power supply to domestic wallmount..now to outddor,,legal and cheap way?

[gwm121]

Power supply to 2.5 or 3.5 wallmount splits have been to the inside unit for years.
To power them they can be wired into a local 13 amp socket. Cost vertually nil.

Now most units have power to the outdoor.
I THOUGHT that to comply with elec regs any outdoor cable has to be protected, so one has to use lsx, fp200, sy or run it in copex.
of course this style of cable cant be terminated in a mains plug.
Conversly standard mains cable from an indoor mains plug cant be run outside.
So there is big additional cost for adapters shielded cable etc (or exta cost of protecting cable with copex glands etc)

what are others doing? when the customer expects and installation for £1200 or so this is an unwelcome additional cost now.
Is it possible that rubberised cable run from internal power point, to the vicinity of ndoor unit, and then following the pipework and "protected" by this would be considered ok?

[Brian_UK]

As you need a local isolator adjacent to the unit I would have thought that only the correct cable should be used.

If you are running short on profit because of the electrics you must take more notice of the site requirements when quoting for the work.

Or get the client to run the electrics for you at his cost.

[gwm121]

To clarify
isolation on indoor used to be from swithing or unplugging mains plug.

To keep cost reasonable with power to outdoor as the new systems are, if power is run from indoor power socket to outdoor isolator following the pipe bundle run, what sort of cable satisfies the electrical regulations,

Using shilelded fp200/sy/lsx is expensive and requires juntion boxes, Im hoping someone will tell me that rubberised cable capable of being wired into mains plug satisfies electrical regulations due to the mechanical protection of the pipe run ?????????

How are others doing this on the inexpensive small wallmount splits?

[glenn1340]

I used armoured to a MK IP66 fused spur to outside then 2.5mm 3 core to the unit, I had to replace two units so the electrial materials cost about £140. If stuff needs fitting it needs fitting
By the way has anyone yet tried the SWA cutter? it`s like a tube cutter only with a small saw blade instead of the wheel. So quick to use especially when up a ladder on squeezed in a cabinet. One of the best ideas I`ve seen for years

[install monkey]

use twin and earth from your radial circuit via an indoor fused spur,use 20mm conduit and bush adaptor,drill a 25 mm hole to outside and the conduit is your protection through the cavity,youve come into the back of your isolator so there is no twin and earth on show,you can use flex from the outdoor isolator into condenser but ur isolator needs to be close to the condenser
part p req a dedicated power supply for air con units as it is a fixed appliance so a plug is inadequate

[Karl Hofmann]

Forgive me for starting up an old argument, but where in the regs does it state that a fixed appliance cannot be powered off a 13amp 3 pin plug? There are plenty of fixed appliances in the home quite legally powered this way... Provided the outlet does not have a switch on so the ony way to isolate the equipment is to remove the plug..

I follow why an air conditioner with a capacitor start motor needs a seperate circuit and this is right and propper but why would an inverter driven unit need to be as it has a low start up current and so does not cause interferance to other equipment on the circuit..

[Slim R410a]

I thought that inverters are not allowed to be wired from a 13amp plug due to risk of electric shock if customer was to unplug and then touch the live pin? I always get our electrician to install a switched fuse spur next to a double socket.
Here are some recent examples we/our spark have carried out:

1) Daikin flexi into conservatory: Replacement conservatory, new 13A switched spur installed into wall with first fix by electrician, right hand side of indoor unit. Indoor unit installed after walls painted, 1.5mm fp200 in white taken from spur outlet, into indoor unit and out with pipework into rotary isolator.

2) Tosh ras10 wall mount: 2.5mm twin and earth taken from ring main, hole drilled to outside directly behind double socket, 2-3m of black 20mm condiut and fittings into IP65 outdoor fuse spur located next to outdoor unit, 1.5mm fp200 in black from spur to outdoor unit.

3) ME msz-71 wall mount conservatory: (bungalow) 2.5mm twin and earth taken from spare 20A across loft, through outside wall into 20mm conduit, dropped straight into rotary isloator next to outdoor at floor level, 2.5mm fp200 from isolator to outdoor.

[gwm121]

Thank you for the answers, i find it amazing that with the part p regs in place there seem to be many different opinions upon what is legal and proper.. and inexpensive....

Please note that as far as i know there are NO small a/c systems as from may 2011 with power to indoor, all were changed to outdoor. Daikin Mitsi Fujitsu we use.

1. Acording to the regs, is it permissable to use rubberised cable, as found on for example extension reels,to the outdoor isolator on the outside of the building FOLLOWING and tied to the pipework for mechanical protection.??????
2. Is it permissable to use this cable for the short distance between isolator and condenser.????
3. Would it be permissable to run from external isolator in flexible conduit following the piperun, through the hole drilled for the pipework to the inside,.... and terminated in a mains plug... (as portable a/c units, washing machines, fixed to wall tellys are.

The customers are used to paying about £1200 for a 3.5kw split, installed, and prior to this year the cost of electrics was a 30p plug.... using the manufacurers supplied flex to the indoor unit..... to start using spurs adapters armoured cable etc etc and/or wired into ring main must increase cost dramatically in percentage terms. THERE MUST BE COMMON SENSE LEAL INEXPENSIVE ANSWERS....

[install monkey]

u can flex out of a isolator into a condenser

[Contactor]

All the regs are open to interpretation which is fine until something goes wrong and somebody decides it's your fault. For me, Part P is dangerous legislation because anyone can get it after a few days in a classroom, register with one of the governing bodies, and call themselves a registered, qualified electrician. I know a sparky of 40 years trading who refuses to do domestic work because of it.