Triton shower fire

NitroFlood

My aunt has had her triton shower installed for approx 12 years by a professional. It had been perfect up until 3 weeks ago it burst into flames while she was having a shower.

Any advice?
Has anyone ever heard of this happening before or even any recalls from triton?
Thanks

Sleeper12

NitroFlood wrote:

Any advice? Has anyone ever heard of this happening before or even any recalls from triton? Thanks

Happens more often than you might think. The average life span of an electric shower is 10 years this one is 12 years. If there was a factoy fault with this shower it wouldn't have lasted anywhere near as long as it did.
I have to say that they don't spontaneously combust. There would have been a fairly strong smell of burning cables or melting plastic for days or even weeks. With any electric appliance turn off as soon as you smell burning.
Only advice to be given is get someone that knows what they are doing replace the shower & check the cable etc.

Bullish

If it was installed correctly in the first place and didn't trip the RCBO / RCD it was most likely a bad electrical connection. If there is a bad electrical connection it will generate heat and the bad electrical connection will become worse due to higher resistance after a number of cycles it will either break the circuit or go on fire. In Industry electrical systems are checked on periodic maintenance for loose electrical connections , this is not done in domestic.
Have the system checked by a competent Electrician and replace the shower.

The above is in my opinion the most likely cause of the fire

Gashmuncher

Is it a pumped shower? If it is and after twelve years, it's most Lilkey the pump motor brushes have worn down. While this should simply stop the pump motor, very often worn brushes cause sparking and smoke inside the shower. Also with a pumped shower, carbon dust buildup inside the shower can cause flashover. This can look like the shower "exploding" and should take out the protective devices.
After twelve years you cannot complain to much, ensure the unit has RCD and overload protection and install a new one.

Phil.x

Loose neutral.

Sleeper12

I'll put any money on the fire being at the element, the hottest part of the shower & where the 9kw is going & not on the side of the motor that's not consuming much power at all

Bruthal

Phil.x wrote: »

Loose neutral.

Why neutral and not phase?

adrian92

I suggest that you check that there is a direct connection from the shower to the distribution board, with no junction
(the suggestion of a problem on the neutral may well be correct).
Given the potential for power dissipation involved please investigate fully before energisation

Bruthal

adrian92 wrote: »

I suggest that you check that there is a direct connection from the shower to the distribution board, with no junction
(the suggestion of a problem on the neutral may well be correct).
Given the potential for power dissipation involved please investigate fully before energisation

Indeed it may, but so may a suggestion of a loose connection on the phase, or anywhere within the shower unit. To simply say a loose neutral suggests it's more likely than a loose phase. In reality it's no different in terms of overheating due to being unsound, whether it's on the neutral or phase.

A fire in the shower unit is unlikely to be caused by any connections outside the shower unit IMO.

Atlantic Dawn

Out of interest if the shower was to go on fire what would be the best course of action, should you first turn the switch outside the bathroom to turn it off or go straight for the mains to the house instead to turn that off?

Bruthal

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Out of interest if the shower was to go on fire what would be the best course of action, should you first turn the switch outside the bathroom to turn it off or go straight for the mains to the house instead to turn that off?

Switch off the shower as you are likely standing in it. Then get out and switch off the isolator/pull chord, then the breaker for the shower circuit at the MCB board. That should be good enough in terms of electrical disconnection.

Some might say don't even bother switching off shower at its on/off button. Just straight out and off with pullchird or wall switch.

Risteard81

Bullish wrote: »

If In Industry electrical systems are checked on periodic maintenance for loose electrical connections , this is not done in domestic.

Periodic inspection and testing is as much a requirement for domestic installations as any other - although I presume what you are suggesting is that it rarely happens as opposed to that there isn't any requirement for it.

stimpson

Bruthal wrote: »

Switch off the shower as you are likely standing in it. Then get out and switch off the isolator/pull chord, then the breaker for the shower circuit at the MCB board. That should be good enough in terms of electrical disconnection.

Some might say don't even bother switching off shower at its on/off button. Just straight out and off with pullchird or wall switch.

Surely the last thing you want to do while wet, naked and in a locked room is touch a faulty, flaming electrical death device.

