Well the cable isn't ok. You need a 40A breaker or fuse for that shower, and that's far too high for 2.5mm. It shouldn't have been on a 30A to begin with.
Electric shower cable thickness
- Thread starter Deansplit
- Start date
Well the cable isn't ok. You need a 40A breaker or fuse for that shower, and that's far too high for 2.5mm. It shouldn't have been on a 30A to begin with.
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- //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:mcbtocable
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.3.1.htm
- http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/cableselection_web.pdf
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.3.11.htm
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/5.3.1.htm
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/Charts/VoltageDrop.html
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/8.1.1.htm
- //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part-p
- //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:mcbtocable
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.3.1.htm
- http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/cableselection_web.pdf
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.3.11.htm
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/5.3.1.htm
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/Charts/VoltageDrop.html
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/8.1.1.htm
- //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part-p
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Of course not - why should you, when you clearly understand everything that's involved.
- //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:mcbtocable
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.3.1.htm
- http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/cableselection_web.pdf
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.3.11.htm
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/5.3.1.htm
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/Charts/VoltageDrop.html
- http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/8.1.1.htm
- //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part-p
Click.
It's not 2.5, was getting confused with the actual copper wire - it's 10 (7strands in each live and neutral), clearly 2.5 wouldn't have powered the existing shower!
Throwing a huge amount of links (repeatedly) , each one containing containing enough information to do a degree in electrics isn't actually helpful... it's surely a case of, what kW is the shower, so therefore you need to use a cable and fuse of x size??
I remember your comments from a couple of weeks back Ban-all-sheds, I thought you weren't going to answer me anymore?... it'd certainly save me the time!
Throwing a huge amount of links (repeatedly) , each one containing containing enough information to do a degree in electrics isn't actually helpful... it's surely a case of, what kW is the shower, so therefore you need to use a cable and fuse of x size??
I remember your comments from a couple of weeks back Ban-all-sheds, I thought you weren't going to answer me anymore?... it'd certainly save me the time!
Number of strands doesn't define the CSA of the cable. Try again. Here's a simple one: Is the earth stranded?
Actually with a 30A fuse it would have, albeit not up to regs.
No it's not, the length of the cable & how it's installed also have an effect in its current carrying capacity & before you know all that that you can't correctly select a fuse.
Very doubtful it will be 10mm, almost guaranteed to be 6mm. As as has already been asked, is the earth stranded?
Also I see no mention of RCD protection, which is required.
Current carrying capacity of the cable depends on a multitude of factors, all the info is there is BAS's links. Unless you can examine the entire cable run then you won't know for sure how it's installed so your best bet is a new 10mm (sq) cable from a new RCD protected CU which should allow you to get your 10.5 or 10.8kw shower.
Also I see no mention of RCD protection, which is required.
Current carrying capacity of the cable depends on a multitude of factors, all the info is there is BAS's links. Unless you can examine the entire cable run then you won't know for sure how it's installed so your best bet is a new 10mm (sq) cable from a new RCD protected CU which should allow you to get your 10.5 or 10.8kw shower.
Perhaps if BAS's links are to much to understand then employing an electrician would be quite a sensible idea, after all, who wants to burn their own house down or hurt / kill someone though arrogance? I am not being b!tchy here, it is an electric item, spraying water onto someone who will be naked and as such, a good conductor at the time, mo so than normally! It is important that this work is done safely, the problem may be what you dont know, not what you think you dont know.
The cable could be 10mm but I doubt it, is the CPC (earth) a multi stranded copper wire or a solid wire??
Can you 100% vouch for the entire run of cable and be certain that it does not run through or under any insulation??
Is there RCD protection to the circuit, if so, what rating is the RCD?
you should perhaps read the links supplied and ask specific questions on aspects that you dont understand, we will help you to understand and you can do a safe job.
The cable could be 10mm but I doubt it, is the CPC (earth) a multi stranded copper wire or a solid wire??
Can you 100% vouch for the entire run of cable and be certain that it does not run through or under any insulation??
Is there RCD protection to the circuit, if so, what rating is the RCD?
you should perhaps read the links supplied and ask specific questions on aspects that you dont understand, we will help you to understand and you can do a safe job.
Listen, ****
If you want to DIY, then you do it properly, or not at all.
If you can't be rsed to read those links, or if the information is too hard for you to understand then accept that you are either too lazy or too thick to be able to DIY and get an electrician.
Obviously I forgot all about that, but if I did say that I can quite see why. You're a waste of space. Go away.
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From my quick scan of this thread, Mr Split seems only to be interested in whether he can hook up the shower to the existing cable.
As many of us here are time-served sparks with decades of experience, we need much more information before we can advise further.
As folk have said, there are many factors affecting this kind of installation.
It is not even safe to assume the previous shower was installed in accordance with regs: it may have been overloaded then, especially as there appears to be a long cable run. Then there's RCD protection, PEB's. Is the switch rated to the new shower or is it 30A?
Is the existing consumer unit capable of supplying a load in excess of 30A?
So, Mr Split: mock us if you will, but we have a responsibility to provide sound advice.
As many of us here are time-served sparks with decades of experience, we need much more information before we can advise further.
As folk have said, there are many factors affecting this kind of installation.
It is not even safe to assume the previous shower was installed in accordance with regs: it may have been overloaded then, especially as there appears to be a long cable run. Then there's RCD protection, PEB's. Is the switch rated to the new shower or is it 30A?
Is the existing consumer unit capable of supplying a load in excess of 30A?
So, Mr Split: mock us if you will, but we have a responsibility to provide sound advice.
I'm not mocking anyone... just thought someone would be able to give advice which even if it covers the worst case scenario eg, if I want the most powerful shower over 50 metres, what would the spark do when installing? He'd know pretty much what size of cable to put in right? So that's what I'll put in - it's 10mm at the mo, the old shower worked perfectly for the 7 yrs we've been there and it was a B&B b4 that which ran for 6 yrs so if there was a problem, I'm sure it'd have happened by now? If 10mm is the recommendation, then I'm fine as I am - no need for taking out 3 weeks to read 96,000 pages of gumpf in a bid to try and become a qualified electrician! F*ck me, it ain't rocket science!!
No, just an integral part of rocket science.
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