My electric shower was overheating the wires from the mains switch (the rope thingy) to the shower. What does this mean? Was the wire too small to take the load? The shower had some heat damage when we moved in (plastic had melted on the side of the shower unit) so we are going to repleac it anyway i just want to make sure we don't still have the same problem with a new shower. i intend to replace the wire with a larger one too.
2006-09-26 01:52:48 · 8 answers · asked by EZ 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
you need to get an electrician in and rewire the shower correctly , and then of course replace the shower .
you should not use the shower and should turn off the power from the supply, as it will cause an electrical fire.. over heating wires are a very common cause for electrical fires.
2006-09-28 05:35:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will have to establish the size of cable (6 or 10 sq.mm) for the circuit and make sure it is big enough for the proposed new shower. If the insulation is blackened at the terminals of the cord switch, it may have just been a loose connection or a faulty switch which caused the overheating. The switch should be 45amp, some older ones are only 30/32amp. If you are not competent get an electrician. Also check the earthing and bonding and that there is a 30ma.rcd in the circuit.
2006-09-26 09:51:42 · answer #2 · answered by jayktee96 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes it could have been to great a load for the cable.It depends on the rating of the shower in Kw (kilowatts) and the size of the supply cable It should have been at least 6.0mm . It could have been a poor connection though which could cause arcing oi the terminals. If you are going to replace the shower and install a new supply run a 10.0mm twin & earth cable with a seperate 10.0mm cpc ( earth cable ). This will be sufficient for nearly all showers, at least up to 10Kw. But you should really get a qualified electricain to do this as bathrooms now come under building regulations (Part P) and it is an offence to carry out any work within them if you are not qualified and part p registered. Also it would be wise to install an32a-40a RCD depending on the load of the shower at the mains position to feed this new supply for safetys sake. Although this is not neccesarry under the IEE wiring regulations or building regulations most shower manufacturers recommend it. Personally i wouldnt like to stand under a shower with 8-10Kw of electricity without adequate protection
2006-09-26 10:27:55 · answer #3 · answered by SilverSurfer 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like there has been a loose connection on your shower at some time which has caused the damage but impossible to be certain without actually seeing it.
if you are increasing the size of the shower you may need to increase your cable size to 10mm2 if it's currently 6mm2.
Without knowing how long a run it is from your consumer unit, the size of your current shower & what you intend to increase it to this is all guess work.
I would suggest if you don't have enough knowledge to give enough information you should really get an electrician in to look at it and not take advise from amatures
PS RCD should be 30Ma
2006-09-26 18:06:52 · answer #4 · answered by Jules 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you have a hot water on demand unit? I would consult an electrician if there is any hint of wiring problems at all.
Water and electricity DO NOT MIX WELL.
2006-09-26 08:55:45 · answer #5 · answered by Barbados Chick 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes it does mean just that Do not attempt to do this job yourself its life endangering where water and electricity are involved Let a good electrician do the job and it will cost you but its worth your life or your family should it fault when using it, there's no second chance
2006-09-29 11:26:05 · answer #6 · answered by srracvuee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get the calculations for the input for the new shower.
the electrician will do the load calculations and be able to put the right size electrical in for you.
2006-09-26 13:00:50 · answer #7 · answered by D S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the wire was too small for the load!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ok i hope it will help your problem!!!!!!!!!
2006-09-26 08:57:34 · answer #8 · answered by THE UNDERTAKER 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