Electric shower switch repeatedly burning out. What can I do? :-(

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My wife's tenant has a recurring problem with the ceiling mounted shower isolator switch burning out. This must be number 4 in the last year and as I'm cutting off the burnt ends of the cable each time that I replace the switch there isn't much spare cable left for me to cut off! For clarity I'm using a 45amp double pole pull cord switch, and I'm not twisting the wire inside the cable before inserting them into the switch. Could I be doing something wrong? Could the switch be under specced for the job? Please help!!!!
 
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Most likely you are not tightening the terminals enough, or using very inferior materials.

The trick is once you have connected the switch, and dressed the wires ready to screw back the cover, give all the terminals a final tighten, then screw back the faceplate.

The round Crabtree ones (50A) never seem the fail - which kind of suggests some shower switches are badly made.
 
You could also tell the tenant not to keep turning it off. It is an isolator and only needs to be turned off when working on the shower.

Another alternative would be to remove it altogether. They are not a requirement, just considered 'nice to have'.
 
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Winston's first comment is good advice.

But ignore the second one, isolators are "nice to have" for rapid isolation of a smoking electric shower. Trying to switch of at the consumer unit when naked and wet is not a good idea.
 
Thank you everyone. This forum is the absolute most helpful place on the Internet!
 
I think it's 9 but I'd have to go to the house and check. I'm also not sure if he switches it on everytime either. I asked him not to, but that doesn't mean anything!
 
I think over a period of time the movement pulling on the cord doesn't help. I went down the Crabtree isolator route and they look a bit big but far better than any other shower switch and much easier to dress the cables and I'd suggest maybe checking it after two months after it's replaced if it has happened four times in a year!
 
Winston's first comment is good advice.

But ignore the second one, isolators are "nice to have" for rapid isolation of a smoking electric shower. Trying to switch of at the consumer unit when naked and wet is not a good idea.

Have you ever come across a smoking electric shower?
 
Have you ever come across a smoking electric shower?

Not personally but I can recall at least four incidents of showers ( owned by friends and aquaintances ) needing to be turned off by means other than the switch on the shower itself.
 
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