Electrical shower

[Cj24]

Hi Iv been to someone's house who said there shower pull cord sw was smelling of fish so I opened up the pull cord to find the Neutral on the supply side was melting and the copper was all black and the switch was melting as you could see the plastic slightly disformed so the smell was surely the burning of the plastic, I remade connection off and reused the same switch as a temp measure, the guy ordered new sw and was getting back to me but not heard anything then 3 weeks later I get a call saying smells back so Iv been round and changed for new switch but the supply Neutral had started to melt again, any ideas? And do you think it will happen again? It is 8.5kw shower and 10mm cable and it's a short distance from the board do you just think it was a loose connection? As I can't see what else it could be

 

[D Skelton]

Yeppee, now more messing around with 3A fuses for fans!

Wonder that the NICEIC will have to say about this!

The great thing is, if you'd applied common sense and taken MIs with a pinch of salt from the word go, you'd never have had to struggle with that anyway ;-) Not that the odd fan I install asks for 3A fusing anyway.

Another bunch of people I've never understood are people who blindly follow manufacturers instructions "coz the regs say so".

Fair do's when they're sensible, but what about when the set of Chang Wang MIs ask you do do something downright dangerous?! You still gonna follow them then?!

 

[D Skelton]

I can honestly say I've never fitted a 3A fuse for a fan when it's fed from a normal lighting circuit.

I do however fit isolators for fixed equipment, whether it's a shower or any other fixed kit.

Why's that?

 

[Andy78]

Ha, I have seen similar MIs to those Damien ..... usually homebase and B&Q fittings as supplied by customers.
"use provided plastic connector block, wrap in tape and push into ceiling"
Brilliant.

If asked to put up a fitting like that, and if I can't persuade them to take it back, I launch all the instructions and "fixings" pack in the bin and use a bit of common.

 

[Aindowsimon]

Why is it always the blue that gets chard tho , well in my experience and I've seen a few

 

[ipf]

Electrical shower.....or electrical storm?

 

[jaypp]

The great thing is, if you'd applied common sense and taken MIs with a pinch of salt from the word go, you'd never have had to struggle with that anyway ;-) Not that the odd fan I install asks for 3A fusing anyway.

Another bunch of people I've never understood are people who blindly follow manufacturers instructions "coz the regs say so".

Fair do's when they're sensible, but what about when the set of Chang Wang MIs ask you do do something downright dangerous?! You still gonna follow them then?!

Had to reply to this before reading all replies.
It reminded me of the phrase 'so if they told you to jump in front of a bus, would you?'
I hope everyone has the same view here!!:yesnod:

 

[electron1]

Using a deep backbox also aids connecting and replacement.

 

[Spearmint]

What is everyone's obsession with replacing burned out shower isolators?!

Get rid of the weak link altogether! Crimp the joints and fit blanking plate. The isolator isn't even needed in the first place and I for one never understand the reason behind so many people installing them when running in a new electric shower feed?!

+1

Much prefer straight runs without joints if possible, shower can be isolated at the CU if needs be.

Using a deep backbox also aids connecting and replacement.

+1

 

[7029 dave]

Fixed appliances should have means of isolation close to. I don't care what the regs say, am old school and that was/is the way.!!

 

[D Skelton]

Fixed appliances should have means of isolation close to. I don't care what the regs say, am old school and that was/is the way.!!

It has a means of switching off, that is all that is required. Shower isolators are nothing more than glorified fire starters.

 

[7029 dave]

It has a means of switching off, that is all that is required. Shower isolators are nothing more than glorified fire starters.

Damien, I am from an different generation, and that's my opinion. :stooge_curly:

 

[ipf]

It has a means of switching off, that is all that is required. Shower isolators are nothing more than glorified fire starters.

Good point. I, too, am of the 'local isolation' fraternity. But, it is a one point circuit and the more connections, the more hot points likely....especially with these.

 

[Engineer54]

Fixed appliances should have means of isolation close to. I don't care what the regs say, am old school and that was/is the way.!!

It's what i and most other older electricians were taught too. It's been part and parcel of just about every electrical specification i've ever worked with, which is more than a good enough reason to continue to provide a means of ''local'' isolation that cuts power ''to'' rather than at the machine/appliance Why change that, which has stood the test of time!! Bad connections and the like are down to the installer and/or the suitability of the materials used....

 

[SJD]

It's what i and most other older electricians were taught too. It's been part and parcel of just about every electrical specification i've ever worked with, which is more than a good enough reason to continue to provide a means of ''local'' isolation that cuts power ''to'' rather than at the machine/appliance Why change that, which has stood the test of time!! Bad connections and the like are down to the installer and/or the suitability of the materials used....

On one occasion, I found the shower isolator in the same cupboard as the consumer unit, so it did seem a bit pointless (no, they were not both in the bathroom, but in the corridor behind it). But often when asking to look at the CU, and it is somewhere like under the stairs or at the back of a kitchen cupboard, it entails removing lots of coats & the odd ironing board, or pots & pans - hardly accessible in a hurry.

 

[netblindpaul]

What is everyone's obsession with replacing burned out shower isolators?!

Get rid of the weak link altogether! Crimp the joints and fit blanking plate. The isolator isn't even needed in the first place and I for one never understand the reason behind so many people installing them when running in a new electric shower feed?!

Just curious how you would currently comply with 134.1.1 (OK, admittedly, some MI's are better than others!), then, 132.10, 132.15.1 & 132.15.2 if the shower has an inbuilt motor, which obviously depends on the type.

Oh, one last thing, don't yet bank on the proposed changes being set in stone, I was in discussions last week with a few people (IET) and, the amendments were not as yet finalised.