Shower Priority Unit

EoinConway · Nov 30, 2012

I've often wondered why these units don't seem to be popular in England/Scotland/Wales. They are a big big seller in the North and South of Ireland. Can you see any specific reason why they wouldn't be popular, would it be the cost or is it purely down to lack of knowledge that they're on the market?

Meteor Electrical Wholesaler |Trade Electrical Supplies | Free Delivery UK and Ireland

You know us long enough now as forum sponsors that this isn't some spammy sales ploy, i'm genuinely curious. Any input appreciated, thanks

Eoin

GLENNSPARK · Apr 12, 2013

skyesparky said:
In 11 years in the industry i can honestly say ive never even seen one of these, let alone installed one. Sorry Eoin but im struggling to see the practicalities of it, excuse my ignorance but im assuming their used where, for instance, two 10kw showers may prove too much load for the main fuse? if thats the case they would be utilised in family homes with 2 bathrooms or small b and b's ?

bu then you`v got to ask yourself the question...who the hell needs 1 10KW shower..never mind 2....
over ostentatious indulgance at its very worst....

somersetsparks · Apr 12, 2013

GLENNSPARK said:
bu then you`v got to ask yourself the question...who the hell needs 1 10KW shower..never mind 2....
over ostentatious indulgance at its very worst....

Aye.. I'm happy with the old rubber shower extension over the bath taps, what more could you want lol
Seriously though 8.5's are fine with decent pressure IMO

ebee · Apr 12, 2013

ebee said:
I would have thought that a shower priority unit to work at its best would lock out power to a second shower if the first is already running ie A/ prevents B/ or B/ prevents A/.

The way it is stated then a simple change over switch from one supply (ie MCB) would do the job a lot cheaper

The problem I see with the priority unit is that it only gives one shower priority ie if the second shower is already running then the energising of the first shower would take power from the second shower before the poor user has finished showering.

If two change over contactors were used then any of the two could operate a contactor coil to take power (via the NC contacts) off the other shower .
Therefore one circuit, feeds two showers, use of any shower prevents use of the other until its use is finished.
If you had a relay big enough say 45A DP change over you could do the same thing.

ebee · Apr 12, 2013

you could also have more than two showers using this but it starts to get a bit unwieldy with two contactors need for two showers 6 contactors for three showers and twelve for 4 showers and twenty for 5 showers etc unless you had one contactor per shower and its coil at say a lower DC voltage and each shower sending a DC voltage blocked by diodes to each of the other contactor coils, again a bit unwieldy though!
But would be a true priority shower only allowing one to run at any time

Robson689 · Apr 12, 2013

ebee said:
The problem I see with the priority unit is that it only gives one shower priority ie if the second shower is already running then the energising of the first shower would take power from the second shower before the poor user has finished showering.

If two change over contactors were used then any of the two could operate a contactor coil to take power (via the NC contacts) off the other shower .
Therefore one circuit, feeds two showers, use of any shower prevents use of the other until its use is finished.
If you had a relay big enough say 45A DP change over you could do the same thing.

The more expensive of the two (on that shop website) has no priority so user 1 could finish showering before user 2's shower would work and vice versa. Like you said