Electric shower - Power wont switch off

[jackpot]

I have an electric shower installed and wired up last year. There is a power cord in the bathroom which switched the power on and off. All has been well except it has been quite difficult to switch on/off using the power cord. A lot of strength has been needed. Now all of a sudden after using the shower the power wont turn off. I can pull the cord untill it clicks but the red light and a little pop down on/off indicator stays on. The pop down should be down and indicate its off and the red light should not be on. Ive looked at it and cant see any lose connections. Has the constant yanking to turn it on/off broke the actual internal mechanism of the white casing itself. Anybody any ideas please?

 

[Chri5]

TLC sell good quality MK ones for £10 + VAT

Throw away the old one. And make sure the power is dead via the CU before removing and replacing the old one.

 

[Steve]

buy a new switch.

actually, first, open up the switch you have and look for signs of overheating. we like pictures of burnt wires, out of interest, if you find any

 

[jackpot]

Have already opened it up and everything looks ok so no over heating. It only got installed last June, so just about a year old.
Will it be down to the yanking of the cord that the cause?

 

[Steve]

No. These switches have heavy clunky contacts that do wear out over time. Added to the moisture near the shower, it doesn't take long to kill them.

IMO shower switches are a very poor design, but who am I to critisize them?

Buy a decent quality one, install it, but dont use it. We dont. Never have.

 

[ColJack]

shower switches are not designed as on and off switches..
they are to be used when the shower is off to isolate it only..

you sound like you are leaving the shower set and using the switch to turn it off while it's on load..

what has happened ( and will happen again if you continue ) is that the contacts have welded together..

turn the shower off at the shower before turning the switch off in future..

 

[jackpot]

Its definately used the correct way. The shower is always turned off by the shower Its has a 5 second delay before it turns off. Then upon leaving the shower the power switch is turned off also. Again before a shower the power switch is turned on and then on again at the shower. Its only used about 3 times a week, which makes me think surely it shouldnt wear away after 12 months.
I shall invest in a good quality switch anyway. Thanks guys!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I've got a shower which we operate in exactly the same way, only it's about 3 times a day, not 3 times a week, and the original MK ceiling switch is still going strong after 5 years....

 

[kai]

ALternatively, use a 2 slot din rail box enclosure in the airing cupboard outside the bathroom, mount in it a 100amp Double Pole din-rail switch (the sort meant for consumer units) normally rated at AC22A, and use that as an isolator.
Being AC22A means the devices can safely switch mixed resistive and inductive loads in a regular basis!

 

[Steve]

ALternatively, use a 2 slot din rail box enclosure in the airing cupboard outside the bathroom, mount in it a 100amp Double Pole din-rail switch (the sort meant for consumer units) normally rated at AC22A, and use that as an isolator.
Being AC22A means the devices can safely switch mixed resistive and inductive loads in a regular basis!

Not a bad idea, certainly easier to wire than god awful shower pulls.

 

[jackpot]

Thanks again. Just bought an MK neon pull cord swich and upon replacing, in the existing switch i have 2 earth wires in 2 different connections.

On the new MK switch i have only 1 earth connection. Can i put both earth wires in the one connection. If not, what can i do?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You can put them in one.

In fact they should be in one - could you post a photo of the existing switch?