Whats the easiest and most cost effective way of powering some lighting in a garage?

[Stephen]

Hi, I have a rental property that has a detached garage.

The detached garage is for the exclusive use of the landlord only for storage while landlord does up his latest house.

Tenant is happy with that as he does not need a garage.

The garage has a Sub consumer unit that has three MCBs, a 6A mcb for the internal garage lights comprising of 7 off 8 watt CFLs, (3 in loft space and four on ground floor)

another 6A MCB for outside floodlights and a 32A mcb for the garage ring main.

The sub consumer unit is fed from the main house. The tenant has turned off the power to the garage from within the house. Clearly the tenant doe snot want to pay for the electricity that the landlord may consume for4 lighting up the garage.

Both landlord and tenant are happy with the current arrangements.

However, the landlord would like to make provision for lighting only in the garage with a independent power supply.

The landlord always uses a car to get to and from the garage.

The chouices the landlord has so far for powering up to 56 watts of CFL lighting is:

1. fit a changeover switch between house and garage and use a Honda generator.
2. fit a changeover switch between house and garage and use an inverter powered from the car's cigar lighter socket.
3. Fit a changeover switch, Fit solar panels and a leisure battery and an inverter.
4. Install some 12 volt lighting, Fit solar panels and a leisure battery
5. Install some 12 volt lighting, and a lead to run from the car's cigar lighter socket.

Option 5 and 2 appear to be the two cheapest options.....

1. is probably too noisy for the neighbours

Options 3 and 4 seem the most expensive....

Discuss.....

[Tim Watts]

5 - plenty of good 12V lighting available.

[harryagain]

A lot depends on how long the garage is going to be used and whether in Summer or Winter. And what for. Cheapest optionis to buy a=battery powered LED lantern and hang it up. Or even two. Can be taken away and used elsewhere afterwards too.

[harryagain]

BTW, power available from a car battery is neglable. Don't expect too much from cig lighter socket.

[tabbypurr]

NT

[charles]

Option 6: get a decent torch

[charles]

Keep the engine running

[Brian Gaff]

There are some very quiet generators about these days, ive heard them working and was amazed, but never thought to ask what make they were. I'd also be careful about running down the car battery with running lights myself. Brian

[Bill]

In message , Stephen writes

Surely if the landlord and tenant are as happy with everything as you say then would it not be a lot simpler to arrange for cash compensation for the use of the lights? Remove the 32A mcb if you are worried that more serious power maybe used. From the landlords perspective it will be the cheapest and easiest route.

Buy a meter and have that fitted, still cheaper than a generator and transfer switch, if the happiness doesn't extend as far as total trust.

Batteries and generators will not be as cost effective as mains power.

[Thomas Prufer]

"Rechargeable LED Work Light 10W 12 / 240V"

Thomas Prufer

[dennis]

That costs about £30, and about the second best solution, buying a torch being the best.

Unless you knick one of harrys three.

Wouldn't the tenant want the floods?

[JimK]

/The garage has a Sub consumer unit that has three MCBs, a 6A mcb for the internal garage lights comprising of 7 off 8 watt CFLs, (3 in loft space and four on ground floor) /q

Assuming only 'once a week' lighting use, what's the yearly elec cost going to be?

Jim K

[Tim Watts]

With respect, not necessary. When we did caravanning, we'd happily run several tube lights off the car for long autumn evenings.

Now you can get 290lm for 4W LED caravan lights, so 3 of those would run all day and all night without risking a car battery.

Though given the price of some of those fittings, it might be cheaper to just get some small BC open battens and stick some LED replacement car bulbs in them.

[spuorgelgoog]

Perhaps the tenant turned off the MCB in error, if he is 'happy with the ar rangement'.

Assuming 12p/kWh mains charge, this equates to £1 per watt per annum for

27 / 7 / 365 continuous use, or £56.

Point this out to the tenant and that the property was let to him with an e lectricity supply maintained to the garage. It will cost you a lot more tha n £56 to put in an alternative supply and you would seek to recover that through an increase in the rent following the statutory 2 months' notice pe riod (assuming the tenant is not in his fixed term of tenancy).

Owain

[Capitol]

It's strange, I was considering candles or a paraffin lamp.

[charles]

Fire hazard

[Huge]

What's wrong with fitting a meter & the landlord paying the tenant for the electricity he uses? That's what happens in the rented farmhouse next to me. The landlord's son lives in a static caravan on the site, with his power fed from the rented house. He pays the tenants for the power he uses.

[Nightjar]

On 20/04/2015 10:42, Capitol wrote: ...

[newshound]

Leisure battery and CFLs. Lantern for when LB is being charged, or if that is a problem, two leisure batteries. (It's how I light my stable block and tack room).

[JimK]

arrangement'.

r 27 / 7 / 365 continuous use, or £56.

electricity supply maintained to the garage. It will cost you a lot more t han £56 to put in an alternative supply and you would seek to recover tha t through an increase in the rent following the statutory 2 months' notice period (assuming the tenant is not in his fixed term of tenancy).

As is suspected about an hour before you ;>) 3/5th of f*ck all electric in reality....

NB "27/7/365"????

Jim K