Help with ? broken Electric Shower / circuit breaker trippin

Hi, hope you can help with a problem I have with my 10 year old Triton Bermuda electric shower.

I live in a house with a combi-boiler / low pressure and so have an Electric Shower. This has worked well for the 2 years we have lived in the house!

Now to the problem: Saturday night my wife switched on the isolator switch (you know, the pull cord that "switches on" the power to the shower - in our case it looks like a large light switch with a red "on" light) and then switched on the shower.
BANG! the circuit breaker in the cupboard below the stairs tripped.
So I switched off the shower & isolator switch and reset the circuit breaker. I then switched on the isolator switch (shower off) and the circuit breaker tripped again!!

I switched the isolator switch off and reset the circuit breaker. This time I left it overnight before trying it again. This time i could turn on the isolator switch, but when turning on the shower - POP! off goes the circuit breaker!!!

Now, I'm 95% sure that a new shower is needed, but before I spend £200 or so, i would like to make sure this is the culprit!!

Anyone have any ideas?
Do you think I need to call an electrician to check if there is a problem with the wiring or isolator switch??

If I need a new shower - any ideas on a similar model to the Triton Bermuda? (I would like to go for the most "like-for-like" installation but the bermuda's discontinued!!)

Thanks and apologies for the long post!

Have you put any nails/screws in the wall that could have pierced the cable?

If not then the next option is to turn off the power at the CU and check behind the isolator for any loose cables. Then check the terminals at the shower. If that doesn't sort it, and you feel confident enough, then check the terminals at the consumer unit. Remember t turn off the main switch and beware that some parts will still be live (meter tails, the screw terminals of the main switch and possibly other parts on certain CU's).

If all these things fail your options are to get a sparky to run some tests (could be failed cables rather than the shower) or you can replace the shower and then see if the problem goes.

Thanks for the prompt reply!

No - no screws, nails or anything like that.

I've checked in the shower casing & it's still watertight - no corrosion on shower terminals.

If that doesn't sort it, and you feel confident enough, then check the terminals at the consumer unit. Remember t turn off the main switch and beware that some parts will still be live (meter tails, the screw terminals of the main switch and possibly other parts on certain CU's).

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Hmmm. think I'd better get a sparky in for this!!

Anyone else have any ideas???

Since the trip occured when the shower switch was operated it ie reasonable to assume that the fault is in the wiring of the shower between the switch and the heater. If the fault was between the isolator and the shower then the trip would have happened as soon as the isolator was turned on.

If it was a BANG from the shower and the MCB tripped then it is a defunct shower. If it was a quiet click and the RCD in the consumer tripped on earth leakage then MAYBE a leak or damp in the shower was responsible but even then damage to the insualtion of the shower may have occured.

After ten years the shower is due for replacment anyway.

If u are going for a replacement, BEWARE ..... take a look at the max load that your existing circuit can carry before you go and buy the biggest shower you can find!
The bigger showers would need a much bigger cable to be run, all the way from your fuseboard. Your cost then is £200 for a new shower and £200 for a nice sparky to upgrade the feed.

TTC

tollanarama

Where abouts in Essex are you?

bernardgreen - thanks for your help; I was being overly dramatic when i said that i heard a "BANG"!!! It in fairness more of a quiet pop - I' m sure the noise I heard was the circuit breaker tripping as I was next to the cupboard where they are (the isolator switch makes a loud click when you switch it on anyway!)

Taylortwocities (love the name!!) thanks for the advice - I don't want to spend megabucks and am looking for an almost like-for-like; unfortunately the Triton Bermuda has been discontinued.

DESL said:

tollanarama

Where abouts in Essex are you?

Click to expand...

DESL - I'm in the Rayleigh/Rawreth area!!

Any suggestions to an almost like-for-like replacement for the discontinued Triton Bermuda?

I'm having an Eyore moment
"Thanks for noticing me"

TTC

tollanarama

I'm in Westcliff if that's any good to you before you lash out on a new shower.

DESL said:

tollanarama

I'm in Westcliff if that's any good to you before you lash out on a new shower.

Click to expand...

Cheers mate!!
I'm away now for a week (Easter break) but if i can't get it working I'll PM you when I get back.