Summer house installation

Hi guys!

I'm starting to plan out the garden and going to build a relatively average sized summer house, and wondered what would be required in order to wire it up from the consumer unit at the house.

Can anyone tell me the basics of what would be required, such as whether it could be something as simple as another ring main off the consumer unit for sockets only in there, and as this would be a separate building probably 20m away from the house (from one end of the plot to the other where the consumer unit is to the summer house) whether this poses any issues, and how the cables should be routed?

Ideally id like to do as much as I can before getting an electrician in to wire it, but id like some expert opinions on how this should be done, and done right, before speaking to a local electrician. Alternatively if you have any websites that could give me an indication on how this should be done, that would also be appreciated!

Thanks for any information you can provide  

Probably all you could usefully contribute is the donkey work of digging the trench to lay a steel wire armoured cable.

Consumer unit in the garage is useful as you just have to get your SWA cable from there out through a wall, across the garden and up into the summer house.

I am delighted when the customer is willing to do the digging.

ProDave said:

Probably all you could usefully contribute is the donkey work of digging the trench to lay a steel wire armoured cable.

Consumer unit in the garage is useful as you just have to get your SWA cable from there out through a wall, across the garden and up into the summer house.

I am delighted when the customer is willing to do the digging.

Click to expand...

I'm sure a mini digger will make light work of it! 

Is there any particular rating to the SWA cable thats required or would it just be the equivalent of 2x 2.5mm twin and earth to make a ring? to be honest ill probably need to lay that first given the plans (levelling the garden, decking etc), is this something i could buy myself? would it need to be cut to size or can you trim it at the point where you needed it to go etc as ive never had the pleasure of using it before

Also, will it just be a case of wiring up to the consumer unit? or will it require other fusing added on? (im not an electrician, just more interested in getting it right)

Also as the consumer unit is on the wall inside the garage, im assuming itll need to go out of the wall, travel down the wall to a particular depth (any idea what depth is required?) and then travel along at that depth up into the summer house. Would it need some kind of metal trunking as it comes out of the garage wall and down into the ground to travel to the summer house? What would you use?

ProDave said:

I am delighted when the customer is willing to do the digging.

Click to expand...

same here. especially when the one i looked at the other day will be about 120m, if they want me to dig it, ill be getting someone in with a mini digger

nfs2000 said:

Is there any particular rating to the SWA cable thats required or would it just be the equivalent of 2x 2.5mm twin and earth to make a ring? to be

Click to expand...

Forget the word  .." Ring"  for a start .  You don't need to extend a ring down there  .    You'll just be wiring a sub-supply   

Now you need to decide what load you require in the summerhouse  .      Just a  plug & a light perhaps .  Do you want any heating  in there ?     The load determines the cable size . 

Evans Electric said:

Forget the word  .." Ring"  for a start .  You don't need to extend a ring down there  .    You'll just be wiring a sub-supply   

Now you need to decide what load you require in the summerhouse  .      Just a  plug & a light perhaps .  Do you want any heating  in there ?     The load determines the cable size . 

Click to expand...

Erring on the side of caution id say 4 double sockets for appliances to provide music, TV, maybe an electric heater but not sure so lets say yes to that, and the Mrs has just mentioned a hot tub on one side of it . Id rather go overkill on the cable size though so i know its safe.

My advice would be to run a separate submain to the summer house, any faults on the summer house will take out the main property sockets if there's a fault.

As you have mentioned a hot tub then this needs to be designed properly, you need to know the size of the tub you want to install.

As for sockets and lighting, how big is the summer house?

What type of hot tub? Inflatable or fixed, will give two different cable requirements. 

Sidney said:

My advice would be to run a separate submain to the summer house, any faults on the summer house will take out the main property sockets if there's a fault.

As you have mentioned a hot tub then this needs to be designed properly, you need to know the size of the tub you want to install.

As for sockets and lighting, how big is the summer house?

Click to expand...

Minimum size will be around 7m x 3m for the summer house

Hot tub will be fixed, no ideas on size, still at the ideas stage but ive got a feeling from the mrs itll be happening. Cant imagine any more than one for 6/8 people though as thats where they get huge i think. 

And yes, this is all part of my planning, knowing i need a proper installation im at the information gathering stage  

Is the hot tub going IN the summerhouse?

you need to define the equipment you want to use in said summer house in a list with model numbers, then you need the distance between your fuseboard and the summer house. you'll probably be looking at a 2nd fuseboard in the summerhouse

then find a couple of sparks round to discuss .... 

where are you in the UK ? rates vary A LOT

Murdoch said:

you need to define the equipment you want to use in said summer house in a list with model numbers, then you need the distance between your fuseboard and the summer house. you'll probably be looking at a 2nd fuseboard in the summerhouse

then find a couple of sparks round to discuss .... 

where are you in the UK ? rates vary A LOT

Click to expand...

About 30 miles north of Manchester, cost isnt the issue its the logistics of whats needed where and in what order. Im a project manager so organising it isnt a problem, but this is the reason im here, information gathering. I appreciate there may be only so much that can be done without getting someone on site to review it properly and if thats the case thats fine, but ive already found out a lot more than i did at the beginning of looking into this through looking through this site and your replies so far.

ProDave said:

Is the hot tub going IN the summerhouse?

Click to expand...

im thinking itll be either inside something like this:

https://www.wayfair.co.uk/garden/pdp/sol-72-outdoor-monreal-19-x-10-ft-tongue-and-groove-summer-house-qblt1137.html

or under a pergola like this at the side of a slimmer summer house:

https://www.wayfair.co.uk/garden/pdp/sol-72-outdoor-randi-manufactured-wood-pergola-rcgf1250.html

No decision has been made on that yet, but im guessing that makes a difference being outside as itll need to be waterproofed connections?

IMHO the first thing that you need to do is find a local electrician to do the work for you... this will be notifiable under Part P of the building regulations so it'll be easier for you to get someone who can self certify the work for you..

While they're there, if you want to do some of the work ask them what they'd be happy for you to do.... Im sure that they'd be very happy for you to do the digging of a trench, but I guess that'll be it

Find a local "competent person" here

https://www.competentperson.co.uk

The electrician that you choose will have to design the sub-main and circuits for the load that you say that you want to connect to it, so it's very important that you think it through properly... we don't have "cooker", "socket" or "lighting" sized cables.... there's no such thing

NozSpark said:

IMHO the first thing that you need to do is find a local electrician to do the work for you... this will be notifiable under Part P of the building regulations so it'll be easier for you to get someone who can self certify the work for you..

While they're there, if you want to do some of the work ask them what they'd be happy for you to do.... Im sure that they'd be very happy for you to do the digging of a trench, but I guess that'll be it

Find a local "competent person" here

https://www.competentperson.co.uk

The electrician that you choose will have to design the sub-main and circuits for the load that you say that you want to connect to it, so it's very important that you think it through properly... we don't have "cooker", "socket" or "lighting" sized cables.... there's no such thing

Click to expand...

Thanks for the information, next year when i look to make a start ill do just that. I appreciate the info


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