Cable to shed

[xr5adam]

Hi all, hoping someone can help me.

I am getting some paving done and prior to that I am going to lay the conduit for my garden shed.

I am going to run 6mm cable, my question is, do I need to run a seperate earth? And is 6mm enough, the shed will be a 3x3 only needing a light and a power point or two.

[mtv]

Depends what you want to run off those power points.

If it's only standard power tools, even 2.5mm is sufficient.

6mm is fine. (6mm TPS usually has a 2.5mm earth)

The earth will connect to the MEN on your main board.

[xr5adam]

I want to have say 2 double power points and a light, nothing major. Just want to get the conduit down before the paving gets done.

Figure 6mm was a little big, but then not sure if the sparky will put a sub board in as it will be two circuits, one for the light and one for the power point, or he might just put everything on the one circuit, no idea on what he will do,

[mtv]

It also epends on distance from your main board to your shed.

Tha larger the cable, the less voltage drop

Better to go larger than the minimum requirement.

You could go 4mm.

If there's a likelihood of using a sub board in the shed, I'd go with 6mm.

If you then decide you want to use a single phase welder, it will still be sufficient.

[watchdog]

I'd be running a spare conduit in at the same time for "just in case"

[gordon_s1942]

and a double length of a heavy duty nylon or similar drawstring in each conduit too.
I have heard talcum powder can help to reduce friction for long lengths and where bends and elbows occur in a run.

A couple of years ago now I encased some RG6 in that light black poly garden pipe and to get the drawstring through, I made a soft wad of cotton with builders level string attached and sucked it through using a vacuum cleaner.
The pipe was odd scavenged lengths of 15 to 20 metres, the vac died shortly after but it was a small price to pay.

[freakee1]

Hi all, hoping someone can help me.

I am getting some paving done and prior to that I am going to lay the conduit for my garden shed.

I am going to run 6mm cable, my question is, do I need to run a seperate earth? And is 6mm enough, the shed will be a 3x3 only needing a light and a power point or two.

Hey xr5adam

couple of choices pending on the load, if you just want the standard boring garden shed powerpoint for battery charger, portable grinder etc and a light globe for night then you can run a 2.5mm TPS in conduit, connect it to a powerpoint in the house and label the circuit "Mixed Power Circuit - shed" in the switchboard

As others have said - distance and voltage drop can be an issue, keep this in mind

If you decide that you want to build a trailer with your mig welder and have a man cave, then you need a set of sub mains 6 - 10 mm2, switch board and circuit breakers, RCD etc with a main switch in your main switch board. The Earth can either be a separate 6mm earth with stake in the ground at the switchboard, but not MEN within that switchboard (your sparky will know this cause you will need one) or you can run an earth with your sub mains

BUT......... definitely run a couple of conduits with draw string and it doesn't really matter cause you can always do it later, make sure they are deep enough and make sure they are the correct conduit for the job


goodluck



f

[freakee1]

I have heard talcum powder can help to reduce friction for long lengths and where bends and elbows occur in a run.

Parmolive Dishwashing liquid is fantastic too




f

[porkop]

When I did my Garage, I was also running power for a spa. I put in 10mm cable and a 60amp breaker in teh meter box. got asub panel in teh garage with a 30amp rcd/breaker to the spa and 30 to the garage, sperate earth.

Ran a extra conduit as well, data and coax for a TV. But then my garage is decked out as mancave, I coud live in there, sometimes with a wife and 2 grown up daughters living at home, I think I should!!!

Got a Beer fridge, 40" plasma and a couch....what mre do I need lol


serious though, run a couple of 40 or 50mm conduits. Easier to have a spare now than have to dig one in after the wok is done.

[xr5adam]

My shed is only a 3x3 so not much, might just run a larger conduit, was going to use a small conduit, but now thinking might just lay a larger one and leave the draw string in there. If it is larger enough it should not matter about the two corners,

As I said I just want to get it down before the paver, paves that side of the house.

[nbound]

My shed is only a 3x3 so not much, might just run a larger conduit, was going to use a small conduit, but now thinking might just lay a larger one and leave the draw string in there. If it is larger enough it should not matter about the two corners,

As I said I just want to get it down before the paver, paves that side of the house.

If you ever run data, or tv, or really anything thats not power, you cant use the same conduit.

[gordonwh40]

Are you sure about running data etc in the same conduit as the power run? Quite a few years ago when I got my cabling licence I am sure there had to be a barrier between data and power. Now I am retired I have not kept up with the regs, but I cannot see a comprimise in safety being allowed by running mixed cables.
gordonwh40

[mtv]

Are you sure about running data etc in the same conduit as the power run? Quite a few years ago when I got my cabling licence I am sure there had to be a barrier between data and power. Now I am retired I have not kept up with the regs, but I cannot see a comprimise in safety being allowed by running mixed cables.
gordonwh40

That's still the case... services must be segregated, but nobody said you could run them together in the same conduit.

On the contrary, nbound said "you cant use the same conduit".

[bob_m_54]

and a double length of a heavy duty nylon or similar drawstring in each conduit too.
I have heard talcum powder can help to reduce friction for long lengths and where bends and elbows occur in a run.

A couple of years ago now I encased some RG6 in that light black poly garden pipe and to get the drawstring through, I made a soft wad of cotton with builders level string attached and sucked it through using a vacuum cleaner.
The pipe was odd scavenged lengths of 15 to 20 metres, the vac died shortly after but it was a small price to pay.

Blowing the light line attached to a wad through with an air compressor works well too. Then use the light line to pull a stronger draw string though.