Shower Problems

whippet

I am a clueless with electrics and have just moved into a new house.

The ensuite was piped for an electric shower - single water pipe and 3 core (i think) electric cable, with the red switch on the wall.

We were recommended a plumber to installed an electric/power shower. I wasn't there when he installed it but, he routed a new pipe from the emersion to the shower, obviously for the hot water.

the problem is that the switch on the wall is tripping the circut every second time we go to use the shower. The plumber said that there isn't a problem with the shower, but to call the electrician (they are still on-site) and ask about getting it changed to a 3amp Spur connection.

I have no idea what this is about, am I after being sold a shower that can't work in my house or what can I do?

I know it sounds very vague, but I don't want to go paying sparkies and plumbers for nothing.

GreeBo

Hmm an electric shower shouldnt need a hot feed, just cold as far as I'm aware.

whippet

I think the electric is for the 'power' bit!!

GreeBo

whippet wrote:

I think the electric is for the 'power' bit!!

So is it a power shower that takes a hot and cold feed than can be individually controlled (or together via a mixer) or is it an electric pumped shower that takes a single feed and heats it?
"Most" electric showers are b) rather than a)
Its usually easier to just add a pump to the system rather than a new shower.
What make/model is the shower?

rooferPete

Hi,

Some power showers are plumbed in much the same way as a standard shower, the difference being they need the electricity for the pump in the system.

Others have the pumps in the hot press that come on automatically whan the shower is turned on.

Do Not Use That Shower until you have found a Professional to fit it.

There are plumbers like pipers (who calls in here) who would be 100% sure of the shower and the suitability for where you are locating it and the amount of power it is likely to draw from the mains board.

A Professional would not have wired the shower if they had even the slightest doubt, and if only in the interests of further learning they would be back with a qualified electrician.

Why did The Moron (IMO He is not deserving of a trade title like Plumber) wire a shower and then tell you to contact the Electrician knowing what the problem is ?

A typical example of a little knowledge being dangerous, my advice is call a Professional, and tell whoever recommended the Moron that he is Dangerous.

.

FX Meister

It's usually a 3amp spur that a shower pump uses. This is usually found in your hot press and has a cold in/cold out and hot in/hot out. Basically it just gives your shower more pressure. An electric shower uses a thick cable and has it's own connection at the board on an RCBO, which will look different to the rest oy your breakers. But as you said it was already wired and given that the plumber had to bring in a new hot pipe suggests that he didn't bother fitting an electric shower like a triton or similar. Does your site have someone that deals with snags? This sounds like a major one and you shouls contact them. Get the electrician to take a look at it too while he's around. Have you payed the plumber already? If he has plumbed in a hot then there isn't really any use for the cable at the shower and probably isn't being used, unless he connected a shower pump to this connection which is just wrong. I presume you are in an estate, drop in to a few of your neighbours and see what way they have their showers set up.

rooferPete

Hi FX,

There are I think two different showers we fitted that did need both hot and cold supplies, and had the pump built in to the shower casing similar to the standard Triton or Mira electric shower.

As far as I remember the showers would work without the pump like a standard shower, I can't say what power was needed because I don't ask the sparks the finer details of what he is doing, TBH I don't want to know.

My thinking on this is the electrician left the tails ready for a standard electric shower, the Moron hadn't a clue what he was looking at but went ahead and wired it anyway.

.

FX Meister

But if he wired it properly then it shouldn't be tripping the RCBO. And it shouldn't be that hard to wire as it only has three connections. I guess we wait to see what Whippet says about it.

whippet

Cheers for all the replys ...

The shower is a Triton as2000xt, the plumber sourced it for us.

We decided on getting our own shower as the price the builders were charging for an installed shower was massive and a cheap as chips unit.

The builders left a single water feed and a standard mains cable from the wall. All I can make out is that the plumber drew another feed from the emersion and plumbed it to the back of the shower as it has two water feeds.

The missus got one of the on-site sparkies to have a look at it and he suggested putting a 6amp fuse on the board, as the switch only has a 1amp fuse. I am getting this info second hand from the missus who is a clueless with electrics as I am.

I will try and get some more info, I am going to get a proper sparks to have a look at it this week, someone I can trust !!

FX Meister

Looking here, http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TTAS2000XT.html it seems that the electricity powers the pump in the shower. According to the installation manual it should be connected with a 3amp fuse, change the 1amp to this first and see if that works. When you say they left a standard mains cable? What size was the cable?

whippet

the cable that was left was a standard 3 core? I think .. similar to what would connect the oven as far as I can remember.

I reckon the 3 amp fuse will solve the problem alright, the switch only trips when you turn the red switch on, then it will work when you flick the switch on the board back up.

FX Meister

Cables are different sizes though so they aren't really standard. But as you said it's like a cooker. Cookers are usually wired in the same size cable as electric showers.