"Fixed" outside extension
 

I want to put a socket outside to plug our patio water feature into (gad
that horrible, still at least it's not decking!).

The proper way to do it is obviously to put an RCD protected spur in,
and a proper waterproof socket. But of course this would require Part
P hoops to be jumped through.

But, right near where I want it is a double socket we never use because
it's stuck behind furniture. This is protected by the whole house RCD,
but it would be nice to have a local one.

Is it against the rules to drill a hole through the wall, mount a
waterproof socket outside, run a flex (rather than cable) through the
hole and put an RCD plug on in? Then squeeze something that won't
attack the flex into the hole to keep the wind out. Obviously this is
something of a bodge, but it's quick, easy, cheaper (why are RCD sockets
many times the price of RCD plugs and plain sockets?) and Part P immune.

In fact, getting silly, is it legal to take the plug off the pump, run
the flex through a hole in the wall and put the plug (or an RCD plug) on
and just plug it in inside when necessary?
--
On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk

(Waterways World site of the month, April 2001)

"Nick Atty" wrote in message
...
I want to put a socket outside to plug our patio water feature into (gad
that horrible, still at least it's not decking!).

The proper way to do it is obviously to put an RCD protected spur in,
and a proper waterproof socket. But of course this would require Part
P hoops to be jumped through.

But, right near where I want it is a double socket we never use because
it's stuck behind furniture. This is protected by the whole house RCD,
but it would be nice to have a local one.

Is it against the rules to drill a hole through the wall, mount a
waterproof socket outside, run a flex (rather than cable) through the
hole and put an RCD plug on in? Then squeeze something that won't
attack the flex into the hole to keep the wind out. Obviously this is
something of a bodge, but it's quick, easy, cheaper (why are RCD sockets
many times the price of RCD plugs and plain sockets?) and Part P immune.

In fact, getting silly, is it legal to take the plug off the pump, run
the flex through a hole in the wall and put the plug (or an RCD plug) on
and just plug it in inside when necessary?
--
On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk

(Waterways World site of the month, April 2001)

I did something very similar to what you are proposing for an outside water
feature. It's one of those old barrels with a "hand pump" on the top.
Admittedly this was before Part P. . . . no actually, honest it was. I used
an outside socket wired to chunky flex, drilled a hole through wall, lined
the hole with 15mm copper pipe, mounted the external socket on the wall and
siliconed around it. Changed the faceplate on the other side of the wall to
one of those double sockets with built in RCD protection and put a plug on
the end of the flex. The outside socket is in effect just an extension lead,
albeit a short one and is RCD protected. Can also use the lawn mower off it.
As I understand from this group you are aloud to change faceplates under
Part P, there should still be no problem with doing this.

In article ,
Nick Atty wrote:
The proper way to do it is obviously to put an RCD protected spur in,
and a proper waterproof socket. But of course this would require Part
P hoops to be jumped through.

Just ignore the Part P ****e and do a proper job. When and if you come to
sell, do you really think anyone will know or care an extra socket has
been added?

--
*Microsoft broke Volkswagen's record: They only made 21.4 million bugs.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Nick Atty wrote:
I want to put a socket outside to plug our patio water feature into (gad
that horrible, still at least it's not decking!).
The proper way to do it is obviously to put an RCD protected spur in,
and a proper waterproof socket. But of course this would require Part
P hoops to be jumped through.

According to the IEE WIring Matters you can fix a light to the outside
of the house providing the connection inside isn't in a kitchen or
special location. I don't know if a socket has the same effect.

But, right near where I want it is a double socket we never use because
it's stuck behind furniture. This is protected by the whole house RCD,
but it would be nice to have a local one.

A local RCD will provide no discrimination, i.e. it will be a matter of
luck which trips first in the event of a fault.

In fact, getting silly, is it legal to take the plug off the pump, run
the flex through a hole in the wall and put the plug (or an RCD plug) on
and just plug it in inside when necessary?

Legal I think, and I think reasonably sensible. Use a short length of
plastic pipe to sleeve the flex through the wall.

Legally you could dig up the 3-phase supply in the street and tap into
it with nails, as suppliers works are outside the provisions of the IEE
Regs, let alone Part Pee, but I don't recommend it.

