i have a garage, remote from the house only has lighting on a communal circuit. I want a bit of 240V in there, nothing huge but maybe something to run more than a charger. Any ideas or suggestions? I figured a diesel / petrol generator might create fumes and choke me what might i use?

12v battery and inverter?

Got a light circuit already?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/B22-Bayonet-Light-Adaptor-Plug-BC-Bulb-Holder-Connector-Lamp-Socket-Extension-/361267775671

I bet you could find a socket doubler too so you could still have a bulb in too. A bit old school and probably not to current regs. You won’t have an earth though, but not many chargers do.

remote from the house only has lighting on a communal circuit. I want a bit of 240V in there,

erm you already do use that assuming you only use light tools

Not up to regs but probably safe

Failing that just run a new line from a socket as a spur or some such as really no point spending hundreds on a generator to fox your problem

12 volt with solar and lights is fine but it wont give you 240 easily and will still cost more than just running power to it from your house and extension lead and a RCD would do me personally but it wont meet regs

yeah, that bulb fitment looks a bit shonky and given that it is a communal circuit, i wouldn’t want to blow it.

Yes, you are right i do have 240V in the bulb, but would like to run a bit more. Maybe a heater or even some power tools!

For heat use a heater- like gas or paraffin- pointless using a generator for that.

You’re going to have to sit a generator outside so noise is going to be a issue for any neighbours. For what you’ll spend on a generator you’d be better spending it on decent cordless tools.

Extension lead is still the cheap fix.

Generators – even the “silent ” ones will annoy you and your neighbour and you probably wont want to run it in the rain – as it will be outside due to gasses from the engine.

It will also probably need a litre or so of fuel per hour to do run a 1kw heater and you wont have much , if ny, power left over for your tools

An extension cable – given the price comparison and ease of use is still the best option,

It’ll depend on how often you intend using tools out there; cost v convenience
Power from solar, wind or ic generator won’t be cheap and needs maintenance (ideally you’ll get the spec right first time 🙂 )
Fixed wiring won’t be a cheap option either because you’ll want a consumer unit for its RCD and more convenient reset, possibly an additional earth (although the RCD will tend to negate that) and safe cabling (armoured and in a trench). You could use a catenary wire but these can get in the way of ladders, etc
Greater distance from the house may mean an increase in the conductor size and add to costs
I’d consider battery tools and a gas heater as suggested above ^^

Do it properly

You already have power; just drop a plug off it. If this seems like a bodge, putting a generator outside instead is a weird solution. Run either an extension (temp solution) or an armoured buried cable over from house (propa solution). A generator when you have access to mains is just mad/odd 😆

Another issue potentially with generators is some modern power tools have electrionics controlling the motor speed that need to refer to the sine wave of mains power. Cheaper generators have a square wave form rather than a smooth sinewave and these motors won’t run off fhem. ( my circular saw won’t) Generators that give a proper sine wave power output tend to cost upwards of a grand even for little ones.

How far is the garage from the house? Best solution would be to run armoured cable from a spur in the house then run a couple of sockets off that.

If you want an electric heater in there it sounds like you need to do things properly and get it wired in by an electrician IMO.

You already have power; just drop a plug off it.

he has a lighting ring main – start sticking stuff through it your not supposed to then the RCD should trip – best case – worst case then the small gauge wire will melt….. depending on how it was built.

Does not sound like a great solution to me !

Thanks for input, no elegant solution then.

start sticking stuff through it your not supposed to then the RCD should trip – best case

RCD will only trip if there’s a live-neutral imbalance. Excess current could still be balanced
Agreed, the best case is that the supply will automatically disconnect, i.e. the fuse/circuit breaker goes, before permanent damage is caused, BUT don’t risk it, fuse wire (for example) can be very slooooow.
And the worst case is dangerous

Thanks for input, no elegant solution then

Heater aside (as in heat by other means) it depends what other tools you’d want to use. If it’s something you could credibly run off an inverter in terms of wattage and duration and frequency then you could have a leisure battery on a trickle charge from the lighting circuit.

Elegant would just be cordless tools though- batteries and motors are really good now, there’s very few things that can’t be done as well cordlessly as they can with mains tools.