Electrics for new garage

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Wheelbarrow01

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#267878 16-Feb-2020 01:42

I am finally getting organised for my long awaited garage rebuild in my back yard. My current 6 x 6 metre concrete block garage was damaged beyond repair in the 2011 earthquake and is being replaced with a 7.2 x 7.8 coloursteel garage/workshop from Versatile. It will be nice to have a space which doesn't flood when it rains (it tilted and sank below finished ground level).

I was just thinking about my electrical requirements and I am keen to hear about what others have done (or would suggest). I don't want or need to go too hard out, but on the same token I'd rather have too many of something than not enough (eg power points). And I guess as long as I have a decent capacity sub-board out there I can always add circuits later if required.

This is what I have so far:

4 x double power points scattered around + 1 in the trusses for the electric door opener, 1 x external 'caravan' socket, 2 standard bayonet light fittings + switch, 2 x fluorescent tube light fittings + switch for workshop area (salvaged from old garage), motion detect LED spot/flood (external), and maybe the required wiring (or at least ducting) to future proof for electric vehicle charging. Anything else I need to consider?

I don't have (and don't believe I will ever have) anything in the garage which requires an internet connection, so I am not going to reticulate Cat 6 out there. As it is, it will cost a small fortune for power and drainage - power to the old garage is aerial from the rear of my house, but the new underground power has to be trenched all the way from the switchboard at the front of my house. Likewise, the old garage has an ineffectual soak pit for stormwater which cannot be reused, so I am required to connect the new garage to my house stormwater - with the closest accessible outlet being (you guessed it) at the very front of my house.

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#2421629 16-Feb-2020 07:12

Im just about to start building my garage.

At least 1 outdoor power socket, and 1 power point/lighting circuit in the ceiling space for storage.

Consider where work benshes will be and place the power points at the correct height for that.

also run cable from where the door openers are to a switch on the wall to enable opening that way.

RunningMan

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#2421631 16-Feb-2020 07:33

In considering your EV charging, allow for a 32 amp single phase circuit (or three phase if you have it on the property already). This may change the cable that needs to be trenched across to the garage and the specs for the garage board.

hio77

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#2421640 16-Feb-2020 09:03

RunningMan:

In considering your EV charging, allow for a 32 amp single phase circuit (or three phase if you have it on the property already). This may change the cable that needs to be trenched across to the garage and the specs for the garage board.

Exactly my thoughts..... unless your expecting it to becoming damaged again before you look at EV...

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k1w1k1d

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#2421657 16-Feb-2020 09:47

Just a few thoughts;

1 - I assume EQC/insurance is paying to build a "standard" garage to replace damaged one, and you are having to pay for "extras"?

2 - Why does the power have to be trenched all the way from the switchboard at the front of the house? Ours is in the ceiling to the rear of the house, down between the bricks and framing, and then short distance underground to garage. Maybe rules have changed, or house construction prevents this?

3 - Wiring to house for switch to operate garage door remotely.

4 - Main garage lights operated by the garage door opener. The single bulb in the opener is not bright enough to load/unload car at night.

5 - Are you really sure you don't want a CAT6 cable?

6 - What about extra wiring for a phone or alarm system etc sometime in the future?

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#2421708 16-Feb-2020 10:26

Instead of fluorescent tube light fittings I would use LED batten lights. We replaced our original fluorescent tubes when we renovated the garage as we do a lot of DIY painting and fluorescent lighting is useless when painting due to their unnatural lightwave lengths.

Orbit Lighting Wave Light LED 18 Watt 600mm White from Mitre10

They were very easy to wire into the existing wiring.

Though they serve their purpose, I feel I should have gotten one of the HPM products. and with more lumens. Also ensure not only to centrally place them but also place them over work areas AND in front of the human body so there there is no shadow.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

SATTV

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#2421754 16-Feb-2020 10:58

Being there is a trench for the power already ( I would be running 6mm cable to allow for electric car charging in the future ) I would run another conduit in the power trench ( fill in about 100 - 150mm of dirt ) then install a conduit for 2 x cat 5e or cat 6 cables plus 2 or 3 alarm cables, It is way easier to do this now, you may want to install an alarm system for the garage, or security cameras or start your own server farm.

I can almost guarantee within six months you will want to run another cable out there and it will be a whole lot more expensive.

In saying that, it is easy to spend someone elses money.

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RunningMan

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#2421763 16-Feb-2020 11:26

SATTV:[snip]( I would be running 6mm cable to allow for electric car charging in the future )

I would think that 6mm would be minimum if planning for an EV circuit. Your sparky should be able to advise though, given the cable length etc.

mdf

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#2421777 16-Feb-2020 12:13

What other have said re 32A EV sockets (even if you just run the cables before getting it wired in if/when EV arrives, so long as you spec the connection sufficiently).

Also what others have said re outdoor normal 240V sockets and LED batten lights throughout - we have both and they are super useful.

Finally, I'd add a 15A circuit and plug for future proofing big table saws, welders or other big load devices. The socket has a bigger earth pin but you can still plug normal devices in it fine.

And I would chuck some cat6 in there too. "just in case"

Wheelbarrow01

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#2421790 16-Feb-2020 12:51

hio77:

RunningMan:

In considering your EV charging, allow for a 32 amp single phase circuit (or three phase if you have it on the property already). This may change the cable that needs to be trenched across to the garage and the specs for the garage board.

