Thread: Getting a sparky to connect 3 phase to a new workshop / shed

I ain't no sparky, however, 16mm sq or 25mm sq cable x 50 metres is not going to be cheap, a fair bit of copper in there.

Are you sure you have 3 phase to the house? If so you will probably have three meters, I know I have and I have three phase in my shed. Dedicated 3 phase meters are available but I would think that would be unusual in a domestic situation.

A few years ago when I did my three phase upgrade to the shed it cost me about $3500.00. The meter box on the house upgrade a few years prior which brought the three phase from pole to property as well as other upgrades also cost about $3500.00

Sounds like a reasonable deal really, in my opinion.

Cheers

Sparkys in Perth are very expensive.

I had a 3 phase line installed in mid 2011, also about 45 m of cable from the front of the house to the back of the shed, about 30 m through the house ceiling and 15 m underground.
I dug and filled the trench but the sparky installed the conduit and cable, breaker board in the shed and expanded power board back in the house, and wired the shed with 3 x 15A dedicated circuits and 12 GPOs on a 10 A circuit, 4 PO for lighting.

The price was just over $2k, my understanding is this was a good price for a sparky in WA.

PS I like your dog.

Thanks for the input guys.

Maybe 3K wasn't as steep as I imagined then I guess.

Everything with this shed has cost more than I imagined it would.

The Kit was $6500 & erecting it all myself i.e,. zero labor, I'm already at a tad over $12K... and it seems power will add another $3K to that then..

It just never seems to stop is all, and I am about over it.

It's a nice shed so I shouldn't complain...

As for the Dog....



Yes he's a very special little fella... a real one of a kind.

He's worth more than the shed!

Originally Posted by Timless Timber

The Kit was $6500 & erecting it all myself i.e,. zero labor, I'm already at a tad over $12K... and it seems power will add another $3K to that then..

If the kit was $6.5K and my guess was the pad was $2.5K where's the rest?

It just never seems to stop is all, and I am about over it.

you haven't even started . . . . . .

I see you have looked at my shed thread so you have seen what happened to me.

It's a nice shed so I shouldn't complain...

I does indeed look nice.

As for the Dog.... Yes he's a very special little fella... a real one of a kind
He's worth more than the shed!

We have two BCs and just love em to bits!


PS if you think sparkies are expensive try plumbers, $1600 to remove and replace a instantaneous gas HWS, plus, because it uses mains power, the cost of a sparky to come and install an outdoor GPO near the heater. We had all manner of problems with the install and the unit did not work for 3 days until the manufacturer came out and fixed what the plumber should have ben able to do. I got a 10% discount for our trouble but I still reckon we were ripped off.

I did just finish reading your thread last night Bob!

There's quite a bit with the shed you can't see in the pics Bob!

The concrete pads for the frames I probably over engineered...(deliberately). I formed them from form ply, as 600 x 600 at the base but 550 x 550 at the top, i.e. they are mini pyramids if you like. Into the bottom of the holes I drilled 8 inch holes with a old long drop auger and inserted 1.5 meter lengths of PVC sewer pipe to form at least 3 "legs" that splay out at ~ 45 degree angles...as a form for the concrete. Down the center of these legs I drove star pickets as steel reinforcing... with the ends all meeting inside the mini pyramids. Then I bent up some 1/2 inch reo bar to make a reinforcing for the pyramid shaped blocks & welded these all together with the ends of the star pickets down the holes.

The idea was to firmly anchor the frames bases to the ground for even a cyclone or 'cock eyed bob' direct hit basically. About 12 months ago a cockeyed bob (mini tornado) here in Morley missed us by about 600 meters but took out half a dozen houses and roofs etc... so I wanted to make sure the shed will never become a victim.

Once the pads foundation blocks were formed and poured and shed erected, then a 4 inch concrete pad (thickened to 200 mm beam at the edges & reinforced), was poured, interlocking between all the tapered foundation blocks.

The foundation blocks, form ply, steel reo, PVC Pipe Tube, & Star Pickets & Concrete was $1K on top of the $2.5K for the pad... so $3.5 in total for the concreting... and in essence it should withstand a bomb.

Long Span shelving was another grand, the air cell insulation and supporting wire another $500, Paving bricks all around the outside (off gumtree) another $500, and so on - it just hasn't stopped Bob - unlike yourself I don't have a work skip to garnishee my requirements for free - everything's another trip to Bunnings unfortunately. I've put in a steel work bench (6m plate top), and a wood working bench, and a drill press on a pedestal - 2 by Dawn engineering vises (1 offset) and so on (i.e all done after the photos I posted).

Also the lights I got off Gummtree were a few hundred.. The list is endless Bob.

I didn't include the $3.3 K thus far for the Robland X 31 combination machine or the $1K worth of new spare parts for the Robland from the UK...to replace all the parts that went missing from it over the years and previous owners!.

I'm yet to find a cutter block and knives for the spindle moulder but so far it seems new from carbatech will be no change from $400 + for extra knives. Then theres a power feed I have my eye on - ($1500 @ carbatec) I still need dust extraction as well... and a compressor...

It's never ending the outlay of cash and I'm growing a little weary of it going out faster than I can earn it is all.

Just remembered there was another $500 for the truckload of yellow sand for inside the shed under the concrete floor and another $350 for the bobcat guy to remove the grass and cart it away and dump it before he put the yellow sand in.

There was a small fortune in retic supplies because the bobcat dug up all the lawn reticulation inside the shed that then had to be blocked off and re routed around the outside of the shed to re connect to the rest of the lawn system...

Then another $350 for a electric roller door guy to some install the electric roller door (coz it was from China like the rest of the shed and didn't fit at all without a lot of brackets welding etc & modifications - and at 5 meters wide my son and I couldn't lift it on our own.

I have a laundry trough in there already - the plumber quoted 1200 to run the hot and cold 1/2 inch water pipes from the house over to the trough in the shed - so like the 3 Phase power - it's on hold until I can afford it.

Looking through your thread Bob... I came to realize this may be a years long project before i am finished... as i do wish to insulate & line the walls - and build out my dust extraction, compressor and generator housings outside the shed footprint using the sheets I have left over from the shed as you've done.

My Old factory had this and I want to duplicate that.

I can see this is going to take me forever - its been 12 months now since I started on the shed build.

In that time tho, I built another shed the same for a guy who bought one from Shedmakers in Malaga at around the same time as me...and didn't have a clue how to erect it. I charged him $1700 to erect it & clad it for him - shot all his levels and formed his concrete etc. So that $1700 went into continuing my shed...

I guess it irks me that a sparky can get $3K for a half days easy work while I work for 3 weeks to make half that erecting another shed...!

It's like making solid timber furniture - I worked out once that I get about $3 bucks an hour to make solid timber furniture!

I just think sparkys charge a bit much for what they do is all...

The fact is - I've lived offshore (island) for years and provided all my own electricity and desalinated my own water etc etc including doing all my own 3 phase wiring (legally) because I wasn't on the grid or in a SECWA Western Power Jurisdiction, but operating off my own 3 phase gensets, so I COULD do this wiring run and connection myself - I'm capable - BUT I know it's not legal, and the fines are large, so I'm not tempted to do it.

I just object to paying someone a small fortune for something I can do myself and know how to do... but some law says I can't....so it's legal for a sparky to butt rape me for a simple job because he's in a protected industry.

I guess it is what it is, and I'll just have to pay like everyone else.

Such is life these days.

As an aside - i wouldn't run both hot and cold to the shed (waste of heating)- run cold and get a small heater for the shed- electric probably considering your power. You could also dig the trench to save a bob or two.

If it was a long run I would do just that, but the instantaneous gas HW system is located on the back wall of the house so its a whole 4 meters or so over to the shed from the existing heater. Gas is a cheap way to heat water and electricity id the most inefficient - so I thought if I lag the HW pipe to the shed from the heater - 2 runs of 4 meters in half inch copper shouldn't kill me and the cost of cheaper hot water than using power to heat it from cold in the shed probably makes more sense and will cover the cost of the extra 4 meters of copper pipe for the HW run in due course I'm guessing. The $1200 pumbing quote was with me digging the trench...

Originally Posted by Timless Timber

I did just finish reading your thread last night Bob!

There's quite a bit with the shed you can't see in the pics Bob!

It sure sounds like it.

I can see this is going to take me forever - its been 12 months now since I started on the shed build.

I'd say you are not doing too badly for just 12 months.
If we all had lots of money things could be done much quicker.
I've been going at it for two and a half years now and I still have stuff to do.
My lighting is still not really sorted
I still have to attend to my skylight - they current skylight windows are shower screens tek screwed to the roof
The dust extraction is still not completely finished
I need to add a front porch as I hate standing in the rain while I unlock the door. Also I'd like to have the front door open without rain coming in.

Fortunately I'm also process rather than product driven so the journey is for me as interesting as the final destination.

I think you probably nailed it for me Bob, with this pearl of wisdom.

the journey is for me as interesting as the final destination

Its something that I have obviously forgotten.

It's something I am always telling my eldest son...

Yes I'm an impatient bugger. A wise man once said - "the reward of patience - is patience!". He's right of course, but I'd still likely have garrotted him in my impatience for saying it.

I guess if nothing else that my challenge in life's lesson most needed learning and I'm still a ways off in finally getting it.

I do feel as tho I am rapidly running out of time.

Some other wise folks also said....

"Life is a sexually transmitted disease".
"Birth is a death sentence - non of us gets out of this alive".
&
"He who dies with the most toys - wins".

My "journey", seems to be a runaway train with a big derailment/wreck just waiting abound the next bend!

I'd prefer to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather - not screaming and animatedly waving their arms in distress, like the passengers in his car at the time!.

Life is indeed a journey and I am but a humble journeyman.

Thanks for the timely reminder Bob.

Time is running out for all of us... it just seems to be running out faster for me, than I can keep pace with ATM.

Time must be infinite - it can pass infinitely fast, or infinitely slow, depending on ones circumstances at the time! .

If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to see it, did it really fall?
If I say something, and my wife is not there to hear it - am I still completely wrong?

The mysteries of life eh?.

Cheers.

Hey Markkr, if you are doing all that work yourself and supplying all the wiring switchboards ect, you should ask a sparky how much he charges per hour. I did my shed around 2 years ago and my sparky ended up charging about $400. I did all the work and supplied all the bits, he checked it all and connected up all the switches and board, all up cost, I think it ended up about $1000 including his labour. Would have been cheaper if I had 3 phase already to the house but this was a complete rewire of the house circuits in the main board as well.

Not sure if your regulations are the same as ours are up here in Qld, but if they are, you will need a new sub-board in the shed. So another box, main switch, main circuit breaker, RCD, circuit breakers etc. Hint... get a much larger box than you think you require as it doesn't take long to fill up a 3 phase box as all the items are 3x thick and you might want to add a few more things in there later. I also put in a three phase meter for my self so I could keep track of how much electricity I was using in the shed. The main house box was fitted with a poly phase meter with measures all three phase in the one unit and was supplied free of charge by Energex who installed the 3 phase setup to the house riser pole from the street pole.

Most of the items I got on E-Bay at excellent prices which saved me a small fortune.

Cheers

Ed.

Thanks heaps for all these suggestions...

I keep seeing items on gumtree etc that would be real handy... 3 phase switch & outlet box for $50 for eg.

28 meters of 6mm 3 phase wire for $80

Thing is i have no idea what amperage etc I need (20A or 50A) for eg for the switch box etc?

Yes, I'll definitely need a sub board in the shed.

There's heaps more I COULD/SHOULD add while the sparky's here - like a 15A circuit in the shed as well in case I want a DC with 15A plug on it.

The thing is I'll probably end up doing this as cheap as I can get away with then upgrade as I can afford it later.

It's not the cheapest or smartest way but its likely what I'll have to do.

There's a slim chance the waiting alone, could yet kill me.

"It's all about the journey, It's all about the journey" this is now my mantra after Bob picked it in one.

Found a local sparky selling 2nd hand, 3 phase switch & plug outlet, rcd's etc etc - managed to get about $420 retail new electrical bits n bobs that I need, used for $70!

To top it off the sparky came round and had a look - said As I've been saying all along - it's an easy job, not much more than half a day / day at the most, he will go away and sharpen his pencil and give me quote to do it all - & with what bits I already have on hand, shouldn't cost too much more than a grand for labor and maybe $500 for remaining cable (50 meters at $6.50 a meter) and sub board GPO's conduit etc!

YESSS!

I just can't wait to make saw dust!
To top it off an old client rang me this morning, asking if I can 'drag myself out of retirement' to do a small Job for him next week - woo hoo....

So I might even have something to do on the new (to me machine)...maybe starting in a week or so!

Thank you Lord.

See how the journey suddenly took a side turn which made it a whole better.

The bloke that always uses $$ to solve all his problems by paying the piper whatever is asked does not get to experience this sort of journey.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Timless Timber

shouldn't cost too much more than a grand for labor and maybe $500 for remaining cable (50 meters at $6.50 a meter) and sub board GPO's conduit etc!

Hi, If you are chasing cable, you may want to ring around the scrap metal recyclers, they often have 3 phase cable from factory renos, pull downs, demolitions etc. At $6.60/mt for 6 mm, you could probably get 10-16mm for that price from the recyclers as they go by weight, Just check that it hasn't been kinked or damaged and you should be good to go if you can find the required length to suit your needs.

Cheers

Ed.