My shower keeps tripping out

[1shortcircuit]

Firstly I AM NOT AN ELECTRICIAN and I HAVE NO INTENTION OF ATTEMPTING TO FIX THIS FAULT! I LEAVE THESE ISSUES TO THE EXPERTS

I am a tenant in a rented house and the Landlord is an absolute pain in the back side when it comes to getting ANYTHING done.

What I would like to do with the help of you guys is build up my ammo so that I can go and tear him a new A*** hole and get the electrics inspected in this property

Here is the problem, It's only ever experienced when somebody has been in the shower for a certain period of time. The switch trips and the shower goes off, the switch on the main fuse box in the downstairs cupboard gets very warm and has to be left to cool down before it will stay switched on again.

Please forgive me and my terminology, I will learn as I keep reading the threads on here

I can upload photos if required

 

[Guest123]

Hi.

Do you mean the shower MCB trips???

If so then it sounds like the shower is too powerfull for the rating of the MCB i.e you probanbly have a 32A MCB and the shower may be pulling 38A - 40A for instance, it would run for a short length of time but would eventually give up and disconnect.

 

[nadger]

a few questions need answers before anyone can really help you mate.

1. what size shower is it, usually shown in KW (kilowatts)
2. what size MCB (fuse) is it connected to in the consumer unit
3. what size cable is supplying the shower
4. what would you say the rough length of the cable run is from the consumer unit, to the 45amp pull switch and then onto the shower.
5. is there a possibility that something else is running from this mcb in addition to the shower

 

[kung]

As Lenny said sounds like an under rated MCB and as Nadger says this info would be a good start point to the problem.

 

[1shortcircuit]

Do you mean the shower MCB trips???

The cooker one does

If so then it sounds like the shower is too powerfull for the rating of the MCB i.e you probanbly have a 32A MCB and the shower may be pulling 38A - 40A for instance, it would run for a short length of time but would eventually give up and disconnect.

It is a 32A

Here we go, I've uploaded an Image. Its the switch on the far right (red) Labelled Cooker

a few questions need answers before anyone can really help you mate.

1. what size shower is it, usually shown in KW (kilowatts)

There is no reference to this on the shower unit It's a Mira Advance Thermostatic ATL but looks a little dated

2. what size MCB (fuse) is it connected to in the consumer unit

32A as suspected by Lenny

3. what size cable is supplying the shower

This is not visible

4. what would you say the rough length of the cable run is from the consumer unit, to the 45amp pull switch and then onto the shower.

Am I correct in thinking this will take a vertical route from the MCB into the loft space and then across and down into the bathroom?

5. is there a possibility that something else is running from this mcb in addition to the shower

On the MCB the switch that trips is the one that is labelled up COOKER


Ps I'd appreciate any correcting of my terminology

Many Thanks

Steve

 

[nadger]

ok then.

what type of cooker is in the kitchen?

is it a gas or electric hob?
is it a fan assisited oven?
standalone combined cooker?

etc etc

looks to me as if either your shower has been added to the cooker circuit, or your original cooker supply is now rerouted to supply the shower.

 

[Guest123]

What does the 32A MCB that isn't labelled serve???

 

[boatnik1]

Steve it would be a good idea to turn off the MCB lablled cooker and establish what all doesn't work, if the shower doesn't work and anything else is also off then there is a problem with multiple items connected to one MCB. If everything else works then turn off the MCB with no label in the consumer unit and see if the cooker and everything else still works, at least this will establish that the labelling is incorrect for the shower.

 

[1shortcircuit]

ok then.

what type of cooker is in the kitchen?

is it a gas or electric hob?
is it a fan assisited oven?
standalone combined cooker?

etc etc

looks to me as if either your shower has been added to the cooker circuit, or your original cooker supply is now rerouted to supply the shower.

The cooker is GAS supplied and NOT fan assisted

Thinking about what you have said about the original cooker supply being rerouted to supply the shower makes perfects sense.

