Studio lighting?

firedinglass · August 27, 2009, 05:25:21 PM

£900..... I think i need to go and lie down! There goes my budget, how much do i have to sell to pay fo this little lot

Mand · August 27, 2009, 05:28:35 PM

I got £330 approx for the first quote :

The man wrote:

Install 4.00mm 3 core SWA cable (supplied by customer)from consumer unit in utility room to outside Workshop, install new 32A circuit breaker and install three double sockets and one light point with switch in workshop.

eek! This is a very costly hobby!

firedinglass · August 28, 2009, 08:24:06 AM

£330 sounds a lot better than £900...... I'm going to ring an electrician today so willlet you know how i get on! Anybody know if 2 oxycons, a kiln , lighting etc can be run off normal circuit, or will i have to start again if i'm using that much electricity? Just preparing myself for the quotes ! I already have outside electricity socket near where I'm going to put theworkshop as it's going on the deck at the rear of the garden .

Steampunkglass · August 28, 2009, 09:27:27 AM

QuoteInstall 4.00mm 3 core SWA cable (supplied by customer)

Well worth making a good few phonecalls around electrical wholesalers and suppliers for that for best deal

You will be surprised how much this can vary in price depending on where you go, and make sure you get names of who quotes you as it can even change price from day to day; if you make like you know what you're asking for and that you buy this all the time then you'll get a better price

Forester18 · August 28, 2009, 11:26:27 AM

Lighting doesn't pull much current - a lighting circuit is normally rated at about 5amps in old money. An Oxycon is rated at 295W which is about 1.4A. Kiln depends on it's size but the maxi from Kiln care is rated at 1.3KW which is about 5A. So a light + 2 oxycons + Maxi kiln pull less than 13A. OK SWA cable is expensive, not sure but I would think about £3 per meter and size will depend on length of run from main breakers in you house this is because you get what is called volts drop. The best way is to run from mains in house with a reasonable sized cable to studio. Put in a small breaker box (lighting + ring main circuits) in studio come off this for lighting points and put in a ring main with several sockets. This would be the sensible and legal way to do it. You could find a friendly electrician, do the work yourself and get him to check it over and give it the OK. Don't forget that building regs are quite stringent when it comes to householders doing electrical work themselves and I don't want to worry any of you ladies out there but it could effect your insurance.
Frederick

Mand · August 28, 2009, 12:45:22 PM

We have some 3 core SWA cable a sparky friend gave us so we don't need to pay out for that bit. Unfortunately, our sparky mate lives over 100 miles away and so incredibly busy he has no time to come and help us out.

Had two more local sparkies come to quote this morning. Watch this space for their estimates early next week.

firedinglass · August 28, 2009, 07:18:57 PM

thankyou so much for the info re the amount of electricity used, this makes me feel much more positive re cost and possibilities

Mand · September 04, 2009, 12:08:36 PM

Best price was £274.40 (strange number!) so we're going with him. Still a lot of dosh though

I'm hoping to get a big girls torch and oxycon for Xmas ... more expense. Looks like my family will be closely following a diet of baked beans on toast and pasta based dishes then...

(I may treat them to the odd dandelion leaf salad

.