Pippin

Pippin 3 weeks ago friendica

Well, Project Rewire The Garage is finally back on! It used to be Project Replace The Semi-Failing Garage Lights when I first tried it, 18ish months ago. I was also going to add another light switch because the current single one is inconveniently placed for most access to the garage. I stopped because I had no tools (they were all still at the old house) and it was really not warm enough out there in, I think it was, November. Now I need an outdoor socket to plug the robomower into I'm getting back to it! Screwed the socket into place a few days ago, then yesterday I wired it up (only to a short wire that's still unconnected on the other side of the wall) and got all the horizontal conduit installed. Next I need to rip a shelf out and move another socket, then I can do the vertical conduit drops from the ceiling-level conduit to the sockets and consumer unit. Then a few other small things and I can actually connect it up. Then, with the conduit system started I can extend it around the garage ceiling and hopefully finally get the lighting upgrade done too! Phew. Fiiiiinally

Pippin 15 hours ago friendica

Moved this project on another notch today — installed a couple of double sockets where the outdoor socket's wire comes inside and wired them all together (although they are still unpowered), then (with the power to the garage off) moved the socket blocking the conduit path near the consumer unit, and got the rest of the conduit done! So now all that's needed is to run the twin-and-earth inside the conduit, connect it to the cluster of sockets, and (with the power off again) connect it to the CU. Hopefully won't have the power off for too long — today's power-off ended up being longer than I expected and let the freezer get from -20°C up to -14°C which wasn't ideal. The main difficulty, I think, is going to be getting the wires straight and kink-free inside the conduit, because if I don't it may be really hard to get the lighting wiring in alongside it when I come to do that later on. Above the door there will be 3 cables running parallel inside one 20mm conduit: 2.5mm² twin & earth for the sockets, small (can't remember if it's 1mm² or 1.5mm²) twin & earth to the light switch, and small triple & earth between the two light switches. They *do* all fit — I've tested it with the 3 spools of wire and a bit of offcut conduit, but they more than half-fill the available space so it's going to be tight, especially when cornering.