You have reminded me that this house was not built with an upstairs bathroom, I don't know the age but I also know that it used to have an air raid shelter in the garden too

What does the 32A MCB that isn't labelled serve???

Would you like me to switch it off to find out?

Steve it would be a good idea to turn off the MCB lablled cooker and establish what all doesn't work, if the shower doesn't work and anything else is also off then there is a problem with multiple items connected to one MCB. If everything else works then turn off the MCB with no label in the consumer unit and see if the cooker and everything else still works, at least this will establish that the labelling is incorrect for the shower.

Sounds like a plan, I've got to pop out in a mo shall I shall have a look when I get back in an hour or so. My thoughts are that it will just be the cooker and the Shower


Thank You all for your help

 

[pushrod]

Would you like me to switch it off to find out?

Switch it off and see what no longer works. If you have an electric start on your gas cooker that could be on the circuit, equally though that could be just plugged into a socket. I am half wondering if the mcbs (unlabelled and cooker) have just been swapped over because the unlabelled one was not working at some point in the past.

I suspect the first reply (lenny's) probably hit the nail on the head and the mcb rating (32A) does not match the demand from the shower. There is a potentially an easy fix for the landlord in putting a 40A mcb on that circuit assuming that the cable is up to it (only an electrician could check this), but i would not be happy with this as a tenant and would insist that if any work at all is carried out on this circuit that it is brought up to 17th edition wiring regs and that it is protected by an RCD - increasing your safety.

 

[1shortcircuit]

What does the 32A MCB that isn't labelled serve???

Bizarre! That switches the upstairs sockets off

I can't find out what the others listed as "SOCKETS" do just yet as my Wife is recording on Sky and she'll kill me if I mess that up about 20 minutes remaining

My thoughts are that the switch labelled "COOKER" is now only powering the SHOWER.

The reason I think this is I have just switched the "COOKER" switch off and the shower lights have gone off but the switch in the kitchen that would ordinarily be used for an electric cooker still has power at the socket that is adjoined to it like this one http://www.orcharddirect.co.uk/shop/images/EC2324CFPM.jpg

I am thinking along the right lines or am I way off


PS This forum needs the V-Bulletin :thumbsup smiley

Okay, working left to right on checking the switches we have

1) Cooker
2) Down Stairs sockets
3) Upstairs Sockets
4) Downstairs Lights
5) Upstairs Lights
6) Shower


As you can see that's a little different to what has been labelled below:confused

 

[nadger]

thats the problem with labelling the plug in type mcb's... they can be moved around!

get some tape and label the front cover of the board first.

now the fun bit.. if your feeling confident turn the main switch off, remove the front cover and take another piccy for us. ideally we want to see a clear image of what size and how many cables are at each mcb.

but from your original post it does sound like your shower is pulling a tad more than that 32amp mcb is willing to operate at continually.

ps: please bear in mind that the main tails coming from the incoming supply fuse will still be live!!

 

[1shortcircuit]

thats the problem with labelling the plug in type mcb's... they can be moved around!

get some tape and label the front cover of the board first.

now the fun bit.. if your feeling confident turn the main switch off, remove the front cover and take another piccy for us. ideally we want to see a clear image of what size and how many cables are at each mcb.

but from your original post it does sound like your shower is pulling a tad more than that 32amp mcb is willing to operate at continually.

ps: please bear in mind that the main tails coming from the incoming supply fuse will still be live!!

I have taken a note of your warning that I have highlighted and I will do the labelling and remove the cover to get you some pictures tomorrow

Thanks for your help

 

[kung]

Hi 1shortcircuit while you have the main switch off and proved dead try removing the cover off the shower the load info might be inside plus you will be able to see what cable is suppling it and if you have a continuity tester do a continuity test back to the CU also after locating the feed cable see if you have anymore cable entrys on the mcb. You will still need to switch that mcb off when the main switch is reconnected to see if you have a junction box lurking some where and make sure you have a good seal when you reconnect the shower cover.