Hello
In 3 weeks, our carport will finally be delivered, after we had to wait a long time for the paving. I am currently planning the electrical installation for the carport.
Prepared by our electrician:
5x 2.5mm² cables, protected by a 30mA residual-current device (RCD) and 16A circuit breaker in the main electrical panel in the house
5x 4mm² cable, pre-installed without circuit breakers in the house for a 400-volt (400V) socket (electric vehicle)
Both cable ends were already routed to the correct locations in the shed next to the carport during the paving works.
I will carry out the installation myself. As a mechanical engineer with training in piping networks, I consider myself qualified for this type of work. Since the entire circuit also has its own circuit breaker, I can easily switch off the power (+ test with a multimeter...).
For the switch series, I have chosen Busch-Jaeger Ocean in blue, rated IP44 for covered outdoor areas. I will buy one 50-meter (164 feet) cable with 5x 2.5mm² conductors to connect everything. I wanted to use a 5-core cable so I can loop all five wires from the house throughout (even though only three are connected) and only need one cable to switch lamps, while the socket at the switch will have permanent power.
I plan to create three lighting circuits: one for the carport area, one for the shed, and one for the covered terrace (table lighting). Each circuit will also include at least 2-3 sockets. The carport lighting will have a two-way switch at two locations plus a motion sensor.
I want to run the cables inside Ø20mm (0.8 inch) electrical conduit (rigid conduit), fixing the conduits to the carport structure using quick clamps (OBO Bettermann). I’m not yet sure whether I can connect the cables directly from the conduit into the socket wiring using an M20 cable gland or something similar.
The 5x 4mm² cable I will only lay into a distribution box. If I ever need to connect it, I will leave that to an electrician.
Questions:
- Does 5x 2.5mm² make sense, or are 4 or even 3x 2.5mm² sufficient? Is 2.5mm² required for 16A?
- Is Ø20mm conduit enough, or would Ø25mm be better? I thought the 5-core cable would offer enough space (a 5x2.5mm² cable has a diameter of 13mm (0.5 inch)).
- Any suggestions for improvement?
In 3 weeks, our carport will finally be delivered, after we had to wait a long time for the paving. I am currently planning the electrical installation for the carport.
Prepared by our electrician:
5x 2.5mm² cables, protected by a 30mA residual-current device (RCD) and 16A circuit breaker in the main electrical panel in the house
5x 4mm² cable, pre-installed without circuit breakers in the house for a 400-volt (400V) socket (electric vehicle)
Both cable ends were already routed to the correct locations in the shed next to the carport during the paving works.
I will carry out the installation myself. As a mechanical engineer with training in piping networks, I consider myself qualified for this type of work. Since the entire circuit also has its own circuit breaker, I can easily switch off the power (+ test with a multimeter...).
For the switch series, I have chosen Busch-Jaeger Ocean in blue, rated IP44 for covered outdoor areas. I will buy one 50-meter (164 feet) cable with 5x 2.5mm² conductors to connect everything. I wanted to use a 5-core cable so I can loop all five wires from the house throughout (even though only three are connected) and only need one cable to switch lamps, while the socket at the switch will have permanent power.
I plan to create three lighting circuits: one for the carport area, one for the shed, and one for the covered terrace (table lighting). Each circuit will also include at least 2-3 sockets. The carport lighting will have a two-way switch at two locations plus a motion sensor.
I want to run the cables inside Ø20mm (0.8 inch) electrical conduit (rigid conduit), fixing the conduits to the carport structure using quick clamps (OBO Bettermann). I’m not yet sure whether I can connect the cables directly from the conduit into the socket wiring using an M20 cable gland or something similar.
The 5x 4mm² cable I will only lay into a distribution box. If I ever need to connect it, I will leave that to an electrician.
Questions:
- Does 5x 2.5mm² make sense, or are 4 or even 3x 2.5mm² sufficient? Is 2.5mm² required for 16A?
- Is Ø20mm conduit enough, or would Ø25mm be better? I thought the 5-core cable would offer enough space (a 5x2.5mm² cable has a diameter of 13mm (0.5 inch)).
- Any suggestions for improvement?
S
Sebastian7919 Jun 2016 21:22I thought you could handle this with your degree.
