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Mar 28, 2021 21:33:30 GMT
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Hi guys - I figured this was the best place for this question...
I have a fused spur next to a couple of sockets in my garage run from a cable from the kitchen. I want to put some sockets down at the other end of the garage (there's a little workshop on the end of the garage) and a light in both areas. Can I use this fused spur for that? I literally have no idea what I'm doing so if you could explain like I'm 5 years old that'd be great! I will update this thread soon with my garage/workshop setup - just waiting until next month when oour shed goes up and all the toys and gardening stuff can be evicted!
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Mar 28, 2021 21:34:22 GMT
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Mar 28, 2021 23:01:20 GMT
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Get an electrician in to do it if in absolutely any doubt. In theory you may run multiple sockets of a fused spur as the fuse will protect the cable from overloading.
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Will you be using powerful equipment in the workshop (welder, lathe..)? IF so best get a qualified electrician to do the work.
For lights & normal hand tools (drills & grinders) an easy, quick, legal option is just to run an extension cable from the socket you have to the other end of the garage and use that. You can buy cable clips to hold the wire neatly in place.
Buy a decent heavy duty extension not one of the cheap lightweight types off the market, ideally you want it the right lenght so there's very little extra. The type on a roll / drum are fine but make sure you uncoil it all (saftey - look on google for fire risk from coiled extension cables).
If you're not sure just ask on here or try your local electrcian.
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Thanks guys, I'll be using a pillar drill, bench grinder, power tools and, occasionally, an arc welder.
I may have underplayed my understanding a tad - I'm not entirely useless when it comes to electrics but they're not my strong suit!
Can you run the lights from this point, too?
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Thanks guys, I'll be using a pillar drill, bench grinder, power tools and, occasionally, an arc welder. I may have underplayed my understanding a tad - I'm not entirely useless when it comes to electrics but they're not my strong suit! Can you run the lights from this point, too? I understand that if you alter the existing electrical layout, by extending the original circuit to be able to use the items, which you propose, then you are digging a bid minefield for yourself. When the original wiring in the property was installed, it would have been subject to both Building Regulations and the final inspection, which would have been completed an signed off by the qualified electrician who did the installation. Any additional additions to the wiring, which are not suitably certified, and could be traced to issues subject of an insurance claim, you will be in deep trouble. In my opinion it is not worth the trouble. In my own case, all changes to electrical installations are always completed and signed off correctly. No come back on myself. With regards to the wiring in my two workshops, I installed all of the conduit/double sockets, and then had an electrician wire, test, etc... Overkill, maybe. I can sleep easily knowing that all of the alterations were done in line with the latest legislation covering household wiring. Best of luck; your decision. |
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Good call - I'll do some research on local sparks. Got about 3 weeks until the shed arrives and I'd like to hit the ground running with the garage /workshop
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As a spark myself in a previous life.
Is the fused spur feeding the adjacent double socket?
i.e. if you turn the spur to off does the socket die?
If so then you can simply add whatever you like downstream of the spur with next to no risk as all is protected via the 13A fuse in the spur.
If not then its a little bit trickier, you will need to split the ring to add the sockets in.
For your lights and for ease for you, I would run them off a 13A plugtop and just switch them via the socket.
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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Garage electrics advice slater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
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Mar 29, 2021 14:20:43 GMT
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The trouble is you will only ever be able to draw 13a from the sockets on the spur (combined). So for example if you plugged in a heater into one socket and then went to drill somthing with a pillar drill plugged into the socket next to it you'd just pop the fuse in the spur as you'd potentially be drawing more then 13a through it! It would 'work' and be 'safe' but you'd have to be careful not to plug in too many things or it would be annoying. Especially if welders get involved
What you need to ascertain is if the spur is part of a ring. If so you might be able to extend the ring. If the fused spur is itself an unfused spur from the main house ring (which is naughty if the double socket is on the same unfused spur) then you would have a harder time. Isolate it all and whip the socket fronts off. If you only have one cable feeding them it's bad news. If you have two you should be able to extend the ring. Although I might be tempted to get a spark involved for insurance purposes etc.
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Mar 29, 2021 14:30:18 GMT
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The trouble is you will only ever be able to draw 13a from the sockets on the spur (combined). So for example if you plugged in a heater into one socket and then went to drill somthing with a pillar drill plugged into the socket next to it you'd just pop the fuse in the spur as you'd potentially be drawing more then 13a that's when you wrap a cheeky bit of wire around the fuse!!! |
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ezzysi
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,189
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Mar 29, 2021 15:26:53 GMT
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The trouble is you will only ever be able to draw 13a from the sockets on the spur (combined). So for example if you plugged in a heater into one socket and then went to drill somthing with a pillar drill plugged into the socket next to it you'd just pop the fuse in the spur as you'd potentially be drawing more then 13a that's when you wrap a cheeky bit of wire around the fuse!!!  |
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1991 Mk2 Golf Gti 8v
2005 Passat tdi (daily)
1971 Mk1 Escort
2004 Touran (her's)
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Mar 29, 2021 18:16:38 GMT
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You could save a fair bit by running your own armoured cable from the fusebox to the garage
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Mar 29, 2021 18:51:43 GMT
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Save even more by running it to the nearest lamp post
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Mar 29, 2021 19:26:19 GMT
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I reckon the spur is fed from the rear off a ring main, the spur is then local isolation for the socket(s) assuming that mini trunking goes to the other socket. Turn the spur on so the neon is lit and then start turning off MCB's or pulling fuses at the consumer unit until the neon goes out then you can establish what it is fed off today.