Exactly my thoughts..... unless your expecting it to becoming damaged again before you look at EV...

I should hope not!!

Wheelbarrow01

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#2421792 16-Feb-2020 13:08

k1w1k1d:

Just a few thoughts;

1 - I assume EQC/insurance is paying to build a "standard" garage to replace damaged one, and you are having to pay for "extras"?

2 - Why does the power have to be trenched all the way from the switchboard at the front of the house? Ours is in the ceiling to the rear of the house, down between the bricks and framing, and then short distance underground to garage. Maybe rules have changed, or house construction prevents this?

3 - Wiring to house for switch to operate garage door remotely.

4 - Main garage lights operated by the garage door opener. The single bulb in the opener is not bright enough to load/unload car at night.

5 - Are you really sure you don't want a CAT6 cable?

6 - What about extra wiring for a phone or alarm system etc sometime in the future?

1. Yes pretty much, I am essentially paying for the upsizing from 6 x 6 to 7.2 x 7.8. They included a sum for basic electrical but anything non standard is at my cost.

2. I don't think there is any way to route the existing aerial cable into the ground without surface mounted conduit attached to the rear house cladding which would look rubbish. They could possibly run it from the switchboard under the timber floor in the crawl space and out at 300mm level and then down which would be a major improvement, but either way I'd still have to cut through a reasonably new (post earthquake) concrete path at the back of the house. I am trying to avoid that but may have no choice.

3. I don't see the point in this - You can't see the garage from the lounge/front door areas so you'd never know if someone else pressed the switch and opened the garage by mistake. I'd rather just rely on the car remotes, and a wired switch inside the garage. This also means if someone did break into my house, they wouldn't automatically have access to the garage as well.

4. Yes I had thought of this but forgot to write in my original post. Could be as simple as a motion sensor.

5/6. Phone? Who has a landline these days? But you make a good point about the potential to add an alarm.

Wheelbarrow01

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#2421794 16-Feb-2020 13:09

FineWine:

Instead of fluorescent tube light fittings I would use LED batten lights. We replaced our original fluorescent tubes when we renovated the garage as we do a lot of DIY painting and fluorescent lighting is useless when painting due to their unnatural lightwave lengths.

Orbit Lighting Wave Light LED 18 Watt 600mm White from Mitre10

They were very easy to wire into the existing wiring.

Though they serve their purpose, I feel I should have gotten one of the HPM products. and with more lumens. Also ensure not only to centrally place them but also place them over work areas AND in front of the human body so there there is no shadow.

Thanks for the tip - will look into these.

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Tracer

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#2421832 16-Feb-2020 15:00

I've gone for the Phillips LED battens (or Thorn LED battens) which are direct equivalents for flouro battens.

richms

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#2421835 16-Feb-2020 15:12

Ive tried 3 lots of cheap LED batterns and found they all had unacceptable flicker. The last was a reduced to clear IP rated one from bunnings that is terrible.

I'm sticking with fluros since they seem to have been flicker free since the demise of magnetic ballasts in the 90's, If I find some retrofit tubes that dont suck I can always remove the ballast and connect the power to the right end and put them in.

Even in saying that, the old mag ballast ones in the garage are noway near as annoying as the LED ones I got for over the workbench, the LED ones go totally out for part of the AC cycle so any strobing on tools is way worse, and video is impossible under them unless I have the shutter set so long that every frame looks like a blurry mess, and use a cinematic 25FPS to match the powerline.

I know the CRI wont change over time to the level that LEDs do, so if I stick some 965 tubes in, that will be pretty constant and is a low cost replacement when I do feel there is a problem.

LED batterns the whole fixture has to go and lifespan isn't that impressive on them, I have some downlights that I had to install a spare one that was in a closet and not used, but was the same type as the rest in the hall way and it is massivly brighter than the others that have probably had an hour or 2 a day on them for 6 years or so. Unbelieveably different light level.

I would run fiber, not cat anything nowdays, you can see if your garage it open or not from the cameras you should be putting in since you are doing a new build, you will probably want to stream music while working, or have youtube on or something so saying you dont need internet is IMO a bit foolish. You may also want to put a NAS or something out there when the noise wont bother you.

Richard rich.ms

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#2421857 16-Feb-2020 16:29

Tracer:

I've gone for the Phillips LED battens (or Thorn LED battens) which are direct equivalents for flouro battens.

I have also gone with 5 x Thorn batten LED below in the garage spread out evenly. I saw them in action in a garage and they are very bright and perfect for task lighting.

http://www.thornlighting.co.nz/en-nz/products/indoor-lighting/trunking-batten-and-lightline-luminaires/PopPack_LED/poppack-led-battens/96631558

Do whatever you want to do man.

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#2421859 16-Feb-2020 16:34

richms:

Ive tried 3 lots of cheap LED batterns and found they all had unacceptable flicker.

The Orbit ones I installed do not flicker. I would say that in your choice of LED battens is the word CHEAP. I just wish my ones had slightly more lumens.

Plus as I said fluorescent are not good when painting, anything. Back when I was in the RNZAF (1970's) as an S&S technician, one of my jobs was an aircraft painter and I gained my NZ Trade Certificate in Coach Painting. All the hangers had large sodium bulbs or fluorescent tubes and every time I had to colour mix or match I had to go outside to do it. It is all to do with a lights CRI (colour rendering index). Have read here.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

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