Electric extension to greenhouse
 

Any advice on what's required to provide an electrical supply to a
greenhouse some 10 metres from a garage where a power supply is available?
Thanks

In message , Bill Smith
writes
Any advice on what's required to provide an electrical supply to a
greenhouse some 10 metres from a garage where a power supply is available?

First suggestion is to search uk.d-i-y on Google Groups for topics on
electricity supply to garage/shed/greenhouse - it's a topic that has
been covered quite a few times.

I've added uk.d-i-y to the newsgroup list as there are some knowledge
people on there.

Some pertinent questions:

1. What load are we talking - I assume heating + maybe propagator,
light? so 3 - 3.5 kW? How far is the cable run from the garage supply
point to the GH? This is important to size the cable correctly.

2. Is the garage supplied from the house consumer unit ('fuse box') or
is the supply in the garage the main house supply? If the former how far
is the garage from the house and what sort of load would the garage
supply have to feed? - this would need to be considered because it might
be that the supply cable to the garage would need upgrading.

3. How would intend running the cable to the GH - I assume underground?

Ok, general approach would be:

1. Start the GH supply from spare way in the consumer unit in the
garage. It would need a suitable sized MCB. If there is no CU in the
garage, then it might be possible you could run it as a fused spur from
the garage socket circuit.

2. Run the supply to the GH in SWA (Steel Wire Armoured) cable, buried
deep enough to avoid damage when digging the garden. There isn't
specified depth - I put mine and the water pipe at about 450mm down.

3. Terminate the SWA in the GH - best thing would be to terminate it in
a small CU with say a couple of ways. Use a 16A MCB to supply sockets.
MK Masterseal are good sockets for use in GH. The main switch for the CU
should be an 30mA RCD to protect the whole GH installation.

4. Earthing is important here. You can either earth the GH supply via
the house earth, or it can be isolated from the house earth and earthed
via an earth rod - the latter is what I did.
--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
urg Suppliers and References FAQ:
http://www.familyfrench.co.uk/garden/urgfaq/index.html

Bill Smith asked....."Any advice on what's required to provide an electrical
supply to a greenhouse some 10 metres from a garage where a power supply is
available?
Thanks "

The easiest way would be to put up a pole/post by the greenhouse and run an
overhead supply.
If you are going to do this then you should tape the cable to a carrying
wire which is fastened to the garage and the pole, don't just run a cable.
With an overhead supply there is no chance of forgetting where the wire is.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"Chris French and Helen Johnson" wrote
in message ...
In message , Bill Smith
writes
Any advice on what's required to provide an electrical supply to a
greenhouse some 10 metres from a garage where a power supply is available?

First suggestion is to search uk.d-i-y on Google Groups for topics on
electricity supply to garage/shed/greenhouse - it's a topic that has been
covered quite a few times.

I've added uk.d-i-y to the newsgroup list as there are some knowledge
people on there.

Some pertinent questions:

1. What load are we talking - I assume heating + maybe propagator, light?
so 3 - 3.5 kW? How far is the cable run from the garage supply point to
the GH? This is important to size the cable correctly.

2. Is the garage supplied from the house consumer unit ('fuse box') or is
the supply in the garage the main house supply? If the former how far is
the garage from the house and what sort of load would the garage supply
have to feed? - this would need to be considered because it might be that
the supply cable to the garage would need upgrading.

3. How would intend running the cable to the GH - I assume underground?

Ok, general approach would be:

1. Start the GH supply from spare way in the consumer unit in the garage.
It would need a suitable sized MCB. If there is no CU in the garage, then
it might be possible you could run it as a fused spur from the garage
socket circuit.

2. Run the supply to the GH in SWA (Steel Wire Armoured) cable, buried
deep enough to avoid damage when digging the garden. There isn't
specified depth - I put mine and the water pipe at about 450mm down.

3. Terminate the SWA in the GH - best thing would be to terminate it in a
small CU with say a couple of ways. Use a 16A MCB to supply sockets. MK
Masterseal are good sockets for use in GH. The main switch for the CU
should be an 30mA RCD to protect the whole GH installation.

4. Earthing is important here. You can either earth the GH supply via the
house earth, or it can be isolated from the house earth and earthed via an
earth rod - the latter is what I did.
--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
urg Suppliers and References FAQ:
http://www.familyfrench.co.uk/garden/urgfaq/index.html
-----------------------------------
Many thanks - v useful.
Bill
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