08-26-2015, 02:43 PM
Ever since our arrival in 2013, I've been making do with the existing 2.5mm2 cable to the workshop. I've wired 2 separate circuits in 2.5mm2 serving left and right sides of the workshop, but to get things going quickly, both were fed from the same existing 2.5mm2 circuit from the house - I know, not good practice, but it was only temporary. Plagued by overload trips, I upped the breaker to 20A from the existing 16A, but I knew it was a bit wobbly. (remember we are on 220v so 20A is equivalent to 40A chez vous).
Today I installed a new 35A circuit. Why didnt I do it before ? The big problem was how to get the cable from the distribution board in the front hall to the barn which adjoins the house, without going though the dining room or the bedroom above and destroying the decorations. Problem amplified by the fact that both rooms are wallpapered and the previous owners did not leave us any spare paper. In effect, any damage to decorations meant re-doing an entire room.
In the event the solution appeared when we replanned our dressing room. This is partly above the hallway and so the cables could pass up through the dressing room to the roof space and then to the barn. WIP on the dressing room to follow...
So today I pulled 30m of 6mm2 cable up through the dressing room (hidden by the built-in wardrobes) and then though the loft space to the barn, fitted a shiny new 35A breaker in the distribution board and a new sub panel in the barn. The two circuits in 2.5mm2 in the workshop are now properly independant each with its own 20A breaker and there is a separate 10A breaker for the lights. Not before time !!!
Today I installed a new 35A circuit. Why didnt I do it before ? The big problem was how to get the cable from the distribution board in the front hall to the barn which adjoins the house, without going though the dining room or the bedroom above and destroying the decorations. Problem amplified by the fact that both rooms are wallpapered and the previous owners did not leave us any spare paper. In effect, any damage to decorations meant re-doing an entire room.
In the event the solution appeared when we replanned our dressing room. This is partly above the hallway and so the cables could pass up through the dressing room to the roof space and then to the barn. WIP on the dressing room to follow...
So today I pulled 30m of 6mm2 cable up through the dressing room (hidden by the built-in wardrobes) and then though the loft space to the barn, fitted a shiny new 35A breaker in the distribution board and a new sub panel in the barn. The two circuits in 2.5mm2 in the workshop are now properly independant each with its own 20A breaker and there is a separate 10A breaker for the lights. Not before time !!!
