Why would my shower have 2 supplies

[7671]

Planning my consumer unit change ready for my assessment in a couple of weeks. Looking at the board - and note i've not investigated any further i seem to have 2 40amp CB's labelled Shower front and shower back. Both are rated 40amps. Now i only have one shower and i cant see there ever being a shower in the front of the house anyway so im not sure if the labelling Front and back refer to the actual location

Is there any reason why a shower with pull cord isolator would be wired with 2 supplies ?

 

[Pete999]

I would investigate this as a matter of urgency before your assessment, switch 1 breaker off at a time to see whitchbreaker feeds your shower. Once this has been proven the find out where the other cable goes, has you House ever had two showers? Do you have a supply to an external building? could be someone in the past has used one of these supplies to feed a shed or Garage, just putting possibilities your way, let us know what you find please, sounds interesting.

 

[Andy78]

I'd put money on one being a redundant shower feed. As Pete says a thorough investigation is the way forward, especially as a precursor to the board change and the impending assessment.
A nosey in the loft may also reveal hidden treasures in the form of disconnected shower supplies.

 

[Octopus]

The very basics of a fuseboard change, understand 100% what all the existing circuits do...

 

[buzzlightyear]

now how long have you lived in this Wendy house .

 

[westward10]

Switch it off and get them to contact you if something is no longer functioning.

 

[123]

Switch it off and get them to contact you if something is no longer functioning.

I assume it's his house, so will that be when the wife starts moaning the shower isn't working?

 

[7671]

The history of the build is. House built early 80's. Extension with electric shower and board change completed 2005. So 1 supply cable is white and 1 is grey as you would expect. Just looking for the paperwork for previous board change and will complete a full set of tests tomorrow to compare.

 

[7671]

The history of the build is. House built early 80's. Extension with electric shower and board change completed 2005. So 1 supply cable is white and 1 is grey as you would expect. Just looking for the paperwork for previous board change and will complete a full set of tests tomorrow to compare.

 

[The Ghost]

Well one thing is for sure, there is not two supplies to one shower or there had better not be!

 

[Oli G]

Surely the fact that you've had to ask this on the forum suggests you might not be ready for this upcoming assessment (I'm guessing to join a scam scheme?)

 

[Toneyz]

Many people on this forum do this type of work most days and will often encounter this and more don't want to be rude but have to agree with above post if being assessed to join a scam/scheme what will you do if you pass and are in a customers house doing consumer unit upgrade.

 

[7671]

Many people on this forum do this type of work most days and will often encounter this and more don't want to be rude but have to agree with above post if being assessed to join a scam/scheme what will you do if you pass and are in a customers house doing consumer unit upgrade.

Like I said earlier in thread, I will take a look as anyone would in this situation. Let's be honest technically any domestic electrical work or commercial for that matter isn't really that difficult. Working out what others have done in the past is

 

[elsparko]

test both supplies, the one that has the worst test results, pop that behind the wall

no point over complicating this problem, shower needs 1 supply so use the best cable and disconnect the other 1

 

[elsparko]

Well one thing is for sure, there is not two supplies to one shower or there had better not be!

a spare, incase master is in the shower we cannot risk a fault causing the shower to cut out, god forbid master should be exposed to cold air

 

[Octopus]

I did a board change recently .... one breaker was labelled "garage"

but no garage........... 6mm cable

Couldn't identify what the cable did so left it disconnected ....... a few days later the customer rang me to say the rear flood light wasn't working ........ so a quick trip back and reconnected it.

Such jobs are a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle without a picture!

 

[elsparko]

I did a board change recently .... one breaker was labelled "garage"

but no garage........... 6mm cable

Couldn't identify what the cable did so left it disconnected ....... a few days later the customer rang me to say the rear flood light wasn't working ........ so a quick trip back and reconnected it.

Such jobs are a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle without a picture!

but its like doing a jigsaw puzzle youre vaguely familiar with, you know how it should go together but its almost as if someone has mixed in duplo with the puzzle

 

[7671]

Ok sorted, CB marked front shower (which there isnt one) actually routes to a junction box in the loft. This feeds a double socket in a bedroom having been stepped down to 2.5 - see attached

what a --- !

 

[Pete999]

Ok sorted, CB marked front shower (which there isnt one) actually routes to a junction box in the loft. This feeds a double socket in a bedroom having been stepped down to 2.5 - see attached

what a --- !

View attachment 42164

Need to get those cable secured, and downgrade the OCPD, and mark the CU accordingly

 

[7671]

Need to get those cable secured, and downgrade the OCPD, and mark the CU accordingly

sure - i need the socket so will do whats needed

 

[Octopus]

what a --- !

Are you referring to yourself?

Welcome to the reality of domestic work and the changes made ........

 

[7671]

Are you referring to yourself?

Welcome to the reality of domestic work and the changes made ........

Quite often if I'm honest

 

[elsparko]

 

[buzzlightyear]

maybe the tooth fairy's be in when your back was turned ,and you never looked in the c/u now that surprises me .

 

[uksrevivor]

I would have to disagree here as (technically) our trade has to be one of the hardest trades to understand and learn. Designing a specific electrical circuit requires a lot of knowledge to be done properly. Working in a commercial environment on site we have everything designed for us and work from drawings but that is far from easy understanding and interpreting the drawing to produce the finished product to the required spec. Working out what others have done comes with experience and a good understanding of testing and inspection to work out what our test results mean. You have asked in your post if there is any reason a shower with a pull cord isolator would be fed by two supplies and experience should of told you this would not be the case and it needs urgent investigation. On the plus side you have found that it was supplying a circuit which was not correctly designed and installed and you have rectified the issue.
Hopefully your assessment goes well and you have learnt from this as in my experience every domestic property is different from another.