I have been pestered again to help a family friend wire up a water feature at the bottom of the short(ish) garden.
I'm ok with the RCB > SWA > waterproof box (sealable 13A socket type) near the 'feature' but I wasn't sure what one is supposed to do with the wire from the feature to the socket?
I mean it seems a bit strange running the feed down the garden in SWA to have the last few feet simply in flex? (they might want to unplug it to plug in a mower etc).
Yes I fitted one not long ago and thought it was a bit odd too - the flex was permanently connected to the pump at one end, and fitted with a permanently wired 13A plug at the other; obviously you're not meant to do anything other than use it with said flex. Presumably it's intended to be a 'temporary' installation (ie like a lawn mower?) rather than a permanent 'hard-wired' device for which you'd expect to use armoured cable or something?
I should perhaps have been more verbose. Cable coming from house to box with normally empty socket, with another cable coming out of the back of the box, permenantly fixed, going to the pond.
I would probably prefer an outdoor switch myself. Even better, 2 way switching. One outdoors so you can turn it on when you go out. One indoors to turn it off after you've gone in!
On this Masterseal box the lid shuts over the plug top with a VERY squidgy rubber membrane round the cable that I would imagine could keep out most water it's likely to see (including a hose). I'm not sure I'd want one thrown in my bath though ;-)
Ah sorry Ian, in the context of your addendum I can see where I was a bit slow ..
The (long) silicone feeling lead is attached to a submersible pump that sits in a small 'sump'. A hollow steel tube sits on top and one treads large stones (drilled through the middle) over the tube like an impossible stack of stones?
The water is pumped up the tube and is allowed to run back over the stones back to the sump?
What I was wondering is, although the water feature is 'permanent' it needs to be servicable so the plug and the 'fex' would be sort of integral parts of that. However, we go to all that trouble (and expense) with SWA and IPXX rated junction boxes and sockets then have a 1m length of 'flex' (with 240V through it) hanging off the end?
I think when I've seen this done on 'Ground force' (I must watch that for the water feature projects ) Charlie runs the flex for the pump through a lengths of the corrugated sleeving (or is that just low voltage stuff?).
Oooerr .. that's what RCD's are for though eh? Seriously though I think these sockets are pretty neat (in an engineering sense) and at around 19 quid aren't that expensive considering what they have to do and how long they last etc.
They *could*, but I think the idea of a std 13A socket at the end of the garden appealed to them for other duties (strimmer / mower / outside Xmas tree lights etc?)
Yeah, nobody would guess there was a pump in there, and would just assume the owner was a witch. Burn her! :)
Personally, I'd terminate it back in the socket-box, (which as others have said is probably only waterproof when closed) or perhaps add a switch to turn it off.
This is what I plan to do (running conduit at the moment, a total of around 40m with branches, to run satellite/TV/data/mains/water cables for the pond branch. (adding 2 or 3 outside outlets, and regularising extension cords strung on wires to power stuff, to more logical arrangements.)
I don't know if Charlie is always the best standard to follow. Some things can be inadequately supported.
I'm pretty sure this Masterseal box is 'waterproof' when 'closed' as it completely closes over the plugtop and has a very clever seal around the cable.
Oh, I hadn't noticed! She's no beauty (like I can talk) but does have a couple of appealing points .. ;-)
I think the ones referred to are the Clipsal brand, which has a "standard
13A socket", projecting a little way forward on a round male-threaded faceplate; with a matching plug which has a gasket and a loose female-threaded collar which tightens up to make a good-n-proper waterproof seal (can't be arsed looking up catalogue's IP ratings). Like the MK Masterseal, it still allows other "standard" 13A plugs to be used
- without any particular sealing, though: unlike the Masterseal it has a more secure seal for the mating plug (whereas the Masterseals' seal depends on the details of the flex diameter and absence of larger molded-on strain relief, etc. etc.). And the cost of Clipsal socket + matching plug is usefully lower than the Masterseal, if I remember correctly.
Yet another way to achieve good practice, disconnectability for maintenance, etc., is to use "commando"-style plugs-n-sockets (BS4343, from memory) - y'know, the bright blue business-end things you see in caravan parks. Pricewise these are cheaper still than your Masterseals and Clipsal designs which struggle to add a degree waterproofness to the "standard" 13A design (to be fair, the cheaper ones are sthg like IP54, so not rated for hosing down - you pay more for IP67 types), and for occaisional use of "normal" plugs you can make up a 16A-plug to 13A-trailing-socket adaptor: and
2*16A plug, 1*16A socket, 1*13A trailing sckt, + length-o-flex will still bring you in under the 19 quid mentioned for the MK single masterseal socket...
The idea of cost saving is nice .. but at 19 quid I feel it's just not worth the trouble? Ie, to be able to plug anything into the socket?
And get Pikeys in thier garden .. no thanks! ;-)
I follow the idea Stefek we do / have similar for use with the folding caravan but these folk are happy with a nice grey box and they are paying for it ... ;-)
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