How to enter consumer unit from outside wall

James11 · Post by **James11** » Tue Apr 02, 2024 1:40 pm

Hi, I am planning on getting electric to my detached garage. The garage is set back behind my garden at the back of my house.

I will be using a cantanary wire to suspend the cable. My consumer unit is at the front of the house.

I am going to get everything in place then get an electrician to connect the cable at both ends.

What is the correct way to enter the consumer unit from the outside wall? I don't really want any cable visible on the inside kitchen wall, can the cable enter through the brickwork and straight into the back of the consumer unit?

I have been advised that 3 core 4mm tuff sheaved cable is OK for this job and that it can run it off a 20A RCBO in my consumer unit.

The garage will have a light and a couple of double sockets that will barley get used.

Cheers

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Tue Apr 02, 2024 4:04 pm

It can often be done via rear entry, but you will need a "Wiska" (or similar) box outside to terminate the cable. Best ask the electrician what he will do.

Neelix · Post by **Neelix** » Tue Apr 02, 2024 5:00 pm

I would consult a spark on this and your route as I think it’s not ideal but eyes on site always trumps random internet advice

And if you are thinking of adding it to the RCD side I would advise against it as cumulative leakage is be ing a bigger issue for CUs with this set up

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Tue Apr 02, 2024 5:09 pm

Nothing to do with your original question, your gutters need clearing...

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Tue Apr 02, 2024 5:42 pm

I thought that too.

DWD

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Tue Apr 02, 2024 6:11 pm

The cable run needs to calculated tbh

James11 · Post by **James11** » Wed Apr 03, 2024 5:31 am

Thanks everyone, I will get an electrician down to have a look. I will also clear my gutters haha. Cheers

ericmark · Post by **ericmark** » Sat Apr 06, 2024 1:28 am

I also have a SWA cable running around the outside of my house, as too hard to route it inside due to type of floors. There is a list of cables which can be buried without the need for RCD protection for the cable, one being SWA, I have SWA and the RCD built into sockets, since the supply in my case is the UPS for the freezers better the RCD is were easy reset.

You may want the same with your garage supply, there is a huge jump from up to 13 amp, and over 13 amp as to what is required, the simple option is a fused connection unit in house, and a switched FCU in garage for the lights, but once you go over 13 amp, then looking at a consumer unit in the garage.

The problem today is the electric vehicle, if you want to charge one then in the main it needs some sort of current transformer to tell it total power being used so it can drop charge rate if the house has a heavy demand. So we use a special cable with some coms cores within the cable. It may be as well to use this type of cable even if you don't have an EV so it can be used in the future.

At 72 I can be reasonably sure I will not get an EV other than my e-bike and mobility scooter, but younger generation likely will at some time need the extra cores on the supply so an EV charging point can be fitted.