Hi all

I've tried Google on this one with no luck - sorry if it's been raised
before, I must have used the wrong search terms...

I am about to get an electricity supply to my greenhouse. The actual
connection work will be done by a qualified electrician but he has never
worked on a greenhouse before and can't really advise on the best standard
for fittings.

My Screwfix catalogue has weatherproof fittings to IP55 and IP66, and the
IP55 looked OK to me...but when I went to the local electrical supply shop
they had a lot of other IP ratings, leaving me confused. I have now checked
the HSE document explaining the IP system so I see what the numbers mean...

But what is the most appropriate for a greenhouse? I suppose few people go
for IP66 which requires the use of special plugs to ensure waterproofness
(?).

Also - any tips on locating the sockets? How many (know I'll be using fan
heater, soil cables, light)? Ways of fixing in an aluminium greenhouse?

Ta in anticipation

Michael S

ps about to become a dad any day now so sorry if I disappear from any
discussion!

I would suggest IP55 to be adequate for the situation so long as you are not
throwing water about.
But you will need RCD protection on any sockets outside the house zone.
That can be at the socket itself although I would recommend protecting the
entire circuit, from your household mcb board.
I would keep the sockets at about waist height mounted upon brackets
concreted into the ground, if you want any more than 1 twin I would suggest
a small garage consumer unit screwfix D63138 on page 183 of catalogue 72B
and suitably sized mcb's, you will need to install a suitably sized feeder
cable matched to your maximum proposed load which will be dependant on
distance from your houshold distribution point.
Hope this helps
Regards and good luck with your impending fatherhood

Tom


"Michael Savage" wrote in
message .. .
Hi all

I've tried Google on this one with no luck - sorry if it's been raised
before, I must have used the wrong search terms...

I am about to get an electricity supply to my greenhouse. The actual
connection work will be done by a qualified electrician but he has never
worked on a greenhouse before and can't really advise on the best standard
for fittings.

My Screwfix catalogue has weatherproof fittings to IP55 and IP66, and the
IP55 looked OK to me...but when I went to the local electrical supply shop
they had a lot of other IP ratings, leaving me confused. I have now
checked
the HSE document explaining the IP system so I see what the numbers
mean...

But what is the most appropriate for a greenhouse? I suppose few people go
for IP66 which requires the use of special plugs to ensure waterproofness
(?).

Also - any tips on locating the sockets? How many (know I'll be using fan
heater, soil cables, light)? Ways of fixing in an aluminium greenhouse?

Ta in anticipation

Michael S

ps about to become a dad any day now so sorry if I disappear from any
discussion!

"Michael Savage" wrote in
message .. .
Hi all

I've tried Google on this one with no luck - sorry if it's been raised
before, I must have used the wrong search terms...

I am about to get an electricity supply to my greenhouse. The actual
connection work will be done by a qualified electrician but he has never
worked on a greenhouse before and can't really advise on the best standard
for fittings.

I don't think much of the qualifiactions of your proposed electrician. He
sounds like a cowboy, if he knows nothing of outdoor electricity
installations.

[snip]

Franz

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 10:19:25 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Michael Savage" wrote in
message .. .
Hi all

I've tried Google on this one with no luck - sorry if it's been raised
before, I must have used the wrong search terms...

I am about to get an electricity supply to my greenhouse. The actual
connection work will be done by a qualified electrician but he has never
worked on a greenhouse before and can't really advise on the best standard
for fittings.

I don't think much of the qualifiactions of your proposed electrician. He
sounds like a cowboy, if he knows nothing of outdoor electricity
installations.

I thought the same, Exactly what is a "qualified" electrician?
After a very bad experience my brother had with a con man, listed in
the Yellow Pages, claiming Corgi recognition, I would check his
qualifications against the body that he claims awarded the
qualification.
--
Martin

Point taken Franz and Martin, but he's actually very young, working for
builders mostly, and did a first class job on wiring up our kitchen. He is
at least honest enough to tell me he's not done a greenhouse before, and has
been talking to his more experienced colleagues... people have to start
somewhere, don't they?

Michael S

That's great Thos - we are planning on putting RCD on main consumer unit
board (no spaces in unit itself).

