Household sparky’s advice needed please

My new man cave is up at last with first fix wiring (they called it) lots of wires hanging out of holes is what it looks like to me. The guy they use to connect everything up is off long term sick and I don’t have enough patience to wait.

I am not a complete luddite when it comes to household wiring but I have a couple of questions:

The two roof lights and four sockets are straight forward enough, the lighting one shown is the end of the line and only has one cable the other has two:




But I am getting splinters in my fingers from scratching my head regarding the wiring to connect it all together; I know I am going to need a 2 gang garage unit and then a cable into the house going to the main fuse box, Its easy to sort out which cable is which from the size of them (ie the two smaller ones are the lighting and the bigger ones are the sockets.



Is it straight forward to connect the consumer unit?

I am guessing the final connection to the main house fuse box is best left to a professional?

 

Get it done by a trained sparky (as it will have to be signed off) and ddt the bill off the garage people? problem solved if you do go down this route, i'd get a quote first and discuss this with them as they could dispute the ££ after - but not your fault the guy is on long term sick!!

hope it works out ok mate. wish i could help with a technical answer but i'll leave it to someone who knows about this proper like.... but like you say, i'd leave the final connection to a sparky, so without this, what's the point in doing the other stuff? as none of it will work.

the 2nd fix stuff shouldnt take any time at all so not talking mega ££... plus it'd all be free issue fro mthe garage firm no?

anyway - fcuk that - can we actually see some pics of the new man cave!!!!!!

 

piece of piss to do mate, i did all mine.

I came across a problem though, as building control wouldn't give me a completion certificate because i didn't have my signed off by a spark, because there wasn't one.

I have to pay a dude to come and check the wiring and my work for £200.....

So, although you are competent (if you can wire a plug etc) i would get a registered spark to do it purely for building control and final cert.

 

Ken - Thanks for offering Blaggers number, but I think I might pass, folk out here in the sticks have only just got used to flicking little switches and having lights and power on tap. I would hate to plunge the whole of East Anglia back into the dark ages.

James - not a chance mate, you think I am going to post on open forum what it looks like, I will have every sticky fingered pikey within a hundred miles driving round salivating over how much beer money they can make selling Ducati parts. There is not much to see on the inside at the moment, just the internal cladding on top of the insulation, but, just because I love you. Here’s a little taster from the inside, I am planning on uprating the door cross bar and fitting another couple of top and bottom bolts. Given the 5 lever lock plus the steel plate (still to be fitted) and the three fcuk of hinges on each door I doubt any thieving scrotum will be able to drag the doors off, if that lot didn’t stop them the alarm might wake Ling, and they don’t want to be doing that I can tell you. Re getting the cost of 2nd fix back, non starter mate as it was arranged with the Sparky they use who is self-employed. So now I am at the mercy of the open market. Hence, why I want to do most myself and just get a local and no doubt highly paid sparky to do the last connection into the main fuse box.

Simon – thanks mate, I will bear that in mind but I don’t think I need to have anything signed off. The building is only 12x9 ,(it was going to be 12x10) but it was a bit tight to get the bins through the new gate. It’s also more than two metres from the boundary and timber built so classed as a shed/agricultural (which just means I might have to put my tractor mower in it, if someone what’s to come and check) and therefore didn’t need any planning etc.

 

Si's right David, it should be signed off. Not saying I agree, but it's nothing to do with the size of the building. You can't officially change a ceiling rose these days without a certificate of compliance.

Looks like a top cave btw

 

Good job there's a Sparx on t'forum then aint it?

As said 'technically' this is a new install and therefore needs compliance under Part P of the Building Regs.

The work doesn't actually need doing by a 'Proper Sparks' just someone, who in the eyes of the LABC and the IEE/T are 'Competent'

A full EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) will be expected by your LABC (Local Area Borough Council)


.....................................However...............................

Despite the 'Law' most LABC's are snowed under with far more important things and in reality couldn't give a flying fuck about a poxy garage/shed wiring install (no disrespect intended)
So if U fancy a crack it's a Piece of Urine!

Most important thing to establish is your house's existing earthing system as supplied from the DNO (District Network Operator) i.e. N-Power, MEB, Scottish Power etc etc

Is it TNS, TNC-S (PME) or if well in t'stix is it TT?

TNS is a separate LIVE, Neutral & Earth

TNC-S/PME is LIVE & Combined Neutral/Earth

TT is just a supplied LIVE & Neutral with you the customer providing an Earth via an Earth Rod and a 30mA RCD at the point of supply?