What do you want to use a 4mm² cable for? Totally unnecessary and overkill...
For 16A sockets, 1.5mm² cables are sufficient.
I would go with M25. Any suggestions for improvement? Get someone who knows what they’re doing and assist them – but if it already fails at this point and you’re asking an online forum, I would just leave it.
What do you want to use a 4mm² cable for? Totally unnecessary and overkill...
For 16A sockets, 1.5mm² cables are sufficient.
I would go with M25. Any suggestions for improvement? Get someone who knows what they’re doing and assist them – but if it already fails at this point and you’re asking an online forum, I would just leave it.
Hello,
He doesn’t want the 5x4 mm² cable for the 16 A connection, but for the 32 A connection for the car. That actually makes sense...
However, if electric cars with usable ranges (>750 km (465 miles)) and charging times (<15 minutes) ever become available, even the 32 A connection will be just a drop in the bucket. Even a 32 A connection easily takes 10 hours to charge a 120 kWh battery. This is really the lower limit of what’s practical. Ideally, you would need 400 V and 500–1000 amperes. But that’s definitely no longer for home use!
Back to the topic:
I will also have it installed. Depending on cable length, it’s not a bad idea to increase the cross-section a bit. If a socket is really at the end of a 50 m (164 ft) run, a too-small cross-section combined with high power demand can cause the current to rise and the circuit breaker to trip frequently. This kind of setup used to annoy me endlessly during my community service. When using a pressure washer in the outdoor facilities, someone always had to hold the circuit breakers because they tried to trip every two minutes.
In short, I consider the 5x4 mm² and 5x2.5 mm² cables absolutely reasonable.
The “thick cable” already has a diameter of about 15 mm (0.6 inches), so I might opt for a 25 mm (1 inch) conduit.
Make sure the conduit is approved for outdoor use, so it doesn’t crumble after three years due to UV radiation.
Best regards,
Andreas
He doesn’t want the 5x4 mm² cable for the 16 A connection, but for the 32 A connection for the car. That actually makes sense...
However, if electric cars with usable ranges (>750 km (465 miles)) and charging times (<15 minutes) ever become available, even the 32 A connection will be just a drop in the bucket. Even a 32 A connection easily takes 10 hours to charge a 120 kWh battery. This is really the lower limit of what’s practical. Ideally, you would need 400 V and 500–1000 amperes. But that’s definitely no longer for home use!
Back to the topic:
I will also have it installed. Depending on cable length, it’s not a bad idea to increase the cross-section a bit. If a socket is really at the end of a 50 m (164 ft) run, a too-small cross-section combined with high power demand can cause the current to rise and the circuit breaker to trip frequently. This kind of setup used to annoy me endlessly during my community service. When using a pressure washer in the outdoor facilities, someone always had to hold the circuit breakers because they tried to trip every two minutes.
In short, I consider the 5x4 mm² and 5x2.5 mm² cables absolutely reasonable.
The “thick cable” already has a diameter of about 15 mm (0.6 inches), so I might opt for a 25 mm (1 inch) conduit.
Make sure the conduit is approved for outdoor use, so it doesn’t crumble after three years due to UV radiation.
Best regards,
Andreas
S
Sebastian7920 Jun 2016 13:06For 32A, cross-sections of 2.5mm² (0.004 inches²) are planned, not 4mm² (0.006 inches²)...
Hi,
No, you can only load 2.5mm² (approximately 3 AWG) conductors with 20–25 A, not more.
For 4mm² (approximately 11 AWG) conductors, the limit is 27–34 A. So, if things go wrong, you technically need 6mm² (approximately 9 AWG) for a 32 A outlet.
Best regards,
Andreas
Sebastian79 schrieb:
For 32A, 2.5mm² cross-sections are planned, not 4mm²...
No, you can only load 2.5mm² (approximately 3 AWG) conductors with 20–25 A, not more.
For 4mm² (approximately 11 AWG) conductors, the limit is 27–34 A. So, if things go wrong, you technically need 6mm² (approximately 9 AWG) for a 32 A outlet.
Best regards,
Andreas
S
Sebastian7920 Jun 2016 13:41Dirt – you are, of course, right... Sorry!
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