Shower fuse keeps blowing

[mooney3]

Hi,
I have a 8.5kw shower, 6mm cable and a 30A cartridge fuse. The fuse blows after approx tem minutes of shower use and gives off a very fishy smell at the fuse box. I have checked all the connections and they are OK.
I have been told I really need a 45A fuse to allow full power to heat the water. Is this correct or not. I have bought a 45A fuse but it is far too big for the fuse holder meaning it must always have been a 30A fuse. Any advice appreciated.

Paul

[ELZ4742]

STOP!! call a sparky. you cant just go uprating fuses like that!

youll end up burnin ya house down

[bernardgreen]

mooney3 wrote:

Hi, I have a 8.5kw shower, 6mm cable and a 30A cartridge fuse. The fuse blows after approx tem minutes of shower use and gives off a very fishy smell at the fuse box. I have checked all the connections and they are OK. I have been told I really need a 45A fuse to allow full power to heat the water. Is this correct or not. I have bought a 45A fuse but it is far too big for the fuse holder meaning it must always have been a 30A fuse. Any advice appreciated. Paul

DO NOT USE THE SHOWER. Pull the fuse out to prevent it being used.

Get a QUALIFIED electrician.

The fishy smell is the result of the the fuse holder overheating and the material becoming brittle. ( the smell is a chemical evaporating from the plastic ). The fuse is glowing hot while you are showering. It is destroying the fuse holder and very likely damaging other equipment in the fuse box.

Yes the 8.5 kilowatt does need a 45 amp fuse. It also needs 45 amp cable from the fuse box to the shower.

Bernard
Sharnbrook

[securespark]

Should be 40A really.

However, as has been said, you can't just stick a higher device in and hope for the best. Will the consumer unit handle it? Will the cable? Will the DP switch? Will the tails, meter and main fuse?

Have you got up-to-date MEB's and supplementary in the bathroom?

__________________
As George Michael once said, "..if you're gonna do it, do it right, right?"

[Chivers7]

[quote="bernardgreen"]

mooney3 wrote:

Hi, Get a QUALIFIED electrician. Yes the 8.5 kilowatt does need a 45 amp fuse. It also needs 45 amp cable from the fuse box to the shower. Bernard Sharnbrook

Watts = VxI or I = Watts/V I'd prefer a 40 amp myself.

The ampage of the cable also depends on the length / voltdrop

[ricicle]

Chivers7 wrote:

The ampage of the cable also depends on the length / voltdrop

And the install method

[Chivers7]

ricicle wrote:

Chivers7 wrote: The ampage of the cable also depends on the length / voltdrop And the install method

ambient temperature on run as well

[ricicle]

Chivers7 wrote:

ambient temperature on run as well

And grouping/thermal insulation

[securespark]

Don't forget the wunfer factor.

__________________
As George Michael once said, "..if you're gonna do it, do it right, right?"

[ricicle]

securespark wrote:

Don't forget the wunfer factor.

- I'm crap at cryptic

Edit:Hey look I typed C### and it showed rubbish, what if I type ****

[RF Lighting]

You sure a mod hasn't edited your post?

__________________
I downlights

[securespark]

wunfer - wunferluck.

Sometimes when calcing cable sizes, it'll be near enough borderline, so I whack the next size up in instead.

__________________
As George Michael once said, "..if you're gonna do it, do it right, right?"

[ricicle]

RF Lighting wrote:

You sure a mod hasn't edited your post?

Maybe - after all crap is a naughty word

Edit:If thay are editing they are **** fast typists!!


++++++++++++
No the magic smut editor does it
(sm ut editor)

Take a look at the Vasectomy posts for more examples.

Mod Rupert
+++++++++

[securespark]

Rubbish is tame compared to "waste" & "muck"...

__________________
As George Michael once said, "..if you're gonna do it, do it right, right?"