Installing a new mains power outlet for patio.

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richms

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#2294452 11-Aug-2019 21:59

If you cant take it with you without cutting, unwiring or unscrewing it, then its not an appliance so shouldn't generally be plugged in like an extension cord thru a hole in the floor is. That is why powerstrips all have those damn awful keyholes instead of a nice simple mounting hole, so they are an appliance.

Richard rich.ms

gregmcc

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#2294481 12-Aug-2019 05:01

stmoloud:

I have a warrant electrical fitness "issued in accordance with regulation 78(2) and 78(5)(a) of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010.

I did all the electrical work myself and I assure you it took no more than 10 minutes for the electrician inspector to certify the installation.

It is quite allowable within the rules for a homeowner to connect a plug to a power lead.

And a power lead going through a hole in a floor is not actually going into a contained space as it would be if inside a wall

You have a caravan, we are talking about a house here, 2 very different things.

You should be careful as i'm not sure if the homeowner exemption extends to caravans......

stmoloud

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#2294827 12-Aug-2019 14:41

richms:

If you cant take it with you without cutting, unwiring or unscrewing it, then its not an appliance so shouldn't generally be plugged in like an extension cord thru a hole in the floor is. That is why powerstrips all have those damn awful keyholes instead of a nice simple mounting hole, so they are an appliance.

By that definition if I make a hole in the floor big enough to pass the plug through, and hang the outside socket off a hook, that's gonna make it legal.

No thanks... I'll stick to my way.

qwertee

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#2294892 12-Aug-2019 16:30

stmoloud:

How about one of these https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/goldair-weatherproof-double-power-point-white/p/247750

I installed the single version. It's had a lot of rain thrown at it and still performing as expected. Individually switched too, which is handy at times. If you're particularly concerned about the weather tightness you can always put a smear of silicon around the joins.

As for installation, I used a heavy-duty external cord, drilled a hole through the floor, cut the cord to length, and then connected it to the power point. So in addition to the switch at the external power point, I also have a switch at the internal power socket.

Not sure how legal this is - but it works good.

Thats exactly what I had in mind and your review gives me confidence in the product.

I am getting a sparky to do the wiring for the patio twin socket. But the extension cable to the multibox enclosed in a dribox will be done by me.

Do I still need to bury this trailing lead to the multibox? Can I leave it in rigid PVC conduit and leave it visible on the surface with a warning sign 'WARNING ELECTRIC CABLE BELOW on the patio pillar.

snnet

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#2294902 12-Aug-2019 16:49

qwertee:

stmoloud:

How about one of these https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/goldair-weatherproof-double-power-point-white/p/247750

I installed the single version. It's had a lot of rain thrown at it and still performing as expected. Individually switched too, which is handy at times. If you're particularly concerned about the weather tightness you can always put a smear of silicon around the joins.

As for installation, I used a heavy-duty external cord, drilled a hole through the floor, cut the cord to length, and then connected it to the power point. So in addition to the switch at the external power point, I also have a switch at the internal power socket.

Not sure how legal this is - but it works good.

Thats exactly what I had in mind and your review gives me confidence in the product.

I am getting a sparky to do the wiring for the patio twin socket. But the extension cable to the multibox enclosed in a dribox will be done by me.

Do I still need to bury this trailing lead to the multibox? Can I leave it in rigid PVC conduit and leave it visible on the surface with a warning sign 'WARNING ELECTRIC CABLE BELOW on the patio pillar.

You can have it visible in conduit (flexi conduit at solar grade or rigid at solar grade if outside though the industry has been doing it with medium duty for many many years as the suppliers didn't have the range available!) ---- If you are going to saddle the conduit to the side of the house. If it's just in a random place along the ground you should try and go upwards and then along and down if possible otherwise it should really be buried.

Running it on top of a surface designed to be a ground level surface is where you'll get stuck with mechanical protection of the cable. There are other ways of doing it if you cant get 600mm deep.

A danger sign might be appropriate - the ones we use have one side with "danger underground cables" and the other side says "danger live cables" - if it's surface mounted you'd have the latter showing

gregmcc

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#2294944 12-Aug-2019 16:51

qwertee:

stmoloud:

How about one of these https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/goldair-weatherproof-double-power-point-white/p/247750

I installed the single version. It's had a lot of rain thrown at it and still performing as expected. Individually switched too, which is handy at times. If you're particularly concerned about the weather tightness you can always put a smear of silicon around the joins.

As for installation, I used a heavy-duty external cord, drilled a hole through the floor, cut the cord to length, and then connected it to the power point. So in addition to the switch at the external power point, I also have a switch at the internal power socket.

Not sure how legal this is - but it works good.

Thats exactly what I had in mind and your review gives me confidence in the product.

I am getting a sparky to do the wiring for the patio twin socket. But the extension cable to the multibox enclosed in a dribox will be done by me.

Do I still need to bury this trailing lead to the multibox? Can I leave it in rigid PVC conduit and leave it visible on the surface with a warning sign 'WARNING ELECTRIC CABLE BELOW on the patio pillar.

as soon as you fix the wiring so the removal of it requires tools then it becomes part of the installation and must then comply with AS/NZS3000, don't bury it, don't run it thru PVC pipe. Why don't you just get your electrician to put the socket in a more convenient place, no reason why the conduit can't exit the bricks on the other side of the wall when the inside socket is and then proceed along the wall to the desired location where the socket will be located.

There are other options such as mounting the socket on one of the columns that support the patio overhang, depending on how good your electrician is they could lift a sheet of roofing and run the cable thru the ceiling.

It all depends on how good you want it to look and how much you want to spend getting it done.

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stmoloud

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#2295086 12-Aug-2019 19:50

If you want one of the double sockets for power tools, and the other permanently powering a location across open ground to a pond feature, you might be best just going for a single outdoor socket and prior to the sparky coming dig a trench 600 mm deep from the location of the pond feature to the house.

At the pond end you could have a post where another outdoor socket was located, and to which the sparky could connect.

But check before going ahead.

The conduit between the house and pond would have to be a special underground type, and also there would need to be suitable mechanical protection.

qwertee

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#2296338 13-Aug-2019 09:13

Thanks for the tips and feedback.

I shall be installing the twin sockets IP Rated, on the patio wall. This will be powered from the twin outlet inside the house, which will be replaced

with a double socket with a centre switch feeding the patio socket.

The power to the pond pump will be a trailing cable. It will not be fixed to any thing so I dont have to bury it. Ugly but shall do for the time being.

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