Shower 9.5kw

[leepy]

Hi all my sister bought a house with old 9.5 shower she's had bathroom
Upgraded and plumber ask her if she wanted like for like shower fitting so he's fitted a 9.5 kw shower its fed on a 6mm cable fused at 45amp mcb today the pull switch failed when the shower pull switch was open the live cable to shower is all burnt,
Please can we have advise on this situation

 

[Plonker 3]

What sort of advice would you like?

Posting some pictures would certainly help with the " live cable to shower is all burnt" part.

I don't have he regs at hand so cant comment on the over current protection. But it does sound like it is too big off the top of my head.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

so the plumber fitted this shower for you.....did you get an installation certificate for it?....Was he part p registered or did he just do it through the LABC?....and a dropped line conductor at the switch hm?...basic termination error here and i bet you neither got a cert or phone number off him...and forget the LABC as i bet they wern`t notified either.....

 

[leepy]

Sorry guys no he just swapped like for like don't think he checked the supply no cert is the cable overheating due to the load or is it a case of loose connection in pull switch

 

[Plonker 3]

Sounds like, the cable is overheating due to a combination of loose connection somewhere and demand.

 

[FAA Greenie]

This really all depends on how the cable is routed to the shower. 9.5 KW is pushing a 6mm cable, even when clipped direct. More importantly, a plumber is (probably) not part pee approved and will not have checked and tested the rest of the circuit prior to commissioning the shower. For example, is the circuit RCD protected?

The odds are, and this is only an opinion, that the connection to the switch has been loose for quite a while and the damage has been done gradually. however, the damage is done. To be blunt, you need an approved spark to come and check it out, replace any damaged cable and check that the circuit is installed correctly and fit for continued use.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

is there any way to tell how the cable feeding this shower has been run? length of run? through/under any insulation?.........

 

[leepy]

No rcd protection in a Wylex box

 

[GLENNSPARK]

This really all depends on how the cable is routed to the shower. 9.5 KW is pushing a 6mm cable, even when clipped direct. More importantly, a plumber is (probably) not part pee approved and will not have checked and tested the rest of the circuit prior to commissioning the shower. For example, is the circuit RCD protected?

The odds are, and this is only an opinion, that the connection to the switch has been loose for quite a while and the damage has been done gradually. however, the damage is done. To be blunt, you need an approved spark to come and check it out, replace any damaged cable and check that the circuit is installed correctly and fit for continued use.

yes....somebody who not only knows where to run cables properly, and terminate correctly, but can also perform the tests required..R1 R2..IR..Zs etc....

 

[GLENNSPARK]

and whats the earthing and bonding arrangements like here then?

 

[stuart569]

Stupid plumbers.Conning naive folks out of ££££.All he needed to do was say get an electrician in to check wiring and give me a bell.Too quick to do the job and take the money.TBH the switch would have failed either way most likely but that's no excuse

 

[FAA Greenie]

Leepy, I think you have to be quite honest with your sister, you have a circuit capable of delivering at least 45A of current, through water, fitted by an electrically unqualified plumber to a plastic box in a shower. Are all the seals in place? A few extra quid to fit an RCD into the circuit may be the best advice you ever give her....

 

[leepy]

Thanks for reply guys the cable is run above insulation in loft through gable end clipped have down side of house into metal conduit back into house thro meter box approx 7 mtr run

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Leepy, I think you have to be quite honest with your sister, you have a circuit capable of delivering at least 45A of current, through water, fitted by an electrically unqualified plumber to a plastic box in a shower. Are all the seals in place? A few extra quid to fit an RCD into the circuit may be the best advice you ever give her....

well i would say its capable of delivering whatever the PFC is at that point in the installation......

 

[FAA Greenie]

well i would say its capable of delivering whatever the PFC is at that point in the installation......

Quite right, I was just trying to keep it simple.