ᐅ Outdoor power supply installation with 5-core underground cable for garden shed and electric gate

Hi,

we built a new house this year and are now planning the outdoor area. I have already installed several empty conduits for the garden shed, etc. Additionally, I pulled a 5-core underground cable from the multi-utility entry point. There is no more space for another cable.

My question is whether this single underground cable is sufficient to supply power to the garden shed, pool, and an electric gate via a separate outdoor distribution box.

I’m not very familiar with this area since these installations will take place over the coming months or years. I wanted to ask before planning the driveway, so it’s not difficult to access later. A qualified electrician will handle the connections. My concern is about the preparation and whether this setup is feasible. Everything for the outdoor power supply is also prepared in the utility room’s main electrical panel.

Thank you in advance. Best regards

Is a wallbox or sauna planned or possible in that area?
What cable cross-section do you have or intend to install?

Marti2024 schrieb:

My question is: Is a single underground cable sufficient to supply power to a garden shed, pool, and an electric gate through a separate electrical distribution box installed outdoors?

As always, it depends.
On what? On what appliances or devices you want to connect. If the garden shed also includes a sauna with an electric heater, then no. If you do it like 99% of homeowners, meaning only lighting, lawn mower (or similar), pool pump/pool lighting, outdoor lighting, and the electric gate, then a 5-core cable is almost overkill.

Marti2024 schrieb:

Furthermore, I pulled a 5-core underground cable from the multi-service entry point.

Now the exciting question is: 5x WHAT? The cross-section determines possibilities and limitations.

nordanney schrieb:

Are you doing it like 99% of all home builders,

Anyone building new today who doesn’t at least install a thick cable to the outside that could enable electric mobility later really can’t be helped anymore. More than a double-digit amount is not even saved, and that money is hardly better invested for the lifespan of a house.

Regarding “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut”: I have 5x 25mm² (0.04 inch²) power cables from the house to the garage (cost including installation and connection €310 gross), plus 8 LAN and bus cables. Prepared for all planned and unplanned needs.

Fuchur schrieb:

On the topic of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut: I have power cables running from the house to the garage sized 5x25mm² (cost including installation and connection €310 gross), as well as 8 LAN and bus cables. Prepared for all planned and unplanned needs.

5x25?? That should be around 80-100A per phase, right?! What kind of main electrical connection do you have?

The main electrical connection is 3x63A. There is a sub-distribution board in the garage, which also supplies the entire garden. This setup allows for spare capacity to accommodate unforeseen needs. Additionally, it is easier to run cables from the garage (even afterwards) than through the waterproof basement.

During the new construction, I had a CEE socket installed in the garage, and more recently, a wallbox was added.