If it is fed off the downstairs ring main then that will already be fairly well loaded so probably not ideal. As mentioned above if the consumer unit is on an outside wall then it would be best to take a new feed out via an armoured cable to a new 2 way consumer unit then you can have a new ring main and lighting circuit.
When i built my garage / shed I put a new armoured and consumer unit in, for my mini shed which I use for metal work I just have everything off an extension lead as they are all fairly low load and I am unlikely to be using them at the same time -
Bench Grinder 370W so 1.5A
Pillar Drill 450W so 3.2A
Angle Grinder 800W so 3.3A
Electric Drill 830W so 3.45A
I could run all the above at the same time off an extension lead and it would be 11.45A so wouldn't take out the 13A fuse. As I say I never use more than one at a time as I only have one pair of hands. The welder would take the most but again comes with a 13A plug so if you only ran that by itself you are not overloading.
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Mar 30, 2021 10:12:04 GMT
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As a spark myself in a previous life. Is the fused spur feeding the adjacent double socket? i.e. if you turn the spur to off does the socket die? If so then you can simply add whatever you like downstream of the spur with next to no risk as all is protected via the 13A fuse in the spur. If not then its a little bit trickier, you will need to split the ring to add the sockets in. For your lights and for ease for you, I would run them off a 13A plugtop and just switch them via the socket. If I turn it off the socket doesn't die but there is another in the kitchen which, when turned off, does kill the socket in the garage - pic incoming |
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Mar 30, 2021 10:12:51 GMT
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Mar 30, 2021 10:53:53 GMT
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Thats where your socket is fed from then, seems a bit odd though.
Does this switch also kill the connection unit in the garage?
I would hazard a guess that what you have is a double socket and a fused connection unit fed in a radial arrangement from the connection unit in the kitchen.
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Mar 30, 2021 13:39:34 GMT
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Thats where your socket is fed from then, seems a bit odd though. Does this switch also kill the connection unit in the garage? I would hazard a guess that what you have is a double socket and a fused connection unit fed in a radial arrangement from the connection unit in the kitchen. Yes it kills all of the garage ones. We had an extension built and the builder said he'd put electrics in there for me on it's own board. He then forgot and said he lost the board and had his electrician install this saying I can go off the fused spur to add lights and electrics. |
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Mar 30, 2021 13:55:33 GMT
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Its pretty unconventional to be honest, you can install more sockets etc on the radial but if you are welding etc you may be inclined to trip the MCB which will then take out the kitchen circuit also.
Personally I would install a grage on its own circuit at the very least, preferably a separate consumer unit also
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Last Edit: Mar 30, 2021 13:58:39 GMT by henspeed
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Mar 30, 2021 21:20:39 GMT
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I have the exact same thing.
Fused spur off a socket in the hallway out under the patio to the garage, only thing different is i have an additional small fuse board with sockets and lights off that, but only ever 13 amp from the fused spur
The additional problem for me is the whole house runs off that same 32amp circuit! I expected upstairs and downstairs to be atleast on their own circuits.
upstairs and downstairs lights are tho. Weird...
I'm going to run a new 10mm2 SWA cable to the garage and install a new consumer unit.
Luckily I'm redecorating the whole house so I'm able to easily knock out some wall and route the cable into where the breaker is under the stairs.
Will also replace the existing consumer unit in the house and add the extra sub main to power the garage.
Will mean i get to have a 32Amp circuit in the garage so i can run my welder, air comp etc without worrying I'm going to also blow the house.
Will also have a 16amp lighting circuit for the garage/workshop/bar
I'm going to run the majority of it myself and get a leccy in to finish it off/check it out and give the required approvals etc.
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Last Edit: Mar 31, 2021 9:07:21 GMT by caprijake
1973 MK1 2600 Capri - Located in Texas
1976 3.0S Capri - X-Pack long term Project
1978 2.0S Capri
1984 Transit County MK2 4x4 LWB 2.5DI
1985 2.8i Special Capri (v8 5.0L)
1986 2.8i Special Capri
1987 280 Turbo Technics Capri
1993 1.8TD P100 - Beater, parts collector
2008 BMW 320i Touring - Daily
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