Hi all, been sifting through the pages here and seems like an excellent website.
Anyhow, I'm about to change the shower and have a few questions.
We've recently moved here and the old shower is pretty rubbish, plus we want to move it. It used to be in a cubicle but I threw that out and am going to put in the new shower above the bath.
I've cut a single channel in the concrete and plaster wall to take the cable and flexi-pipe for where the shower will be mounted (This will be tiled over - around half a metre at most - the rest of the cable is in open air). Currently the existing shower is an 8.5kW unit which is wired using what looks like 5mm cable? (could be 4 or 6? although I don't think it looks quite heavy enough to be 6). There are no markings on the cable, hence I am estimating. The cable is wired to a 40 amp breaker in an old Dorman fuseboard. This cable then runs 9 metres directly to the shower unit! The unit works and I've checked bothe ends of the cable and all is fine.
What I want to replace this with is this:
Cable from 40 Amp breaker to remote box containing RCD. Cable from RCD up to bathroom and wire to isolating pull-switch (rated at 50 Amps). Then cabe from pull-switch and terminate at shower which is 9.5kW.
Question 1 - Will the existing 40 Amp breaker be alright with the new set up?
Qustion 2 - Can I re-use the existing cable? I read on this site that as the length is under 13 metres 4mm is okay?
Question 3 - Is there any way of telling exactly what cable I have? As there are no markings I'm guessing not? (existing T&E - 7 strands measuring 0.7mm each and the earth measures 1.3mm - don't know if this is any help?)
Question 4 - is there anything else I should be aware of?
Anyhow, I'm about to change the shower and have a few questions.
We've recently moved here and the old shower is pretty rubbish, plus we want to move it. It used to be in a cubicle but I threw that out and am going to put in the new shower above the bath.
I've cut a single channel in the concrete and plaster wall to take the cable and flexi-pipe for where the shower will be mounted (This will be tiled over - around half a metre at most - the rest of the cable is in open air). Currently the existing shower is an 8.5kW unit which is wired using what looks like 5mm cable? (could be 4 or 6? although I don't think it looks quite heavy enough to be 6). There are no markings on the cable, hence I am estimating. The cable is wired to a 40 amp breaker in an old Dorman fuseboard. This cable then runs 9 metres directly to the shower unit! The unit works and I've checked bothe ends of the cable and all is fine.
What I want to replace this with is this:
Cable from 40 Amp breaker to remote box containing RCD. Cable from RCD up to bathroom and wire to isolating pull-switch (rated at 50 Amps). Then cabe from pull-switch and terminate at shower which is 9.5kW.
Question 1 - Will the existing 40 Amp breaker be alright with the new set up?
Qustion 2 - Can I re-use the existing cable? I read on this site that as the length is under 13 metres 4mm is okay?
Question 3 - Is there any way of telling exactly what cable I have? As there are no markings I'm guessing not? (existing T&E - 7 strands measuring 0.7mm each and the earth measures 1.3mm - don't know if this is any help?)
Question 4 - is there anything else I should be aware of?