Electricity to garden shed without digging up the lawn?

SwampThing

I want to run power to my garden shed, but I don't want to dig up the lawn.

There's and outdoor socket at one side of the lawn and the shed is 20' away, diagonally across the lawn from it.

Can I run an armoured or sheilded cable from the socket, around the border of the garden, to the shed - laying it on top of the ground?

Any help appreciated.

narommy

You could but I would prefer to clip it to the wall as opposed to leaving it on the ground.

Doing this may also save avoid the need for amoured cable and the price associated with that. Use a good quality round cable proper fittings. Be careful that the exisiting socket remains watertight after you are finished and that txisting line has sufficent capacity

SwampThing

Thanks for info.

My main concern is the cable being exposed to the elements. Is frost or weather in general an issue with standard cable exposed outdoors or should I use some sort of conduit?

MorningStar

You shouldn't put it around the side and on the ground. The most dangerous place for a electric cable is anywhere it may get damaged. at ground level it is possible that it may be stood on but in a garden it is likely to be dug into. It should be at least a half a metre off the ground in protective casing on the a wall in the garden. I don't even think it would be considered safe and to regulations if connected to a fence.

Raytown Rocks

Hi Swampthing

If it really is a case of having to bury it in the garden( no other choice) Make sure to put it in a metal conduit.
At least that way if anyone ever digs it up in error the first thing the hit is metal and not the actual cable.

Best bet is to lay it in sand, and if you can get your hands on some of that ESB warning tape they use around the place, put that above the conduit before backfilling.

I know this sounds like a lot of hassle, but it makes things a lot safer for people working in the garden after your gone.

Cheers

Chef

SwampThing

The garden is bordered with a block wall.

So, do you think it's OK to put the cable around the wall, unsheilded, or does it need to be in metal conduit?

I was thinking of using armoured cable but not conduit, although, itll probably work out the same cost-wise anyway.

Thanks for the info.

Raytown Rocks

SwampThing wrote:

The garden is bordered with a block wall.

So, do you think it's OK to put the cable around the wall, unsheilded, or does it need to be in metal conduit?

I was thinking of using armoured cable but not conduit, although, itll probably work out the same cost-wise anyway.

Thanks for the info.

I suppose if you were to use a good armoured cable it would do the same thing as a conduit.
I would still get that ESB tape as it usually is a precursor to electric cablesbeing buried below.

beller b

Along the wall would be fine.If its coming from a socket make sure its 2.5mm (NYMJ woul be fine there is no need for it to be armoured if its up on the wall & well secured. Make sure the gland going into the existing socket is well sealed & wated tight after you fininsh..

Stoner

Like everyone said it would be best to dig a track, however if your going to leave it exposed you should/ could consider 3x6sq.mm SWA cable. you could clip the smaller cables to the wall, you could even clip white NYMJ cable to the wall, much easier to work with and is good for outside and is alot cheaper and you could use 20mm compression glands to make it off, as with the SWA you'll need to use proper gland pack these are not that easy to make off. The problem is your runing it along the ground it should really be burried 3 foot under the ground, if its smaller than 6 sq/mm it needs to be 3 foot under the ground and in extra protection plastic piping etc. The 6sq.mm and above can be directly burried.
So handy option,
buy 25M of 3x2.5sq.mm NYMJ white cable and 2 number 20mm compression glands and some cable clips. Clip it along to that wall that you mentioned ( if i picked you up correctly that is) and connect in each end.
Best along the ground option get 3x6sq.mm SWA ( not recommended but better then 2.5sq)

SwampThing

Thanks everyone for the info.

Last thing - what's NYMJ ans SWA?

beller b

SWA is armoured cable,,
NYMJ is double coated cable designed for outdoor use...