As for mounting brackets, the greenhouse is concrete floored, so wwe may
have to bolt something to the brick base of the aluminium frame (rather
inelegantly put)

Michael S

and thanks for good wishes. Will I ever do any gardening again? (but that's
a whole thread in itself)

"Thos" wrote in message
...
I would suggest IP55 to be adequate for the situation so long as you are
not
throwing water about.
(snip)

Tom
Sorry for using sig, didn't check name - very remiss of me.
Also apols to group for missing out responses from my replies - forgot I'd
changed OE settings
Given current slightly frought atmosphere in urg I'm being careful!
Michael S
ps and it's a lovely day here in Northern Ireland, with views over to Skye
this morning - and more aurora forecast for the weekend...

"Michael Savage" wrote in
message .. .
Point taken Franz and Martin, but he's actually very young, working for
builders mostly, and did a first class job on wiring up our kitchen.


He is
at least honest enough to tell me he's not done a greenhouse before, and
has
been talking to his more experienced colleagues... people have to start
somewhere, don't they?

I have changed my mind about the young man you speak of. But his
"qualifications" sound excessively narrow. In days of old we would have
called him an apprentice.

Franz

"Michael Savage" wrote in
message .. .
Hi all
I am about to get an electricity supply to my greenhouse. The actual
connection work will be done by a qualified electrician but he has never
worked on a greenhouse before and can't really advise on the best standard
for fittings.

We've got MK IP65 fittings in ours. In the greenhouse it may not be water
splashes as much as high humidity that is the problem. A 30mA RCCD close to
the greenhouse is essential. If you use IP55 fittings you may spend a lot of
time resetting it

The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:



I have changed my mind about the young man you speak of. But his
"qualifications" sound excessively narrow. In days of old we would have
called him an apprentice.

Franz

Bricklayers can get his/her ticket in 16 weeks now. However, plumbers
and sparkys usually have a much longer training period but then don`t
they earn it after.

In the UK electrical fittings are always massively over-specced. You will be
fine using the lowest spec and cheapest ones.

By way of example, here in France I have so-called "exterior" sockets all
around my garden in various places for exterior lights and garden tools.
They are just the same as interior sockets except in a mildly more shock
absorbent plastic. They are considered perfectly ok here.

The message
from "Michael Savage"
contains these words:

Point taken Franz and Martin, but he's actually very young, working for
builders mostly, and did a first class job on wiring up our kitchen. He is
at least honest enough to tell me he's not done a greenhouse before, and has
been talking to his more experienced colleagues... people have to start
somewhere, don't they?

Yes, but that does not make him a *qualified* electrician who has been
trained and tested in safety regulations; so you're taking a risk by
accepting his version of what's suitable for an outdoor cable to the GH.

Electrician qualifications start from an OND and work up to chartered
engineer status. Your local council's trading standards office can give
you free info on what nationally-accepted standard makes any tradesman
"qualified".

Janet

"Ric" wrote in message
...
In the UK electrical fittings are always massively over-specced. You will
be
fine using the lowest spec and cheapest ones.

By way of example, here in France I have so-called "exterior" sockets all
around my garden in various places for exterior lights and garden tools.
They are just the same as interior sockets except in a mildly more shock
absorbent plastic. They are considered perfectly ok here.

What happens if you touch a wet cable after some rain has fallen on the plug
$ socket?

Franz

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 21:37:24 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Ric" wrote in message
...
In the UK electrical fittings are always massively over-specced. You will
be
fine using the lowest spec and cheapest ones.

By way of example, here in France I have so-called "exterior" sockets all
around my garden in various places for exterior lights and garden tools.
They are just the same as interior sockets except in a mildly more shock
absorbent plastic. They are considered perfectly ok here.

What happens if you touch a wet cable after some rain has fallen on the plug
$ socket?

and bear in mind that over specified high quality UK stuff is actually
cheaper than foreign rubbish. Did you ever see a dog die through
****ing on a UK socket? Did you have to have the kitchen rewired with
3 phase because you installed an electric oven? Did you ever move into
a new flat to find that there was no earthing/grounding system
installed?
--
Martin

In article , Michael Savage
writes

Also - any tips on locating the sockets? How many (know I'll be using fan
heater, soil cables, light)? Ways of fixing in an aluminium greenhouse?

The one for the light needs to be near the door ;-)

Are you on any sort of 'economy 7' type tariff with cheaper electricity
during certain hours? - in which case you may want to fit a couple of
sockets to that meter only, so that the appliance connected to them
comes on only during the cheap time.

Mount a piece of well varnished or painted wood across a couple of the
uprights, and mount the sockets on that.

Oh - and we use one of our greenhouse sockets for plugging in the
lawnmower, the car battery charger, or the vacuum cleaner for cleaning
the car, so if you might have a similar need, mount an extra socket for
that.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm