Are electrical questions allowed?

mrochester

mrochester

mrochester

Soldato
Joined
29 Sep 2003
Posts
5,841
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
Hi all. Before I launch into an electrical question regarding my shower, I want to check if I am even allowed to on these forums given tight regulations around electrical work?

Thanks.
 
Check the forum rules 1st as it would be mentioned there. If not email a don.

TBH I'd get a sparky to check your shower. Water & electricity don't mix.
 
I am absolutely not going to be messing on with any of this myself, that's for certain!

OK here goes...

Recently my electric shower has started to switch off mid-way through it being used, so the water runs cold. After about 20 seconds, it comes back on again. This only used to happen if you were in the shower a very long time.

This evening I took a very quick shower, and it switched off when I was very nearly done, which is unusual. It came back on again after a few seconds, and about 20 seconds later, I was done anyway, and switched it off. At this point, the trip switch in the fuse box tripped.

I have a master trip switch on the fuse box, and then those old fashioned, very large fuses. The shower has a 35amp fuse. When I turned the power back on, it would trip again within 5-30 seconds. This leads me to believe that the 35amp fuse is fine. The only way to get the power to stay on is by turning off the shower using the pull cord in the bathroom.

Now I'm probably asking the obvious here, and I think I know the answer, but I wanted to know whether people thought this was a problem with the shower itself (which would = new shower) or a problem with the fuse in the fuse box? I'm going with problem with the shower since it's been switching off and on, and the fuse still seems to work.

Thanks for any info.

Michael.
 
Sounds like the thermostat in the shower playing up or something along those lines. Id try a new shower first. But you will have to check the cable going to the shower is upto the job of the new shower (watt rating) and it should also have a RCD placed onto the circuit while you are on.
 
Maybe there's water inside the shower's electrics?

That was the problem in my case. My sister even got shocked from it, she was pregnant at the time as well.
 
ZG002 said:
Sounds like the thermostat in the shower playing up or something along those lines. Id try a new shower first. But you will have to check the cable going to the shower is upto the job of the new shower (watt rating) and it should also have a RCD placed onto the circuit while you are on.
Click to expand...

What's an RCD? I know the cabling there is quite thin... I think it's only 5mm, so it will almost certainly need to be replaced as I do at least grasp that higher rated showers need thicker cables. The current shower I think is from the early 90s, and I guess standards were lower then.
 
^^ what he says :)

Id get a electrician in to sort it mate if the cable is going to need to be replaced anyway. They can install a seperate RCD and enclosure for the shower alone next to the C.U (fuseboard)
 
mejinks said:
It could be a problem with the shower, it could also be a problem with the wiring although unlikely from what you have described.

Buy one of these and put a 45 amp fuse in.

http://www.focusdiy.co.uk/Showers/Rapide-R3-95Kw-White/invt/215068

Cheap and cheerful and works for me. Just make sure to turn the water and the electric off first lol.
Click to expand...

Haha, not something I would do myself. The whole wiring to the shower would need replacing for a shower that powerful. Plus I'd want a certificate for the installation given you need them these days.
 
mejinks said:
It could be a problem with the shower, it could also be a problem with the wiring although unlikely from what you have described.

Buy one of these and put a 45 amp fuse in.

http://www.focusdiy.co.uk/Showers/Rapide-R3-95Kw-White/invt/215068

Cheap and cheerful and works for me. Just make sure to turn the water and the electric off first lol.
Click to expand...

DO NOT DO THIS!

As you are aware the cable could well need upgrading.. Putting a 45amp load onto a cable thats not upto the task can/will cause fire... not good
 
mrochester said:
What's an RCD? I know the cabling there is quite thin... I think it's only 5mm, so it will almost certainly need to be replaced as I do at least grasp that higher rated showers need thicker cables. The current shower I think is from the early 90s, and I guess standards were lower then.
Click to expand...

5mm?:eek:

Whoever put that in wants shooting in the face unless you have a very low wattage shower. Whats the model number of the shower you have?

5mm is fine for 7kw and below, but thats a really pansy shower.
 
ZG002 said:
DO NOT DO THIS!

As you are aware the cable could well need upgrading.. Putting a 45amp load onto a cable thats not upto the task can/will cause fire... not good
Click to expand...

Now that we know what cable is in there, no, you are right. Although my advice is correct for the shower specified, the cable is not.
 
mejinks said:
5mm?:eek:

Whoever put that in wants shooting in the face unless you have a very low wattage shower. Whats the model number of the shower you have?

5mm is fine for 7kw and below, but thats a really pansy shower.
Click to expand...

I think the shower is actually an 8.5Kw model. Yeah, seems that it was a dodgey job when it was first put in, but it seems to have lasted admirably anyway.

Found details on Yell.com of an electrician who lives just round the corner. Will give him a call and see if he'll come round and take a look.
 
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