As the title – I am doing a raised decking area. I assume I need armoured cable – is there any standard that it needs to be and do I need to run it at any particular depth / position across the lawn?

I already have power where I need it (an outdoor socket that I assume we can take a spur from).

Help / advice would be greatly appreciated thanks.

an outdoor socket that I assume we can take a spur from

Unless it’s already on a spur itself? I guess you could just plug a 13amp plug into what you already have (or replace with one of those waterprrof plugs caravan extension leads use) though, depends how much power you’re expecting to need – is it just for lighting?

Don;t think there’s any regs for armoured cable as far as positioning is concerned but I’d probably bury it a fair depth down or not at all so it’s either undisturbed by mild digging or visible.

I believe your SWA cable needs to be burried at least 600mm down and be covered by yellow and black ‘caution electric cable below’ warning tape.

Also it will need to be glanded properly at either end.

I’d say dig the trench yourself and get a spark in to do the rest.

Pretty straight forward but there a few rules to follow

You’ll want SWA cable. It’ll need to be correctly sized for the length and load, there are tables for this.

It can be run from a socket as long as that socket is on the ring and not already a spur. The circuit will need to have RCD protection (although if you haven’t got this on all circuits then I’d be looking at a new fuse box/consumer unit). Fitting SWA into an existing socket might be tricky.

The cable needs to be protected from damage. The regs are pretty vague but basically buried 600mm deep with warning tape over the top or clipped to a wall, (not a fence) are both acceptble.

As above, to do it properly will most likely involve a sparky…

Or, if it doesn’t need to be permanently connected and as you already have an outside socket, can’t you just run a extension out whenever you need it?

I’d say dig the trench yourself and get a spark in to do the rest.

Yeah I would do that – I normally do just that – put lights in, run cabling etc then get them to finish it off.

Or, if it doesn’t need to be permanently connected and as you already have an outside socket, can’t you just run a extension out whenever you need it?

I had considered this but I want to install LED decking lighting and have a parasol IR heater so I felt a proper permanent connection would be the best option if I want to do it properly.

The heater will draw quite a load so you’ll need to get your cable sizing right and make sure the supply to the connection point is adequate. You may also need to down-rate the connection to the lighting with a fuse. All possible but not a simple bit of circuit design.

So I think I had better ask the sparky to advise first then get my bits and get digging?

All my outdoor electrics is run along fences / walls in steel or PVC conduit. All BC approved. Have run mains all over the place, to the workshop, to lights along the fences/patio and to the shed.

Don’t want to run my electrics along my fence as I will be replacing it in a couple of years so it’ll just add extra complications.