Tripping shower - ? cause

[swayzak]

Hi

I have an old Showerforce 1000XM, connected to hot/cold feeds from the attic immediately above the bathroom.

There is white switch just next to the attic hatch labelled "Isolation", and has a small picture of a fan on it.

Occasionally (usually after sustained use), the shower trips the main blue fuse on the MCB.

The only way I can get electrics back on for the rest of the house is to turn the white isolation switch off, sometimes for 4 or 5 hours.

Then eventually I can turn the shower isolation switch on again & shower works.

Unfortunately the isolation switch appears to isolate all the loft electrics (light, mains sockets), so TV reception is lost as the aerial amplifier is located up there.

Any ideas what the problem could be & how to fix it ?

Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The problem will almost certainly be water getting into the electrics - either the pump internally, or some external wiring via a leak in the pump or the bath/shower itself. I'd be inclined to the latter, as it happens after "prolonged" use.

You need to find the leak and fix it.

 

[swayzak]

The problem will almost certainly be water getting into the electrics - either the pump internally, or some external wiring via a leak in the pump or the bath/shower itself. I'd be inclined to the latter, as it happens after "prolonged" use.

You need to find the leak and fix it.

Thank you

It's a self-contained shower cubicle.

I examined the internal part of shower, and it was dry with no evidence of a leak. All the wiring seemed bone dry.

This shower does leak on rare occasions, with water appearing through the ceiling of toilet below on ground floor.

I'm certain this is related to some grouting/sealent issues in lower back wall of shower. However there does not appear to be a temporal relationship with tripping as the 2 problems do not occur together...

My concern is that this may require stripping out of the whole shower to investigate, which would cost a considerable amount I imagine (including the re-tiling).

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Try fixing a shower head to a length of hosepipe and use that to simulate a shower - see if the electrics trip. If they do, then you have a leak somewhere.

And/or try running the pump with the water taken via hose direct to a drain, see if it no longer trips.

 

[ricicle]

Has this shower always been connected up like this as there appear to be some anomalies with your wiring. What is this 'blue part of the mcb'. Is the shower pump connected to the lighting circuit ?

 

[swayzak]

Has this shower always been connected up like this as there appear to be some anomalies with your wiring. What is this 'blue part of the mcb'. Is the shower pump connected to the lighting circuit ?

Yes - I inherited the installation on moving in 5 years ago.

There is a single blue circuit breaker switch on the MCB. The rest of the switches are a different colour, but all the same (black, white or grey - can't remember & not at home at moment).

It is the blue one that goes when the shower trips - and cuts electricity to rest of house. And I can't reset it until I have turned off the white isolator switch near the attic door / bathroom.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What is this 'blue part of the mcb'.

I suspect that this means RCD:

the shower trips the main blue fuse on the MCB.

 

[swayzak]

Further info - both times it seems to have occurred on turning the shower off.

Have booked a sparky to come and check things over.