Shower pull cord? half lighting

[Murraym33]

Basically, i dont know if all bathrooms have them but ours does. You get a pull chord to apply power to the shower, has like a red light aswell. Well when we pull the chord, the light is only lighting hald as bright as it should, and the power light on the shower isnt coming on, and then when u turn the nob on the shower to a certain temperature the light on the pull chord cuts out.
It used to work on full light after u pulled the chord a few times but now it only goes onto half light so the shower doesnt heat at all. if anyone could tell me wht to do id be very greatful.


im only 17 i know nothing about DIY, but basically im the only guy living in the house and my mum is even more useless than i am with DIY

any help would be greatful, if u need more info about the problem them ask and ill try help.

 

[RF Lighting]

It sounds like a wire has either come loose or burnt within the sower pull switch.

Do you have a digital camera? If so could you

1. Switch off the electricity to the shower at the fuse box.
2. Unscrew the two screws on the faceplate of the pull switch.
3. Gentally pull the switch away from to mounting box.
4. Take a photo of the back of the switch where the wires go into the switch.
5. Check the screws are tight that hold the four thick (two red and two black) wires into the switch. Also check the tightness of the two thinner green and yellow striped wires.

If you do not have a camera then do as above but post back on here and tell us what you have found in as much detail as you can.

 

[RF Lighting]

He's been a while now.
Wonder if I killed him?

 

[Adam_151]

3. Gentally pull the switch away from to mounting box.

Completely off topic, but...

I've seen some shower pull switches where the cover is just that, a cover, you take it away and all the switch bit that you wire to is on the ceiling, seemed a good idea to me, rather than trying to force a single gang plate with 4x10mm² and 2x4mm² cores onto a box. They are round, about 60mm diameter and stand about 80mm off the ceiling. Never seen them before, but as I said seem a very good idea.

Oh, btw, got the RCBO yesterday thanks

*must remember to take care of his ebay feedback*

 

[Murraym33]

Sorry havent been in the country.
ill go do all that now, thanks for the help, ill reply asap.
I havent got a digital camera, ill try the one on my phone, its ok quality.
thanks

 

[Murraym33]

OK so i looked in everything was as tight as it would go, took some pictures, i noticed some bubbling on one of the black wires, and then some of the casing had melted a little + some brownish scorch marks on the actual switch casing.

This isn't the best picture ever but you can kind of see the brown scorch marks around the white casing where the wire enters.

i'm guessing i need to replace something, if so is it possible to do myself?

 

[Steve]

OK, you're lucky - you have a decent amount of cable to work with there.

1. You need a new switch. Buy a decent (MK, Crabtree) new 50A pullswitch.
2. You need to cut that black wire back to where there is no damage, making sure to connect the wires to the correct holes, and do the terminal screws up super tight (not so tight as to break them or the screwdriver though).

I THINK that is 6mm² cable. What size shower is this feeding? (power rating in KW)

IMPORTANT:
1. is there only one earth wire there? There should be two, maybe three.
2. TURN THE POWER OFF before starting work

 

[RF Lighting]

You need to cut that black wire back to where there is no damage

This is where the copper is bright and shiny. If the copper is dull, then chances are that the copper has been damaged by the heat from the failed connection, If you connect to the damaged copper then you will probably find that your new switch will burn out too before long.

is there only one earth wire there? There should be two, maybe three.

You will hopefully find two earth wires in the same earth sleeving.

 

[Murraym33]

OK thanks alot for the help so far, doesnt sound tooooo hard,
ill try get hold of one of those switches this weekend, any idea where i can get one from?

there was only the one earthing wire.

How do i find out the power rating of the shower?

ill get get hold of this switch and report back with what happens.

once again thanks alot

 

[Adam_151]

of those switches this weekend, any idea where i can get one from?

DIY shed, screwfix, electrical wholesalers

there was only the one earthing wire.

There should be at least two, are you sure they arn't just twisted together and in the same sleeve (the earth is bare until the installer fiyts a sleeve)

How do i find out the power rating of the shower?

It might be on the front, if not, remove the cover and look for a label

 

[Steve]

There should be an earth from both of those grey cables.

By DIY shed, adam means places such as B&Q, Homebase, Focus.

And the rating might be on a small label on the bottom or top of the outer casing of the shower.