Is this repairable?

[xr4x4]

my electric shower isnt working, what do you think is wrong?

Untitled

• xr4x4
• 23 Apr 2011
• 1

 

[Click-Sure]

Poor mains pressure, i'll bet.

 

[westie101]

That'll teach you not to allow smoking in the shower!

 

[Chri5]

That's what happens when you use bell wire

Under rated (and existing)cable supply with a MCB that was changed to 45 amp when the new shower was fitted by someone, that no one remembers who they were.

But they were a spark doing a favour and the cert got washed in the dish drier.

 

[xr4x4]

8.5kw shower on a 10mm cable with a 40amp mcb in a rcd protected CU on a TT supply.

the shower was taken from inside a pool house when it was knocked down and fitted here.

been working for 2 years in current location.

do you reckon they where lucky?

 

[1john]

They certainly look unlucky.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That's what happens when you use bell wire

But they didn't.

Under rated

But it wasn't.

MCB that was changed to 45 amp

But it wasn't.

 

[xr4x4]

I reckon they were lucky the house didnt burn down.

But why did it melt?

 

[MrTinker]

But why did it melt?

I don't know, your the one that can take it apart and inspect it, so you tell us.

 

[1550]

It looks pretty bad , had loads of burned neutrals inside showers and in the switches but nothing like that. Did the breaker or rcd go eventually?

 

[sterowley]

I would guess that the power to the shower stayed on after the water had been cut out overheating the internal coils power coils possible faulty install somehow over-riding the safety cut outs. The damage to the wall is not from burning plastic case and not the cable.

The RCD dint blow because the current was travelling from the live to the neutral and the current didn't exceed 40 amps for enough time for the causing to start burning.

 

[bernardgreen]

The question is why didn't the over temperature safety cutout fitted to the element plate operate and cut the power before the elements got that hot ?

 

[Chri5]

That's what happens when you use bell wire

But they didn't.

Under rated

But it wasn't.

MCB that was changed to 45 amp

But it wasn't.

BAS Please don't be an 4rse.

You are perfectly aware that my post position on this thread was pre the further information given.

So you choose to slip in to negative attitude mode and make a post so stunningly facile that it means absolutely sfa.

I'd like to know why you posted, did your train set break down, and in bored mode you simply felt you had to state the obvious ? Please restrict your critic to posts that deserve it, rather than correcting ones that were nothing more than speculative guesses based on zero information.

Thank you and Happy Easter

 

[xr4x4]

I've taken the cover off and had a look, it's all very black and melted. So it's a bit hard to tell. When go back I'll take some more pictures of the inside.

I haven't spoken to the tenants yet so I don't know what went on. The mcb and the isolating valve were turned off.

It's just a little scary that this kinda thing can happen.

 

[bernardgreen]

It's just a little scary that this kinda thing can happen.

You should see the mess an 18Kwatt 3 phase domestic electric shower makes when it burns out. Even the plastic shower tray was damaged by the molten material dropping onto it.

Not in the UK but a flat in Dusseldorf 1972. No MCB, instead the German screw in fuses which take a while to melt out and probably no RCD either.

The odd thing was it burnt out while there was no one in the flat. Not my flat but the flat of a colleague who later set fire to a girl friend's apartment in Munich.