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Electrical Water garden questions Electrical water garden questions and answers Q) I have a feature with a metal sump I need to bring the pump cable out through the sump wall, can I just drill a hole and put silicone round the cable?, I have seen it done on TV A) NO! You may have seen it done on a "water gardening" programme on tv but it is wrong, (A lot of things seen on tv are done for speed.) When the cable gets moved (it will over time) the metal will cut into the cable. This not only damages the cable, but can make the metal become live.
Q) I have built my pond I now want lights, pumps and filters, can i just run a cable into the house, from the pond and plug it in? A) NO! A cable carrying mains voltage in your garden must be suitably protected, this does not mean clipping it to your fence. You can also NOT USE twin and earth (That your sockets are probably wired in) because it is not made for external use, and is not mechanically protected Q) Can I use an extension lead? A) NO!, for the above mentioned reasons. Q) I have seen it done on tv, they ran a pump cable trough a hose, can I do that? A) NO! its not mechanically protected, why do you think the show is no longer made? (The last show was made just before part P came in) Q) What can i do? A) Get an electrician in to do it properly for you, using a Steel Wire Armoured cable Q) Can I use one of them "external socket kits that have that big tough wire? A) Yes, providing you follow the instructions Q) I have brought a low voltage light set do i still need an electrician? A) NO, since the set is actually SELV and the lighting cable is either 12 or 24 volts, you can just bury it. Providing the transformer is plugged in, indoors, or plugged into a purposely installed weatherproof socket. Q) Why are there so may NO answers? A) Its because of Part P see top of this page. Also it is easy to forget where a mains cable is, so you can easily cut it with a shovel / fork etc, Its very hard to do it to a SWA cable that is buried 30cm below ground (unless you have a JCB) Q) I want to have some mains lights what can i do? A) Mains lights in garden must be supplied in conduit or SWA cable, and as such can not be plugged in, this makes them fixed wiring, and as its a garden its a special location, Easiest answer don't use mains lights, but don't forget there are a whole lot of options for safe 12 or 24 v garden lights (Also you may wish to consider LED lights)
Remember: Electricity has no prejudices, it kills anyone.
Editors notes. Please be aware that adding a new circuit in a "special location" (garden in this case) is now covered by building regulation "part p" for more information click me What ever you do always use an RCD This page is written for guidance only, we can not be held responsible for what you actually do. _____________________________
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