Electric shower keeps cutting out

[AMS1]

Hello

This morning my electric shower kept cutting out during use.

The shower is a Mira Advance and we've had it for about 7 years.

What happened is that it would work for roughly a minute, then it would just stop - the red light at the isolator switch would go off, and the light on the power button which normally lights blue at all times (even when not in use) also went out ... and the water as well, obviously. The water pressure indicator light and reset light at the bottom of the unit were not lit up or flashing.

After another minute the system would beep, but the lights would remain off. About 30 seconds later the system would beep again and the blue light on the power button would flash, and then after about 10 seconds it would return to constant blue and I could press it for the water to start again.

However, after another minute the same thing would happen.

The whole cycle happened about 3 times during the course of my shower. The same thing happened for my partner.

About a week ago I noticed that the shower was cycling from cool/warm water to very hot water every 15 seconds or so during my shower even though I wasn't adjusting the temp. dial. But this just happened one morning and it had been working fine since .... until this morning.

The pressure on the boiler seems to be within the normal range, and we always shower on 'Low'. I live in a soft water area.

Do you think it's fixable? I know this is a stupid question, but do all electricians know about electric shower problems or do I have to look for someone who specialises?

Thank you.

 

[Taylortwocities]

If the red light on the isolator switch goes out when the shower is running, then it indicates a bad connection somewhere.
I would startr by having a look at the wiring at the back of the isolation switch first. Look for blackened conductors and melted wires.

If that looks all OK then the problem may be at some other point, in the consumer unit, perhaps.

By the way, turn the power off at the consumer unit before you take the switch apart, there may be loose wires in there.

 

[AMS1]

If the red light on the isolator switch goes out when the shower is running, then it indicates a bad connection somewhere.
I would startr by having a look at the wiring at the back of the isolation switch first. Look for blackened conductors and melted wires.

If that looks all OK then the problem may be at some other point, in the consumer unit, perhaps.

By the way, turn the power off at the consumer unit before you take the switch apart, there may be loose wires in there.

Thank you - I'll take a look when I get home.

 

[Spark123]

It isn't unheard of for shower isolators to wear out over time with use causing the very issue you describe.

 

[kai]

Those piddly pullcord isolators are junk in my opinion - they have a tendency to either break down or the cord to snap inside the switch. Get yourself a proper 63amp DP isolating switch along with a small din-rail enclosure, and mount it outside the bathroom door or in the airing cupboard outside the bathroom, and use that instead.

The problem with pull cord switches is that they are so badly designed, that you have to use brute force in order to push the switch back onto the mounting block, disturbing the connections in the process, leading to premature failure. They should be made so that the connections are only made once the switch is solidly mounted, as in a din-rail mount device.

B&Q were selling 63amp DP isolating switches for two pounds each (A well known British brand name) recently..

 

[EFLImpudence]

They should be made so that the connections are only made once the switch is solidly mounted,

Crabtree ones are like that.

 

[Iggifer]

Those piddly pullcord isolators are junk in my opinion - they have a tendency to either break down or the cord to snap inside the switch. Get yourself a proper 63amp DP isolating switch along with a small din-rail enclosure, and mount it outside the bathroom door or in the airing cupboard outside the bathroom, and use that instead.

The problem with pull cord switches is that they are so badly designed, that you have to use brute force in order to push the switch back onto the mounting block, disturbing the connections in the process, leading to premature failure. They should be made so that the connections are only made once the switch is solidly mounted, as in a din-rail mount device.

B&Q were selling 63amp DP isolating switches for two pounds each (A well known British brand name) recently..

Of course they were. Or if you don't want your house to look like a bag of sheet, just use a 50A DP faceplate switch and a 47mm box.

There is no way you could convince me to fit a 2-mod enclosure in place of a shower isolator.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Thank you - I'll take a look when I get home.

Guys, you are way ahead of the curve. We don't even know if it is a switch/wiring fault yet….
Waiting for feedback from the OP

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Get yourself a proper 63amp DP isolating switch along with a small din-rail enclosure, and mount it outside the bathroom door

Oh that will look nice.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Guys, you are way ahead of the curve. We don't even know if it is a switch/wiring fault yet….
Waiting for feedback from the OP

With lights on the switch and shower going on and off it isn't going to be the over-temperature cutout.

Has to be a wiring fault somewhere, but not necessarily at the switch.

Needs to be found asap before it gets fed up with using the neon lights to communicate, and starts using smoke signals.

 

[AMS1]

Guys - thanks for all your responses, I really appreciate it.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to take a look inside the isolator switch yet as I work full-time and have been going straight from work to my OH's property to tile his kitchen, and not getting back home until late each night. But I've told him I want a night off tonight so I'll take a look and take photos.

To clarify - we never use the pull cord switch, we just keep the shower constantly switched on. We used to, until about a year ago when an electrician friend of my OH's advised that we just keep it on all the time as the cost was negligible and the constant pulling on it would damage it. And when the shower cuts out the lights on the shower's unit go out, as does the red light of the isolator switch, until about a minute or so when the unit starts beeping every 10 seconds for about 4 times and then the red isolator switch lights back up, as does the blue Power button, and we can start it again.

I have become very adept at speed showering.

We have sent a text to the OH's electrician mate to come take a look at it, but so far we haven't heard back. Should we just resort to using a bucket to wash in and leave the shower alone? Unfortunately we don't have a bath

 

[Taylortwocities]

The indicator on the switch is on the supply side, so if that goes out you have a problem somewhere in the switch, or somewhere nearer or in the consumer unit.
You need to take some time to help yourself in finding out what is going on, or get an electrician in.

 

[stillp]

Tiling your OH's kitchen won't stop your property from catching fire. Finding and fixing the loose connection in your shower circuit just might.