Sizing & cost of armoured cable?

[Steve_W]

I appreciate this is a "how long's that string?" kind of question but I'm just after a rough estimate.

We're getting a static caravan whilst we have some major repair & extension work done. The one thing that never crossed my mind was the cost of getting electrical power to it (gas & phone are already sorted).

Before I have a chat with the sparky I just wanted to prepare myself for the rough price of putting in an armoured cable from the existing house to the caravan.

If I can buy the stuff myself I don't mind digging the trench and laying it in situ for connection at either end.

I guess the cable length will be around 100 feet; no idea how you calculate required size?

Being colour blind I tend to avoid playing with electrical stuff!

Thanks,
Steve

[Simpo Two]

Steve_W said:

Being colour blind I tend to avoid playing with electrical stuff!

Now that's something even the EU haven't thought of yet - wires marked with braille sleeves for blind electricians. After all, blind people have a human right to be electricians if they want, and are under-represented in the industry...

[P924]

have a look here:- https://www.electriccableco.com/electric-cable-sho...
not affiliated and no idea if they're expensive or cheap, but its a start.

[jeebus]

Work out how much load in either kilowatts or amps will be needed then put your figures into this calculator and it will tell you the required size. http://www.doncastercables.com/cableCalculator.asp

[Solitude]

Simpo Two said:

Now that's something even the EU haven't thought of yet - wires marked with braille sleeves for blind electricians. After all, blind people have a human right to be electricians if they want, and are under-represented in the industry...

Quality !!!

[Paul Drawmer]

I think it's going to be very expensive.

It might be cheaper to overhead it on a catenary.

[mik.ross]

You need a pro. to calculate the actual cable you require, but using a "back of fag packet" calc. For a single phase 60 Amp (ish) supply you will need 35 Meters 3 core 16mm XLPE SWA at aprox £6 per meter + glands + an RCD + someone that knows what they are doing. If its a temporary supply whilst your new house is being built you may have the option of just laying the cable on the ground.

The above is based on not knowing the layout or details of the "new installation" and should be used as a rough guess for pricing purposes only.

HTH

[benmc]

Here are some ideas on pricing for the cable

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Index...

Ben

[Steve_W]

mik.ross said:

You need a pro. to calculate the actual cable you require, but using a "back of fag packet" calc. For a single phase 60 Amp (ish) supply you will need 35 Meters 3 core 16mm XLPE SWA at aprox £6 per meter + glands + an RCD + someone that knows what they are doing. If its a temporary supply whilst your new house is being built you may have the option of just laying the cable on the ground.

The above is based on not knowing the layout or details of the "new installation" and should be used as a rough guess for pricing purposes only.

HTH

Thanks for that - that's the sort of "fag packet" thing I was after.

[Steve_W]

Paul Drawmer said:

I think it's going to be very expensive.

It might be cheaper to overhead it on a catenary.

I did think that, especially as we have a catenary to the garage at the mo.

Unfortunately the supply comes in at one side of the house and the caravan can only go at the other side. In between is the site of the extension and the space for materials delivery etc. so I didn't fancy the risk of things like a HIAB, JCB, or scaffolder taking the catenary out!

[bucksmanuk]

I went from the consumer unit to the workshop, nearly 30 metres, the 60 amp cable was £140, it was £250 for the builder to put the 3 foot deep channel in, (although he was doing a sort-of driveway at the same time) and plonk the cable in it. Then I had to lift the patio slabs, dig a series of holes, cut through, and lay the cable into the garage, then through into the house, and the consumer unit.
A full weekend of my time, so a professional would have done this in a day at best. It must be a genuine £600 worth of labour on top of the cable.
An industrial electrician chum connected both ends up to make sure it was all above board.

[Jonboy_t]

Paul Drawmer said:

I think it's going to be very expensive.

It might be cheaper to overhead it on a catenary.

Sorry to be dim, but I'm going to need to do a similar thing in the near future so was going to ask s similar question to the OP, but what the hell's a catenary?!!! Sounds like the love child of a cat and a canary!

[Ganglandboss]

Jonboy_t said:

Paul Drawmer said:

I think it's going to be very expensive.

It might be cheaper to overhead it on a catenary.

Sorry to be dim, but I'm going to need to do a similar thing in the near future so was going to ask s similar question to the OP, but what the hell's a catenary?!!! Sounds like the love child of a cat and a canary!

Such a creature does not exist, although a cat and a parrot have successfully bred:



A catenary is a steel wire that has been suspended between buildings for the purpose of hanging electrical cables.

[smifffymoto]

You're in a static,you don't need 60 amps.If you realistically use 20 amps you're using alot of stuff.think what you will use,kettle, microwave,cookers are usually gas as is the heating but summer is coming so that isn't a major issue.Computers and the like use next to bugger all juice.It's only a temporey installation so don't go the whole hog.

[Steve_W]

smifffymoto said:

You're in a static,you don't need 60 amps.If you realistically use 20 amps you're using alot of stuff.think what you will use,kettle, microwave,cookers are usually gas as is the heating but summer is coming so that isn't a major issue.Computers and the like use next to bugger all juice.It's only a temporey installation so don't go the whole hog.

Good point - I think there are some (3 or 4) 3KW electric heaters as the main load, but they shouldn't be on much as I'm hoping for a hot summer! Other than that it is TV, fridge, freezer, microwave and any PC stuff. Cooker/hob and the water heater are gas as you say.