Thoughts on electric showers ...

Vicario · 22 Dec 2020

My electrician who installed the wiring for the shower said that as I had a 60amp main fuse he would recommend nothing higher than a 9KW shower. But we're quite happy. Mira have excellent after sales people. I mentioned in a review that the shower head was slipping a bit (I had fixed it by fitting an extra washer). I got a brand new fitting through the post a few days later.

Madrab · 22 Dec 2020

jonbey said:
the one there for the heater might be suitable

Nope, the one for that heater will be a standard 2.5mm2 mains cable.

For a 10.5KW shower you will need a 10mm2 cable on probably a 50A MCB, cable run dependent. Your mains supply will also need to be on a 100A supply. Check with your electrician.

Yes you do get remote electric showers where the heating unit can be located say behind the wall. One is the Triton T300si

Mira are more expensive because they are IMO simply much better and higher quality

delmel · 22 Dec 2020

in my view older electric showers were far more reliable although low on the kw ratings. I would certainly avoid Aqualisa they look nice but inside use a very cheaply made Gainsborough piece of crap which breaks down, leaks and causes the pcb to fail also. They will then sell you a new inside and cover at unbelievable prices as no parts are available. Its a bit of a lottery but I find many use Mira as the most reliable ones.

Keithmac · 22 Dec 2020

We've had two Redrings and they seem very well made.

Ended up fitting a Home Boost as the mains pressure is dire down my street..

JP_ · 22 Dec 2020

bennymultifinish said:
the cable feeding the switch for your heater is looking like its already too small, wired incorrectly and is working off a 6amp light switch which is wrong and already overloaded by the heater.

It's on it's own circuit on the consumer unit, but it getting removed either way now

Madrab · 22 Dec 2020

bennymultifinish said:
the cable feeding the switch for your heater is looking like its already too small, wired incorrectly and is working off a 6amp light switch which is wrong and already overloaded by the heater.

Those wall fan heaters are usually only 1-2Kw and the white cable that's feeding the heater from the FCU will be the cable that's supplied with the heater, so can't see anything wrong with that as long as the fuse in the FCU is correct. The pull string will be how the wall heater is normally switched on an off, see them all the time.

dontbelieveawordofit · 22 Dec 2020

Madrab said:
Those wall fan heaters are usually only 1-2Kw and the white cable that's feeding the heater from the FCU will be the cable that's supplied with the heater, so can't see anything wrong with that as long as the fuse in the FCU is correct. The pull string will be how the wall heater is normally switched on an off, see them all the time.

disagree, it’s clearly switched via a 6amp light switch above it. which may or may not be fed via the pullcord as you suggest . unless it’s a shower pullcord then we can assume it’s on the lighting circuit fed by a 1.5 or even 1mm cable on a 6 amp circuit breaker.
not suitable for 1kw let alone 2

JP_ · 22 Dec 2020

bennymultifinish said:
disagree, it’s clearly switched via a 6amp light switch above it. which may or may not be fed via the pullcord as you suggest . unless it’s a shower pullcord then we can assume it’s on the lighting circuit fed by a 1.5 or even 1mm cable on a 6 amp circuit breaker.
not suitable for 1kw let alone 2

I've already said it's not on the light circuit, it's on its own circuit, so no need to assume otherwise. That other pull cord is the extractor fan, and the light switch is outside the room on the wall.

It might not be ideal (I really don't know) but it is definitely not on a light circuit, and nothing else is on its circuit. But if no use for a shower then it will be replaced anyway.

#16 B20 - heater

denso13 · 22 Dec 2020

bennymultifinish said:
not suitable for 1kw let alone 2

1.5mm² or even 1mm² (which should only be used for lights) are more than adequate for a 2kw load.You could actually wire up a 3kw immersion heater in 1.5mm².

dontbelieveawordofit · 22 Dec 2020

denso13 said:
1.5mm² or even 1mm² (which should only be used for lights) are more than adequate for a 2kw load.You could actually wire up a 3kw immersion heater in 1.5mm².

good luck!

You’ll be telling us next it’s fine that there’s a 6amp light switch acting as an isolator inside a bathroom.

JP_ · 22 Dec 2020

bennymultifinish said:
You’ll be telling us next it’s fine that there’s a 6amp light switch acting as an isolator inside a bathroom.

Which switch are you referring to?

durhamplumber · 22 Dec 2020

""Thoughts on electric showers"""
They are usually rubbish.

Madrab · 22 Dec 2020

jonbey said:
Which switch are you referring to?

Can you please give us a close up picture of the white box that is above the wall heater in pic 2.

One person is saying it's a light switch, I am saying it's an FCU. Can you also please tell us where that white pull cord that's hanging underneath the heater is coming from, is it from inside the fan heater?

oldbutnotdead · 22 Dec 2020

Electric showers are ok as an emergency or occasional use thing but you'll miss the volume and temperature you get from your gravity hot water.
Make sure the hot water is set to heat while you're showering (assuming gas ch a fair bit of heat can be delivered into the cylinder while its being used).
Consider increasing the dhw temperature in the cylinder (may be worth some sort of smart toy to push the temp up for showertime and then revert to normal for the rest of the day). If you have small children or elderly folk in the house, consider a tmv on the bath hot (so they can't scald themselves) if you do the above.
Look at a larger cylinder- they're not that expensive and on vented systems not hard to fit, plus most modern cylinders come pre-insulated (more effective than the throwover jackets)

Hugh Jaleak · 22 Dec 2020

Pretty sure the 'switch' is actually a FCU.

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Thoughts on electric showers ...

dontbelieveawordofit

dontbelieveawordofit

durhamplumber

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