- Joined
- 15 Nov 2005
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 1
- Country
Hi
We've had a few problems with our shower electrics. It's an over-the-bath type, Redring I think, and it is probably an 8.5kW unit. It's very old so will get replaced at some point anyway.
Anyway, the problem is that after prolonged use (i.e. when 2 or 3 people use the shower back-to-back) we start to get this odd fishy smell. Sometimes, the fuse burns out too so I have to replace it. The fuses are 30A. I looked into getting a breaker type fuse but they won't fit inside our old fuse box so it would involve some cutting.
I believe our cable is 6mm diameter which might be the cause of the problem. So, I'm considering replacing it (or having it replaced).
I appreciate that this job requires someone who knows what they're doing and I'm probably not knowledgable enough. However, I've had a quote from an electrician and it was more than I was expecting.
The fuse box is at the bottom of the stairs. The bathroom is directly above it, with one end of the bath directly above the fuse box. The other end of the bath (with the shower unit on) is against a wall. The pull cord isolating switch is beside the bath at the same end as the shower unit.
So, the cable needs to travel 0.5m into the bathroom floor, then along the floor under the bath (I'm guessing it'll be under the floor boards for safety), then up the wall into the bathroom ceiling/loft, then down to the pull cord. Another cable will run from the pull cord across the wall and into the shower unit.
I estimate this being about 7m of cable.
Looking at various suppliers, I think a 10mm diameter cable for that length should cost about £25. The difficulty is going to be running the cable so it might take a couple or 3 hours. I'd have thought £75 should cover the labour.
Does this sound like a reasonable expectation? Too high, too low? What important points have I missed?
We've had a few problems with our shower electrics. It's an over-the-bath type, Redring I think, and it is probably an 8.5kW unit. It's very old so will get replaced at some point anyway.
Anyway, the problem is that after prolonged use (i.e. when 2 or 3 people use the shower back-to-back) we start to get this odd fishy smell. Sometimes, the fuse burns out too so I have to replace it. The fuses are 30A. I looked into getting a breaker type fuse but they won't fit inside our old fuse box so it would involve some cutting.
I believe our cable is 6mm diameter which might be the cause of the problem. So, I'm considering replacing it (or having it replaced).
I appreciate that this job requires someone who knows what they're doing and I'm probably not knowledgable enough. However, I've had a quote from an electrician and it was more than I was expecting.
The fuse box is at the bottom of the stairs. The bathroom is directly above it, with one end of the bath directly above the fuse box. The other end of the bath (with the shower unit on) is against a wall. The pull cord isolating switch is beside the bath at the same end as the shower unit.
So, the cable needs to travel 0.5m into the bathroom floor, then along the floor under the bath (I'm guessing it'll be under the floor boards for safety), then up the wall into the bathroom ceiling/loft, then down to the pull cord. Another cable will run from the pull cord across the wall and into the shower unit.
I estimate this being about 7m of cable.
Looking at various suppliers, I think a 10mm diameter cable for that length should cost about £25. The difficulty is going to be running the cable so it might take a couple or 3 hours. I'd have thought £75 should cover the labour.
Does this sound like a reasonable expectation? Too high, too low? What important points have I missed?