Armoured cable (again)

[Jonboy_t]

Sorry guys, I know this topic has been covered a few times before, but I can't find anything on search that answers my question!!

I'm just about to start doing up my back garden (that one i was going to do 2 years ago....) and I want to lay cabling before I do any new patios so I can stick lighting in if and when I get round to it. I'm going to be using armoured cable and run it into an RCD in the garage that was put in by a sparky friend of mine recently (just for this actually!).

Do I need to run the cable through conduit of some sort or will it be ok just buried on it's own? This may sound like a stupid question, but I just can't think if I do need to or not!!

[mattdaniels]

If it's armoured then it does not need conduit.

You should have some "electric buried cable" yellow tape - lay the cable a good 8 inches down in the sub base and the yellow tape a few inches on top.

[Ganglandboss]

It should be installed like this.



Also be aware that the works you doing are notifiable under part P of the building regs.

[Jonboy_t]

Coolios, cheers guys! I was thinking that it didn't need conduit, but thought I'd check.

The part P element hopefully won't be an issue as I think the friend who installed the RCD is fully part P'd anyway and will be giving me a hand. He's away at the moment so I couldn't ask him about the conduit and I want to get everything ready for when he gets back so we can crack on!!

[DrDeAtH]

part p doesnt apply in this case. Just make sure that the cable is at least 300mm below the surface with a marker tape 'caution electric cable below' applied 150mm above cable.
all to be RCD protected. if in doubt, get your sparky mate to oversee the works

[Ganglandboss]

DrDeAtH said:

part p doesnt apply in this case. Just make sure that the cable is at least 300mm below the surface with a marker tape 'caution electric cable below' applied 150mm above cable.
all to be RCD protected. if in doubt, get your sparky mate to oversee the works

Approved Document - Part P - top of page 9

"Outdoor lighting and power installations are special installations. Any new work in, for example, the garden or that involves crossing the garden is notifiable."

[Raverbaby]

Remember and use external glands when terminating, I'm sure your sparky mate will keep you right

[mattdaniels]

Ganglandboss said:

DrDeAtH said:

part p doesnt apply in this case. Just make sure that the cable is at least 300mm below the surface with a marker tape 'caution electric cable below' applied 150mm above cable.
all to be RCD protected. if in doubt, get your sparky mate to oversee the works

Approved Document - Part P - top of page 9

"Outdoor lighting and power installations are special installations. Any new work in, for example, the garden or that involves crossing the garden is notifiable."

I went through this when I installed a power socket in the garden. I bought a pre-wired kit from B+Q so there was literally zero wiring for me to do, it was a case of plugging the RCD plug into a socket in the garage, burying the armoured cable as described above, and screwing the outdoor waterproof socket to the post where I needed it.

If you use a kit such as that, it is not notifyable under Part P (even though you are "installing" mains power in the garden).

But if you putting something in that is not pre-wired (ie, joining the bits up yourself) it is notifyable under Part P.

Edited by mattdaniels on Saturday 28th May 09:19

[Jonboy_t]

mattdaniels said:

Ganglandboss said:

DrDeAtH said:

part p doesnt apply in this case. Just make sure that the cable is at least 300mm below the surface with a marker tape 'caution electric cable below' applied 150mm above cable.
all to be RCD protected. if in doubt, get your sparky mate to oversee the works

Approved Document - Part P - top of page 9

"Outdoor lighting and power installations are special installations. Any new work in, for example, the garden or that involves crossing the garden is notifiable."

I went through this when I installed a power socket in the garden. I bought a pre-wired kit from B+Q so there was literally zero wiring for me to do, it was a case of plugging the RCD plug into a socket in the garage, burying the armoured cable as described above, and screwing the outdoor waterproof socket to the post where I needed it.

If you use a kit such as that, it is not notifyable under Part P (even though you are "installing" mains power in the garden).

But if you putting something in that is not pre-wired (ie, joining the bits up yourself) it is notifyable under Part P.

Edited by mattdaniels on Saturday 28th May 09:19

That's an interesting loophole! I'd imagine not, but does the same go for the kitchen/bathroom too?

[mattdaniels]

Why would you want to put an outdoor power socket kit with armoured cable in your kitchen or bathroom?

[shimmey69]

Conduit is handy if you need to replace or add more cable in at a later date!!