Power to shed for 1 heater

Hi

I wondered if anyone could please guide me. I have a 16ft shed 6 meters away from the house in the garden which I bought to make into a cat play room / foster room for the odd stray cat or for mine to play in. They might never use it! But I want to heat it just in case they decide to. I am getting really high quotes for running an armoured cable from the house to the shed for something that may be a total flop in terms of use.

I was wondering if I could run an extension cable from the internal house socket, through a hosepipe for protection and into the shed and making the wire watertight etc. It will only run one small oil filled radiator which I think is 150w as I will use solar lighting in there and the radiator will be on probably 5-8 hours per day, maybe less.

The other option one electrician said was to fit an outside plug socket and either connect it to the main board or to another internal socket and run it from there and then run the extension from this as he said this would give more protection from overloading?

I am reluctant to spend out £250-350 for the full proper instalation in case they dont use it but if they do then long term I will  do this plus it's a rented property so don't want to be spending a bomb.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

You say "high quotes"

Maybe they aren't high, and are just what they cost.

Are you the tenant or owner? 

They're not high for the quality work etc but high for something that may never get used. I am a tenant. If I owned I would go for this option from the off as could always use the shed for something else but with it being so up in the air,  I want to 'trial it' so to speak first

The extension lead will of course "work" but it's obviously a hazard.  Please don't tell me you were considering burying it in the ground inside a hose pipe.

If all you want is a bit of heat and don't want to do a proper job of the electrics (understandable if you are a tenant not owner) then think outside the box. Go to your local camping shop and buy a portable gamping gas heater, and gas cartridges for it.

Thanks Dave. I was going to suspend the hose/extension on the fence to keep it from the ground.

I would love a cheap camping heater but just a bit worried about the cats knocking it over and causing a fire. I have been looking for solar heaters but not had much luck

As you say, as a tenant it wouldn't be wise to pay for permanent supply for something that may not be used or that in my opinion should be the landlords responsibility, if directly connected into the fixed wiring supply. I would probably think the external socket with a lead could be the most economical first option. But garden hose is a daft idea. Better with some PVC conduit, ridged or flexible such as:    https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p49964?table=no  or   https://www.screwfix.com/p/tower-conduit-heavy-gauge-20mm-x-3m-length-black/7980p   assuming a suitable route with appropriate fixings is available. An external weatherproof double socket could well be a benefit for the landlord as well, and they may be willing to contribute to such an improvement to the property.  Get a quote for a double socket for starters and ask if the landlord would pay half with you?

Doc H.

Thanks so much Doc Hudson, this is the stuff I have been looking for but had no idea what it was called which is how I came up with a hose pipe :/ Was never really ideal LOL.

I have just spoken with an electrician and they have said the most cost effective option is to put an external socket back to back with the internal socket and run it from there he said it will be safe enough so thats reassuring. I will order some of this conduit stuff today as well for it

Another satisfied customer to the UKs friendliest forum!  

Indeed Thanks so much for everyone's help I have been googling for about a week trying to find the answer and here we go

^^ well, what does your landlord have to say about it?

I haven't spoken to him about it but will do. I don't think he will contribute as it's for my own purpose but no harm in asking

Kelly1977 said:

I haven't spoken to him about it but will do. I don't think he will contribute as it's for my own purpose but no harm in asking

Click to expand...

Unless you have some very obscure tenant agreement, I would think you have a legal obligation to seek your landlords permission to modify the property electrical installation before you do anything. The landlord has a legal responsibility to ensure all the essential services, Gas/Water/Electricity are functional and safe for his tenants to use. If tenants are allowed to modify or change any of it without the landlords consent, or without obtaining the relevant test certificates to ensure that the modification are compliant with current regulations and do not endanger the property or its users, then the landlord would have difficulties proving they have as far as reasonably practical adopted a good duty o care toward their tenants.

Doc H.     

As a landlord, I would be happy for the tenant to fit an outside socket, providing he gave me the courtesy of asking first, that it was done by a qualified electrician and the electrician left the EIC for the work.  Oh and that the socket remained when the tenant moved out (so as not to leave empty holes in the wall)

ProDave said:

As a landlord, I would be happy for the tenant to fit an outside socket, providing he gave me the courtesy of asking first, that it was done by a qualified electrician and the electrician left the EIC for the work.  Oh and that the socket remained when the tenant moved out (so as not to leave empty holes in the wall)

Click to expand...

or MWC, since i doubt itll be a new circuit