Socket in garden

Here's my plan, does anyone foresee any problems or dangers?

Got an outdoor weatherproof socket housing (IP65), going to mount it on outside wall underneath PVC window-sill. I'm going to drill a hole through the wall into the living room for the cable, to connect the outdoor socket into an RCD, which will then be plugged into an indoor socket.

Is this OK?

What if I was to drill at skirting height (it looks better indoors than 2-3 feet up the wall to match the outdoor enclosure), can I then run the outside cable up into the bottom of the enclosure or do I have to mount the enclosure over the hole outside to avoid having mains cable running up/down an outside wall? Or would I be better to drill the hole, then mount the enclosure over it, even if it's almost at ground-level?

Reply to
Mentalguy2k8
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Any of these are OK. If the outside cable run is in a location where it might get bashed, then it should be protected against this.

Having the cable entry into the bottom of the outside box will make it easier to waterproof. Note that you need a drain hole in the bottom of the back box anyway to allow condensation to drain out.

Other recommendations I'd make (which you are doing anyway) are to keep the RCD inside, as sensitive electronics in them don't always survive outdoor conditions well, and make sure you can double-pole isolate the outside wiring from inside, which you can in your case by unplugging the inside plug.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

One other thing - if the circuit is already RCD protected at 30mA, there's almost no point adding another 30mA RCD, as during a fault, either or both might trip. Remember to test the RCD periodically though.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Excellent stuff, thanks very much!

One last question, am I best drilling from outside in, or from inside to out?

Reply to
Mentalguy2k8

Excellent stuff, thanks very much!

One last question, am I best drilling from outside in, or from inside to out?

Reply to
Mentalguy2k8

Golden rule, wherever possible 'always' drill from the inside out, also be careful on the last few inches not to become too zealous and punch out the brick face!

Reply to
Rick

Does the outside socket have to be under the window sill? And don't install it right up to the sill unless you are sure that you can still open it (don't ask but remember that the socket is hinged!)

You could drill through the internal backbox and put the socket over the exit hole and any damage that the drilling causes.

You can route the cable out throught the side of the internal socket backbox to a RCD plug if needed.

Reply to
ARWadsworth

I find that a willing helper pressing a good sized block of wood hard against the brick face helps to avoid this kind of damage. They have to have faith in your guesstimate of where it will come through though. ;o)

Reply to
Tinkerer

By far the worst offenders are SDS drills, if the bricks aren't to hard then the best thing is to try and judge the last few inches, switch off the hammer and continue without too much hard pushing.

Reply to
Rick

No, doesn't have to be right under the sill, that was for easy access, cosmetic reasons and I figured it would give it some more protection (yeah, it's weatherproof but no harm in being careful!)

Good point about the hinge, I will make sure I check that before putting it in place, thanks!

Reply to
Mentalguy2k8

Sounds like a job for the missus.. !

Maybe his experience helped, but I remember the Sky installer bloke when we first moved in here, he drilled from outside in, in about 10 seconds and the holes were perfect both ends. No doubt I'll be posting tomorrow asking how to repair 49 brick faces...

Reply to
Mentalguy2k8

I'm no expert, but have always drilled in from outside, on the basis that a bit of chipped plaster is much easier to invisibly repair (what's that about split infinitives...?) than a fractured brick. That said, if your "missus" is great with measurements, you could do "half and half", perfectly aligned, and then have no probs.

Also suggest, as doubtless you already "get", that your outside cables enter both "box" and the "hole in the wall" from below, so water isn't "drained" into your cavity.

Reply to
Martin

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