10mm cable for electric shower question

[RufusA]

I have been searching for this information but not being an electrician, I do not know the answer.

If you get 10mm cable for an electric shower, say a 10kw electric shower, then what about the future. If electric showers say go up to 15 KW in the next decade would I still be able to use my 10 mm cable with it?

 

[Space cat]

In one sense it's a fair question. The first electric shower I ever fitted was in 1980. It was 7kW which was about as big as they came back then. You could put one on a 30 amp fuse with 6 sq mm cable. Should I have gone looking for 10 sq mm cable to cater for bigger showers that might come later - as we now know they did?

In another sense it's pointless. The only thing about the future that's predictable is its unpredictability! Will there be 15kW showers in 2017? More to the point, will you feel deprived if you don't have one?

 

[RufusA]

yeah I know, what I am trying to get at is how many KWs can a 10mm cable take? With 6mm its up to 10kw and with 10kw its up to???????

 

[Steve3948]

It's all down to length

 

[ricicle]

A 10mm² can carry 63A for 34 metres max clipped direct with no other correction factors.(Based on 240V)
This equates to 15 Kw. approx

 

[MANDATE]

With 6mm its up to 10kw

I don't think 6mm is suitable for 10kw.

 

[RufusA]

thanks ricicle