I don't know about others, but I'd be happier encouraging someone to
break the law than do something stupid. Why not do a proper job and just
forget exactly when it was done?

Owain

Dave Plowman (News) wrote in message
...
In article ,
Nick Atty wrote:
The proper way to do it is obviously to put an RCD protected spur in,
and a proper waterproof socket. But of course this would require Part
P hoops to be jumped through.

Just ignore the Part P ****e and do a proper job. When and if you come to
sell, do you really think anyone will know or care an extra socket has
been added?


Ha, that's exactly what I was going to say.
Anyway, im sure you really did this job in 2004.

--
Mark§
This is an automatic signature of unknown origin

Mark wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote
Just ignore the Part P ****e and do a proper job. When and if you come to
sell, do you really think anyone will know or care an extra socket has
been added?
Ha, that's exactly what I was going to say.
Anyway, im sure you really did this job in 2004.

Splash the finished work with creosote - that'll prove it was done
before then :-)

Owain

Owain wrote:

Legally you could dig up the 3-phase supply in the street and tap
into
it with nails, as suppliers works are outside the provisions of the
IEE
Regs, let alone Part Pee, but I don't recommend it.

No doubt its been done... never heard it called legal before though. :)


I don't know about others, but I'd be happier encouraging someone to
break the law than do something stupid. Why not do a proper job and
just
forget exactly when it was done?

As an easy way to cut through all the twaddlery, this seems set to
become the standard advice now.

On Sun, 03 Apr 2005 22:52:50 GMT, "Mark" wrote:


Dave Plowman (News) wrote in message
...
In article ,
Nick Atty wrote:
The proper way to do it is obviously to put an RCD protected spur in,
and a proper waterproof socket. But of course this would require Part
P hoops to be jumped through.

Just ignore the Part P ****e and do a proper job. When and if you come to
sell, do you really think anyone will know or care an extra socket has
been added?

Ha, that's exactly what I was going to say.
Anyway, im sure you really did this job in 2004.

I'm just aware that everything I say here is going into long term
storage. How long do you think it will be before HMG start data mining
google and sending the standards police round...

--
On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk

(Waterways World site of the month, April 2001)

On Sun, 03 Apr 2005 14:08:05 +0100, Owain
wrote:

Nick Atty wrote:
I want to put a socket outside to plug our patio water feature into (gad
that horrible, still at least it's not decking!).
The proper way to do it is obviously to put an RCD protected spur in,
and a proper waterproof socket. But of course this would require Part
P hoops to be jumped through.

According to the IEE WIring Matters you can fix a light to the outside
of the house providing the connection inside isn't in a kitchen or
special location. I don't know if a socket has the same effect.

But, right near where I want it is a double socket we never use because
it's stuck behind furniture. This is protected by the whole house RCD,
but it would be nice to have a local one.

A local RCD will provide no discrimination, i.e. it will be a matter of
luck which trips first in the event of a fault.

Although I've just discovered (and posted elsewhere) that the whole
house RCD is higher than the 30mA I'd want for this socket.

In fact, getting silly, is it legal to take the plug off the pump, run
the flex through a hole in the wall and put the plug (or an RCD plug) on
and just plug it in inside when necessary?

Legal I think, and I think reasonably sensible. Use a short length of
plastic pipe to sleeve the flex through the wall.

Legally you could dig up the 3-phase supply in the street and tap into
it with nails, as suppliers works are outside the provisions of the IEE
Regs, let alone Part Pee, but I don't recommend it.

Yes - that's legal and not reasonably sensible.

I don't know about others, but I'd be happier encouraging someone to
break the law than do something stupid. Why not do a proper job and just
forget exactly when it was done?

Yes - we are going to get bogged down all the time on this issue, aren't
we.

Let's summarise: the easy solution (a "captive extension") isn't nasty,
but isn't the best.

The "proper" solution is an RCD protected spur.
--
On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk

(Waterways World site of the month, April 2001)

"Nick Atty" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 03 Apr 2005 22:52:50 GMT, "Mark" wrote:

Ha, that's exactly what I was going to say.
Anyway, im sure you really did this job in 2004.

I'm just aware that everything I say here is going into long term
storage. How long do you think it will be before HMG start data mining
google and sending the standards police round...

Well make sure this influences where you put your X on May 5th !!!