 

Thank you, that is very informative, I will check and see.

The original part of the cottage dates back to the 18 hundreds but has been extended and added to over the years, certainly all the socket boxes and wiring I have seen all have 3 cables as you would expect to see them. I can't say I have really paid much attention to what's in the main fuse cupboard other then there are two boxes with the old style wire fuses. But, now you have mentioned the earthing rod, I think I have seen a steel post going down into the ground at the side of the original part of the cottage with cables attached to it, and it is close to the fuse boxes ! I will have look tomorrow and if it's is what I think it is I will take a photo in the hope that it will take you less than 30 seconds to confirm.

Thanks again and would you mind if I pm you rather then boring the tits off the rest of the forum.

 

Just wanted to say good luck. We have a 19th century house and had to have it rewired as the original fuse box had 6 wires and a single fuse for a 4 bed house Then for good luck we had to have the 1980s converted stable done as well after some so called friends trashed it after we rented it too them. Try not to let a "modern" sparks see the current wiring or it could prove costly.

After all that work I still need to run armoured cable out to my garage :-(

 

I have had look through a few photos on the off chance and found this one showing the post, a zoom and crop makes it certainly look like what you are talking about, the main fuse box is the other side of the wall.

I Hope this helps you to help me. Thanks mate:

 

Yes that is an Earth Rod so it may well be a TT setup or was in the past, although it doesn't mean that the DNO haven't upgraded since.

Could you take a picture of your Meter position please paying particular attention to the Main Fuse Cutout?
This is the Big Fuse carrier on the end of the incoming DNO's cable before it goes to the Meter.
Are you an O/H (Overhead) supply or UG (Under ground) ??

 

Thank you, I am not back till stupid o'clock tonight so will take the requested photos in the morning. Thanks again.

 

No worries Freedom.

We'll soon av U up and running matey!

 

Blaggers.....aint heard from him in ages ? lol

Why not ask me I run my own business in electrical contracting ?

 

If the building is standing with no connection from your property (I assume its a large shed)...... you are supposed to provide your own earth (i.e spike) but as Sinewave has already said it starts with what you have as a main incoming supply as in the type of earth facility...... if you need any advise over the phone let me know

 

Thanks guys, I am a bit too pissed to start mucking about taking photographs at this time of the night but assuming Ling does not put a pillow over my head in the night for snoring, farting and breathing alcohol all over her I will do it in the morning. One last night cap for Dutch courage before I venture into the bedroom me thinks, I might as well get hung for a sheep as a lamb as my old man used to say.... i did kind of mention I might be having a couple of beers after work but the " don't worry I won't be late" comment is going to be the bit that will hang me, sure as shit it's not going to be pleasant.

 

Here you go guys: sorry they are side on, I keep trying to turn them but they just keep reverting to this. It looks to me like the main power cable coming through the wall comes into the black box above the yellow sticker but is hard to tell as it's behind the wooden board.

The main power cable coming into the cottage is over head.







If you need any more detailed photographs just let me know.

Thanks again for your advice boys, it is much appreciated.

 

You have a TT install matey with a 100mA Main switch.

Both Dis Brds although still compliant with past Regs would not be OK by today's standards.

If replaceing the two out of date boards with 1 High Integrity Dual 30mA RCD board is too much for you (About £300-400 fitted) then you need to fit a separate 1 way switch fuse fed from those 100A marshaling blocks with some SWA running from this to your external Shed.

This then needs the SWA Armour and Earth core isolating in a plastic adaptable box mounted directly beneath a 2 way 'Garage Type' Dis Brd and just the Live & Neutral cores running through in to the new Brd.

This ensures the SWA has fault protection for the cable along it's route but doesn't export the House earth to your shed.
You then need to drop a new Rod outside the shed and run a min of 6mm earth core (if unprotected or 2.5mm protected in trunking etc) from the Rod to the Shed DB
I'd always use 3 core SWA as you never know when your local DNO might give you a PME supply

TBH this is about as complicated as it could get for a DIYer so if U can get a local Sparks in, I would matey.

Best option though is to fit a whole new Board at the House end and a Switch Fuse for the SWA supply.

 

Thank you Sinewave, at least I think I should be saying thank you as that's the polite thing to do. What I really want to say is a much more descriptive version of " Oh dear what a shame"

Time to get a proper sparky on the job then.

Thanks again, I really appreciate all your help, if not the outcome. I owe a beer mate.