Planning ahead for a long electrical run to a shed

ciotog · 10-05-2021 3:11pm #1

Another office shed related query

Putting up an office shed and looking at powering it from the house eventually. Main challenge, in my head at least, is the distance. Roughly measuring using Google maps I estimate a cable distance of ~150m between house and shed. It's rural and finding a reliable electrician who also has the time can be a challenge so I'm thinking that digging trench(es) and laying ESB ducting to reduce the time they spend would be helpful. Helpful in the sense that I'm then asking an electrician to do a job which has a better defined scope / they won't be waiting for a contractor to do the ducting before they can do their work.
Is there anything else I could or should be doing? I've read threads where people are doing 20m and 30m runs - are there any additional things from going that much further?

As there are other outhouse type buildings nearby, the shed that I'd like to restore/renovate in the future it has occurred to me that an appropriate* external standalone electrical enclosure could be useful and would break up the run. * appropriate determined by electrician

sparkfireman · 10-05-2021 7:39pm

Depends on the load.
Office and small workshop etc could run on 6sq cable. But because of the run length you’d need 10sq.

This is just an example. It’s determined all by the distance. Me personally my shed is 15m from my board so I ran 10sq anyway. Just to be safe.

JL spark · 10-05-2021 8:38pm

16sq to be safe

ciotog · 11-05-2021 3:21pm

Thanks very much!

punisher5112 · 11-05-2021 4:59pm

I'd definitely be going 16sq, if you run the red ESB suitable ducting then put in the rope for pulling cables through.....

I'd definitely cost it though to see in the long run which would be cheaper that way or just bury SWA instead. You could have the 600mm trench dug and allow the electrician then carry out the laying of it and fixing at the board etc....

Fit a board at the new location/shed too.

It's definitely going to be expensive at that run.

10-10-20 · 11-05-2021 10:35pm

Any ideas on how you're going to get internet to it? Do you have Line Of Sight, or do you have another method for connecting (4G/5G)?

punisher5112 · 11-05-2021 11:05pm

10-10-20 wrote: »

Any ideas on how you're going to get internet to it? Do you have Line Of Sight, or do you have another method for connecting (4G/5G)?

Run a cat6 armoured in the duct.

10-10-20 · 12-05-2021 10:02am

Just CAT6, above 100m distance?

Frankly, I'd just go for fibre (and a good robust nylon fish cable, if not two).
https://www.lindy-international.com/Fibre-Optic-Cable-LC-LC-OM3-150m.htm?websale8=ld0101.ld020102&pi=46405&ci=800202
You could install it into some PET expandable cable braiding for some level of friction resistance.

But you'll need a media converter on each end.
https://www.lindy-international.com/LC-Gigabit-Ethernet-Fibre-Optic-Converter-1000Base-T-to-1000Base-SX-LX-Multi-mode.htm?websale8=ld0101.ld020102&pi=25116&ci=4004

ciotog · 12-05-2021 2:28pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

I'd definitely be going 16sq, if you run the red ESB suitable ducting then put in the rope for pulling cables through.....

I'd definitely cost it though to see in the long run which would be cheaper that way or just bury SWA instead. You could have the 600mm trench dug and allow the electrician then carry out the laying of it and fixing at the board etc....

Fit a board at the new location/shed too.

It's definitely going to be expensive at that run.

I got the sense from other threads I'd red that the ESB ducting was the way it should be done so had kind of set my mind on that. Definitely getting a board at the new location as it really just seems irresponsible not to. Potential problem with just digging the trench and leaving it open until the electrician comes along is that it could be left open for a month or two before they do come (given some previous experiences)

punisher5112 · 12-05-2021 2:38pm

ciotog wrote: »

I got the sense from other threads I'd red that the ESB ducting was the way it should be done so had kind of set my mind on that. Definitely getting a board at the new location as it really just seems irresponsible not to. Potential problem with just digging the trench and leaving it open until the electrician comes along is that it could be left open for a month or two before they do come (given some previous experiences)

Yes but if you fit the ducting, leave a run wire and let him do the pulling etc then the hole could be filled in by you as soon as you fit the ducting.

ciotog · 12-05-2021 2:39pm

10-10-20 wrote: »

Any ideas on how you're going to get internet to it? Do you have Line Of Sight, or do you have another method for connecting (4G/5G)?

4g initially - get a sufficient quality of connection (average 12/6Mbps and ~30ms ping on Speedtest) that I can do the Zoom calls and data transfer that I need for the current job. When national broadband plan reaches here (a good bit off yet!) then it won't be a concern. I may be headed off up the side of the hay shed with a Poynting antenna between my teeth before then though

. I was planning to stick another duct alongside the electrical to pull fibre through - thanks for that link. Though I think I'd seen some cheaper TP-Link media converters before (in fairness it's not a massive investment in the scheme of things to enable me to do remote work here)

ciotog · 12-05-2021 2:40pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

Yes but if you fit the ducting, leave a run wire and let him do the pulling etc then the hole could be filled in by you as soon as you fit the ducting.

I get you now - good idea

Planning ahead for a long electrical run to a shed

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