Electric shower question

supergt · 7 Sep 2013 at 17:12

Hi guys, I have a question regarding installing an electric shower in my en suite. It will be at the back of the garden so getting all drainage/water put underground but I keep on reading about a type of wiring/amp I need to have for a 9-10kw shower.. would anyone be able to tell me how I would be able to find out if I have the correct wiring? Would it say on the fusebox? If so what would it say?

Thanks a lot

Steampunk · 7 Sep 2013 at 18:34

Having something done like an electric shower installed I believe must now be legally done by a qualified professional. Too many people were DIYing it and getting electrocuted.

It will include things like the correct gauge of wiring (taking into account what the wiring goes through and the rating of the shower), a proper isolation switch, a single point on the fusebox with an earth detector and fast beaker switch, etc.

Superficial · 7 Sep 2013 at 22:45

if you want piece of mind; 10mm cable will be fine for all showers so long as you use a 45a fuse on a 10.8kW electric shower. A 9kw shower is fine on 6mm cable on a 40a fuse (40a is also fine on a 10mm cable).

If you can access a decent amount of the grey jacket it should tell you the gauge OR, bit of a copout, purchase short lengths of 6mm and 10mm and check against that - any high street electrical supplier will have it and it's cheap.

physically I would say that 10mm cable is roughly as wide as an adult thumb. but that is no way to check electrics properly.

supergt · 7 Sep 2013 at 23:09

thanks a lot, really appreciate it the information.

On Holiday · 7 Sep 2013 at 23:12

Forgive my ignorance and non-helpfulness, but 9-10kw - Is that how much is used per hour if I was having a shower?

Superficial · 7 Sep 2013 at 23:23

YarwoodUK said:
Forgive my ignorance and non-helpfulness, but 9-10kw - Is that how much is used per hour if I was having a shower?

yep

so 1.8kw per 10 min shower on a 10.8KW shower

23JMZ07 · 8 Sep 2013 at 21:15

YarwoodUK said:
Forgive my ignorance and non-helpfulness, but 9-10kw - Is that how much is used per hour if I was having a shower?

If you used it for an hour yes you would use 9-10 kWh
If you used it for 10 minutes you would use 1.7 kWh

Orionaut · 8 Sep 2013 at 21:48

Having something done like an electric shower installed I believe must now be legally done by a qualified professional. Too many people were DIYing it and getting electrocuted.

Whilst accidents do happen, there really are not that many.

The numbers of people injured/killed by DIY electrical (And Gas) bodges, While sometimes spectacular, is actually small. "Most" DIYers are pretty cautious and actually do "Safer" jobs than many so-called professionals (DIYers tend to read the instructions and take the time! They are not, after all, working under pressure to complete jobs within the budget quoted as the winning lowest bid! :eek:

)

"Part P" etc is more about about a fiscal issue dressed up as a safety one!

The whole point is to intimidate home owners into demanding traceable paperwork so that it is more difficult for Electricians/customers to make cash in hand arrangements for small jobs! (And also to intimidate potential DIYers into having to spend money on employing electricians, also boosting the tax take)

"Part-P" was introduced by executive order by the ODPM whilst Prescott was running the show!

What more do you need to know!