Outdoor Sockets, what you need to know!

It’s time for you to know the facts about outdoor sockets

It’s December, which means you might be turning on your external Christmas lights. All Services 4 U Ltd can help you save the hassle of running lengthy (not to mention dangerous) extension cables out of the kitchen window to powder your Christmas display. We strongly recommend that you install an outdoor power supply, (we are installing a few over the coming weeks!). We only recommend products which actually last, and stand the performance of time.

IP rating (Ingress Protection) – Water-proof/Dust-proof

The British winter time is incredibly unpredictable! so outdoor sockets must be both weatherproof and immune to dust. If fittings are not protected properly, water and dirt can accumulate inside, causing them to malfunction. Therefore, it’s important to know how resistant your sockets are via their IP rating. External sockets need a minimum rating of IP56, so even when your jet-washing the decking or washing the car, they’ll stay watertight and protected. The higher the IP rating the better!

RCD (Residual Current Device)

This is a must, so we always recommend that the external permanent socket has an RCD built in which will protect them from the risk of electric shock. For many customers with their modern fuse board/consumer unit, there will be one installed already. So, if the cable is sliced or cut while trimming the hedge or cutting the grass in the summer, the RCD will trip and cut off the electrical supply immediately. If one is not already installed then we will need to fit one.

Conduit / Cable

When installing an outdoor socket, it’s always best practice to drill through the back of an existing indoor socket, so that the new one is adjacent to it on the outside wall. Obviously, if this isn’t doable, run a cable from the interior socket along the wall, ensuring the exposed part is protected by conduit or the cable is armoured. Another key thing to remember is that if you have a metal mounting box, it must be earthed for safety (this is unnecessary for a plastic box).