cable size

[transit]

Could someone please tell if you can run an 8.5kw shower,on a 50 metre run of 6mm cable,or would you need bigger cable.

 

[plugwash]

according to tlcs calculator http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/Charts/VoltageDrop.html you will need 10mm

i would be tempted to fit 16mm in case you fit a bigger shower later (showers seem to get bigger all the time)

 

[Adam_151]

(showers seem to get bigger all the time)

I was thinking about someones idea (might have been Ban All Sheds) that if domestic 3 phase becomes widespread we could see three phase showers, and was wondering whether such a device could ever exist, surely 240v is bad enough in a wet environment, would 415v volatages actually be allowed?, or maybe domestic three phase would just allow the shower to have a phase of its own and be kept separate

 

[plugwash]

speaking of the dangers of electricity and water apparently in the navy they used to (maybe still do) hook up ships to busbars on shore with the busbars live!

and the recs joint 3 phase cables in wet trenches live

provided the showers are well built i really dont see any problem with making them 3 phase

 

[Adam_151]

and the recs joint 3 phase cables in wet trenches live

I think the rubber mats they stand on are thicker than the average bath matt

Seriously though,

A) showers get damaged sometimes, in our old house it ended up letting water in, unfortunatly we still had re-wireable fuses, "hmm, whats that burning smell", it was the connector block to which the incomming cables connect turning crispy

B) When showers expire, they cause enough damage when its just a phase - neutral fault, or phase - cpc fault (there was someone on here who claimed to have a re-wireable fuse explode), would it really be wise to have a shower which might blow its self away from the wall upon expireing (I suppose this could be prevented by having a design so that a phase-phase fault could not occur, like three totally separate heater elements)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

With 10mm, the voltage drop will knock that shower back to 7.9kW (element temperature coefficient notwithstanding

).

Definitely use 16mm, which is going to be great fun.....