Outside socket

[bobsbeer]

Calling all sparkies. I plan on fitting an outside socket. I am going to run it as an extension of the upstairs ringmain as I plan to plug in our caravan so the heating, fridge etc can be switched on before we go away etc. (Caravan would be drawing less than 5 amps) I plan to run some trunking down the wall and connect up to a double outside weatherproof socket like this one. By tapping into the upstairs ring it has the least power load, and having a double socket means I could plug in a hoover at the same time if needed. Can you see any potential problems? Or should I run it as a 13 amp fused spur and knock off the heating if other appliances were required?

 

[GAZ9053]

Sounds fine to me, although I believe an outside socket should either be installed be a part P registered spark or tested by your local building control. (doing it legally ) I assume you are using 2.5mm twin and earth for your spur from the ring?

 

[morethanworts]

Sounds fine to me, although I believe an outside socket should either be installed be a part P registered spark or tested by your local building control. (doing it legally ) I assume you are using 2.5mm twin and earth for your spur from the ring?

A wise warning. Perhaps scroll down to Minor works on this link to the government planning portal, and decide for yourself if it is notifiable, or requires any outside intervention.

 

[bobsbeer]

Umm. Looks like I need to get a Competent Person or get it certified. But what if I run it as an extension, using flex cable in the trunking and plug it into an inside socket, rather than a fused spur box? Not ideal, but the extension would be still fused at 13 amp in the plug into the ringmain. Or would that still be classed as a permanent installation, even though it could be unplugged?

 

[GAZ9053]

Doing it as a plugged in extension wont come under the fixed wiring regs I dont think, just make sure you are still RCD protected for yours and others safety, I would RCD the plugged in side personally so as the whole cable is protected not just what is plugged in at the end.

 

[bobsbeer]

Maybe I'll put a rcd plug on the end to be plugged in. That way the whole lot is protected.

 

[morethanworts]

Only slightly off topic, because your circuit is for a different use, but I had my FV heaters connected through a plugin RCD in the shed last winter, only for a power cut to trip it overnight. RCDs don't tend to reset themselves when the power is restored, for safety reasons, so the wort started to go cold. I'm glad I hadn't gone away for a night or two.

Perhaps our shed should be covered by an RCD from the fusebox anyway. It will be redone when our garage gets rewired soon, but you'd perhaps need something likethis with an auto reset (at huge expense!) to protect against power cuts spoiling your beer, or defrosting your extra freezer in the garage etc. Sorry, probably deserves its own thread...

 

[GAZ9053]

Yep that would do it. You require a latched RCD to prevent power cut turning it off. If you have an RCD fuse board you don't need a plugged in RCD.

 

[bobsbeer]

Our main fuseboard is not rcd protected so a plug rcd will be needed. Thanks

 

[danb]

if you are wiring from the main board go with a rcbo. this is what I have for the brewery supply but on the none rcd side of the house board. so the cable is protected from the house and if it was to trip it wouldn't trip something else in the house or vice versa. when theres a power cut it comes back on by itself though. although I think the rcbo would have been around £30.

 

[GAZ9053]

Not forgetting a single 2.5 twin and earth cable can only have a 20A rcbo fitted maximum.