Bruthal

stimpson wrote: »

Surely the last thing you want to do while wet, naked and in a locked room is touch a faulty, flaming electrical death device.

Well obviously you know better than me.

But if such an electrical fault has occurred that it has become a death trap, there are devices at the dB that disconnect power automatically.

If it is correctly installed it will not become a death trap.

If it is not properly installed, it might already be a death trap without any fire.

So, jump out and leave it running until you get out of your locked room if that's what you prefer. You might be right.

I would switch off the shower if I was already standing in it. Others might not.

el diablo

Makes no sense to switch off the shower while it's on fire as it'll still have a live feed (unless it's tripped out). Getting out of the shower and pulling the pull-cord switch is the only sensible option. :pac:

stimpson

Bruthal wrote: »

Well obviously you know better than me.

But if such an electrical fault has occurred that it has become a death trap, there are devices at the dB that disconnect power automatically.

If it is correctly installed it will not become a death trap.

If it is not properly installed, it might already be a death trap without any fire.

So, jump out and leave it running until you get out of your locked room if that's what you prefer. You might be right.

I would switch off the shower if I was already standing in it. Others might not.

If it's already on fire then there is a chance it's because it was not properly installed. Why take the chance? And for what gain?

Bruthal

el diablo wrote: »

Makes no sense to switch off the shower while it's on fire as it'll still have a live feed (unless it's tripped out). Getting out of the shower and pulling the pull-cord switch is the only sensible option. :pac:

As long as the exploding death trap hasn't left you incapacitated :pac:

Bruthal

stimpson wrote: »

If it's already on fire then there is a chance it's because it was not properly installed. Why take the chance? And for what gain?

I made a suggestion. It includes the point that some would say get straight out.

I would myself switch off the shower because I know there is no real risk if standing in the shower has not already caused a problem. You know different which is fine. Others will too. You will now know to make sure your shower is properly installed.

stimpson

Bruthal wrote: »

You will now know to make sure your shower is properly installed.

I wouldn't have one. Water next to mains leccy is not my idea of a relaxing shower. I have a 2.5 bar pump in the hot press and a thermostatic shower valve.

Bruthal

stimpson wrote: »

I wouldn't have one. Water next to mains leccy is not my idea of a relaxing shower.

Already pre conditioned to fear electric showers so. Slightly irrational possibly. Water is not quite as dangerous as would often be suggested. There is some risk. But driving to the countryside should be far less relaxing...

stimpson

Bruthal wrote: »

Already pre conditioned to fear electric showers so. Slightly irrational possibly. Water is not quite as dangerous as would often be suggested. There is some risk. But driving to the countryside should be far less relaxing...

A google search of "electrocution from electric shower" returns this as the first result, so looks like you're pre conditioned to prove that they are perfectly safe (even when on fire).

My point is that there is a non-zero risk of electrocution which is increased when you're wet and possibly earthed yourself. The safest course of action is to leave the shower and turn it off elsewhere. There is nothing to be gained from turning it off while in the shower aside from winning an argument on the internet.

Bruthal

stimpson wrote: »

There is nothing to be gained from turning it off while in the shower aside from winning an argument on the internet.

Linking old threads always helps I guess...

Atlantic Dawn

Ok so I will turn off at switch outside bathroom and then go for main if it ever happens.

Tuco88

I'm only waiting for someone to say to use the shower head to quench the fire on the shower😆 (don't do that pls)

If it was me I'd turn it off at the shower first. It's what my brain would naturally do without thought I would think even for most people? Provided the button is not on fire tho...

2011

There are so many variables that there is no single answer that is always correct under these circumstances.

In many cases there would be increased shock risk from switching the shower off after leaving the shower. Why? Because there is a reasonable chance that you are not earthed when in the shower (particularly if the shower tray is a good insulator).

Arbie

When I was renting as a student my Triton shower went on fire and there was smoke everywhere. I hopped out and turned off the wall switch and used a small fire extinguisher my Dad had insisted that I keep in the hall (thanks Dad). Thinking back the shower had been very noisy from day 1, but I had never had an electric shower before, just a mixer shower, so I thought it was the normal noise.

