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Red switch is hot?

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  • 01-11-2011 11:09am
    #1
    mar12345
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭


    Hi,

    We have a few of these red switches in our rented house - 2 for the electric showers, 1 for the immersion, and 1 for the oven.

    In just 6 months, we had to ask the landlord to replace 2 of the switches (immersion and oven) as they started to spark and smell of burning plastic. There was also a crackling noise coming out of them. When they were taken out and replaced, we could see that the inside was all melted.

    Now the switch from the electric shower feels very hot too after being switched on for a few minutes... I'm wondering if I should ask for it to be replaced too.

    The landlord said that the switches were damaged by the previous tenants (???).

    Is it just bad luck that they all need to be replaced one after the other? Could it be an electrical fault with the building? (it's a recent house) Is it a fire hazard?
    Many thanks
    Tagged:


Comments

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    #2
    Carlow52
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,389 ✭✭✭Carlow52


    fire haz : very much so.

    they could have been poor quality
    under speced for the power requirement
    fitted with loose connections

    In passing where is the elec shower switch that you can touch it?


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    #3
    mar12345
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭mar12345


    Thanks Carlow52, I knew it wasn't right...
    The switch is outside the bathroom on the wall next to the light switches.

    Can I just ask you (sorry I know very little about this), is it just a matter of replacing the switches? Or is it a bigger job?


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    #4
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    Is it a diy man fitting them? I find when this happens, the terminals are rarely tight enough, often only barely tightened.


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    #5
    mar12345
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭mar12345


    Yes, it was the maintenance man that came to replace them, but the thing is, it's a different switch failing each time. So far the ones that have been replaced seem ok


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    #6
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    Id say barely tightened connections is a good possibility anyway. As i was saying, this is often seen with non electrician fitted items.

    Well connected switches can burn out alright, but badly connected ones are far more likely to on items like ovens, immersions, showers etc.


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    #7
    mar12345
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭mar12345


    Thanks for your reply, i'll get on to the landlord and will get home to have another look at it,
    Cheers!


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    #8
    awnow
    Registered Users Posts: 142 ✭✭awnow


    Use good quality accessories. Alot of rubbish on the market these days. Use an established manufacturer. :)


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    #9
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    That still wont help the maintenance man who barely tightens terminals.


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    #10
    seaniefr
    Registered Users Posts: 301 ✭✭seaniefr


    mar12345 wrote: »
    Hi,

    We have a few of these red switches in our rented house - 2 for the electric showers, 1 for the immersion, and 1 for the oven.

    In just 6 months, we had to ask the landlord to replace 2 of the switches (immersion and oven) as they started to spark and smell of burning plastic. There was also a crackling noise coming out of them. When they were taken out and replaced, we could see that the inside was all melted.

    Now the switch from the electric shower feels very hot too after being switched on for a few minutes... I'm wondering if I should ask for it to be replaced too.

    The landlord said that the switches were damaged by the previous tenants (???).

    Is it just bad luck that they all need to be replaced one after the other? Could it be an electrical fault with the building? (it's a recent house) Is it a fire hazard?
    Many thanks
    It dos sound like a cowboy alright-might be an idea to move that sounds like a dangerous situation and your landlord is very careless with your safety to be treating it as lightly as that. That should be looked at by a competent electrican before somoone gets seriously hurt or even loses a life.
    By any chance are you using the isolating switch to switch off shower& cooker rather than the switch on the unit (with the exception of the immersion)


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