something suitable to go outside into the sun. It carrys across to the sheds from the house by means of two tall posts so its up in the air

Any suggestions for the cable? I presume I need some special shielded cable but a quick scan on a well known auction site didn't throw up anything obvious. I have a friend who is qualified for the wiring so I just need to buy the cable and actually run it from A to B.

Cheers :cool:

monkeyspank · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:05

ring your local electrical factors.

personally I'd use steel wire armoured 3 core, and bury it directly in the ground about a foot down.

Burnsy2023 · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:07

monkeyspank said:
personally I'd use steel wire armoured 3 core, and bury it directly in the ground about a foot down.

That's also what I'd do. Make sure that you have an RCD either side though

Burnsy

Mat · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:09

I'd personally run it through some conduit as well.

Stonedofmoo · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:19

Yeah I can run it through some conduit, but I don't want to make it a major job and run it through the gound when at the moment all I have to do is to run shielded cable along the existing path.

I shall try Electrical Factors then, I never knew such a group even existed

Bill101 · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:23

I'd ask your qualified friend as to what he is happiest working with, and maybe over spec it just to be on the safe side

Werewolf · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:42

Burnsy2023 said:
That's also what I'd do. Make sure that you have an RCD either side though

Burnsy

If he's terminating it in the shed maybe a mini (garage) fuse box?
We went
Fuse box - RCD - armoured cable - mini breaker box (with RCD and two breakers - 1 for lights and one for sockets) when we did our garage.

Probably overkill, but the price of the mini fuse/breaker box wasn't too high and lets us isolate the sockets or lights if needed.

Stonedofmoo · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:44

OK well the existing setup is:-

House: Fuse Box -> RCD -> Cable -> Shed fuse box -> Plugs, sockets.

I think the fuse box and RCD part is OK, I just want the cable changed to something suitable.

Dave M · 22 Apr 2008 at 15:52

some old hosepipe? I'd prefer to string it up high than along the floor too.