I had been living there 3 months and had never contacted the landlord before this. I rang him to tell him what had happened and he straight away went on the offensive, blamed me, told me I would be evicted, etc. Eventually he calmed down and told me I would have to arrange to get "a fella" out. The landlord was very aggressive and I just wanted it sorted, so I rang the guy that was on the landlord's list that he had included in the lease docs.

He came to have a look, turned out to be a very nice guy who had done a lot of work for the landlord over the years. It was an old Georgian house with 8 flats. He had installed the showers in each of them 15+ years beforehand and had replaced another which had also gone on fire due to worn motors. He told me that the landlord had got the tenant to pay for the replacement! He removed the unit and advised me to take photos, keep the parts as evidence, and talk to the PRTB. He didn't charge me and asked me not to tell the landlord that he had been there, which I didn't. The landlord refused to replace the shower for 6 weeks, hoping that I would crack, but unluckily for him my gym was 2 minutes walk away so I was happy to shower there - better water pressure and less risk of electrocution anyway.

In the end he caved, paid for a new shower and I got 6 weeks of rent refunded. When I left he tried to keep my deposit but I had videos of the day I moved in which showed the place was actually in better condition when I was moving out, so he just handed over the cheque.

Moral of the story: beware ancient electric showers that make a lot of noise and landlords who try to force you to replace them.

Sleeper12

Arbie wrote:

Moral of the story: beware ancient electric showers that make a lot of noise and landlords who try to force you to replace them.

I'm seeing lots of Tennants having to replace showers themselves. Also lots of landlords fitted 2nd hand parts instead of new.
I'm a firm believer in replacing electric showers once they break after 10th years instead of repairing. Cables inside start showing age and discolouration. Elements are caked with limescale in some cases and get hotter & more likely to cause a fire
On the subject of connection blocks in showers the installer usually gets blamed for not tightening connections correctly. While this is the case in some shower it's not always the case. Statistically this happens much more in pumped electric shower compared to mains showers. If you can hear the shower vibrate through the wall or even the floor, it stands to reason that this vibration can loosen the connection no matter how tight it was.

Arbie

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I'm seeing lots of Tennants having to replace showers themselves. Also lots of landlords fitted 2nd hand parts instead of new.
I'm a firm believer in replacing electric showers once they break after 10th years instead of repairing. Cables inside start showing age and discolouration. Elements are caked with limescale in some cases and get hotter & more likely to cause a fire
On the subject of connection blocks in showers the installer usually gets blamed for not tightening connections correctly. While this is the case in some shower it's not always the case. Statistically this happens much more in pumped electric shower compared to mains showers. If you can hear the shower vibrate through the wall or even the floor, it stands to reason that this vibration can loosen the connection no matter how tight it was.

What's a reasonable life expectancy for an electric shower? Should we be getting them serviced/inspected annually like a gas boiler?

Sleeper12

Arbie wrote: »

What's a reasonable life expectancy for an electric shower? Should we be getting them serviced/inspected annually like a gas boiler?

There are no serviceable parts in an electric shower so it's just repair when broken. if shower is 10 years or older & you had an electrician in the house doing work it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask him to have a quick look.
Average lifespan is 10 years for family of 4 & 20 years for a pensioner living alone.

el diablo

Sleeper12 wrote: »

There are no serviceable parts in an electric shower so it's just repair when broken. if shower is 10 years or older & you had an electrician in the house doing work it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask him to have a quick look.
Average lifespan is 10 years for family of 4 & 20 years for a pensioner living alone.

Are you saying that pensioners don't bathe very often? :P

Sleeper12

el diablo wrote:

Are you saying that pensioners don't bathe very often?

I'll let the statistics speak for themselves

Bruthal

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Ok so I will turn off at switch outside bathroom and then go for main if it ever happens.

You could do. It's possibly 3 choices in your case.

You can step out with shower left running and calmly dry off with the burning shower left running, then switch off wall switch

Or go out quickly and switch off wall switch while soaking wet. It's low risk.

Or press the plastic shower switch which is no real risk more than it usually has, which is practically none.

As Tuco said, most won't think about it and will likely switch off at shower first. But either way it also needs to be switched off at the isolator