hello just a quick question, i bought a shower in the week it was 10.5 kw, the old shower we had was already in the house when we bought and i am presuming it was no more than a 8.5 kw, i paid a plumber 80 quid to put it in, it worked fine when he left but hubby had a shower and it switched itself off. We have replaced the shower switch, and found that the 45 amp fuse (enclosed one) mustve blown cos when we changed it the shower is now working. My stepdad has been for a visit and is convinced we have to get an electrician out to look at it because the plumber didnt change the cable we think the current cable is a 6mm is this ok to use, or do we need to get an electrician out to replace it. Very scared to use the shower at the moment as we have 2 small children, what do u guys think, and if the cable needs replacing how much do u think an electrician will charge us, thanks for any replies
had a shower fitted is this safe!
- Thread starter pumpkinsoup
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ok thank u for that so we obviously need to get it done, any idea on the cost, also the plumber shouldve known we needed a new cable so am i within my rights to ask for a refund ??
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no the plumber was a friend of the family, i wouldnt have minded if he had said the cable needed replacing because i wouldve just gone and exchanged the shower, but he didnt mention anything just put it in, so so far im £230 quid down with a shower i cant either use or exchange.
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Well looks like you will be down a lot further very shortly!
In other words you need a qualified electrician. Cost of running a new 10mm² cable depends on how far and how easy to run back to your consumer unit (fuse board). Other option is to change the shower for another less than 10kW, though it sounds like you need a proper sparks to look at the whole installation.
What kind of fuse board/consumer unit do you have? (when you say you changed the 45A 'enclosed' fuse, did you rewire it or change a cartridge?). This will also determine the maximum shower rating you can have on a particular cable size. So will the method of installation (is cable run in trunking/conduit or through insulating material? Or is it clipped to wall / run under floorboards?)
Do you have RCD protection for that circuit? If not, it's necessary.
So as you see, it's not such a simple matter (and for good reason!)
What kind of fuse board/consumer unit do you have? (when you say you changed the 45A 'enclosed' fuse, did you rewire it or change a cartridge?). This will also determine the maximum shower rating you can have on a particular cable size. So will the method of installation (is cable run in trunking/conduit or through insulating material? Or is it clipped to wall / run under floorboards?)
Do you have RCD protection for that circuit? If not, it's necessary.
So as you see, it's not such a simple matter (and for good reason!)
6mm takes 47A if it's clipped direct.. if it runs through any insulation this value is de-rated..
a 10.5Kw shower takes between 43-46A.. best to get the cable size changed as it's not good to operate that close to it's limits..
like for like swaps are not notifiable, so changing the shower doesn't some under part P, but changing the cable does..
a 10.5Kw shower takes between 43-46A.. best to get the cable size changed as it's not good to operate that close to it's limits..
like for like swaps are not notifiable, so changing the shower doesn't some under part P, but changing the cable does..
In other words you need a qualified electrician. Cost of running a new 10mm² cable depends on how far and how easy to run back to your consumer unit (fuse board). Other option is to change the shower for another less than 10kW, though it sounds like you need a proper sparks to look at the whole installation.
What kind of fuse board/consumer unit do you have? (when you say you changed the 45A 'enclosed' fuse, did you rewire it or change a cartridge?). This will also determine the maximum shower rating you can have on a particular cable size. So will the method of installation (is cable run in trunking/conduit or through insulating material? Or is it clipped to wall / run under floorboards?)
Do you have RCD protection for that circuit? If not, it's necessary.
So as you see, it's not such a simple matter (and for good reason!)
we changed a cartridge,our fuse box is very old not sure what it is but it basically looks like dice!! and was told recently by a man who fitted an electric meter that it needs replacing. Cable is run through the wall, and i dont think we have any RCD protection. This is turning into a nightmare from hell.
As nobody else has mentioned it i thought i better had. 10mm twin and earth is not rated up to 60amps as suggested by ezekiel, maximum i believe is 53amps so don't ever protect a 10mm twin and earth cable with a protective device any higher than 50amps!
Like cars (and everything else), houses need money spent on them from time to time Your primary concern is, quite rightly, safety. Think of the long term and consider upgrading your cartridge fuse board (it's only one step on from a really old rewirable fuse-board) to a modern MCB consumer unit with RCD protection. This will also give you and your family protection from electric shock elsewhere in your house (and garden?).
The plumber shouldn't have fitted a more powerful shower on that circuit. His mistake, and he should really foot that bill. You could of course go back to the same rating of shower you had before, on the existing cable, but perhaps it's time to bite the bullet and bring your installation into the 21st century?
Hope I don't sound too patronising!
Your primary concern is, quite rightly, safety. Think of the long term and consider upgrading your cartridge fuse board (it's only one step on from a really old rewirable fuse-board) to a modern MCB consumer unit with RCD protection. This will also give you and your family protection from electric shock elsewhere in your house (and garden?). The plumber shouldn't have fitted a more powerful shower on that circuit. His mistake, and he should really foot that bill. You could of course go back to the same rating of shower you had before, on the existing cable, but perhaps it's time to bite the bullet and bring your installation into the 21st century?
Hope I don't sound too patronising!
no u dont sound patronising at all lol its something that we knew needed doing. I am now thinking our fuseboard is of the older variety as there was only one cartridge the rest is wires. Leading to my next question whats the average cost for a new fuseboard including the fitting, and i guess im waving goodbye to that new plasma tv i had my eye onLike cars (and everything else), houses need money spent on them from time to time
The plumber shouldn't have fitted a more powerful shower on that circuit. His mistake, and he should really foot that bill. You could of course go back to the same rating of shower you had before, on the existing cable, but perhaps it's time to bite the bullet and bring your installation into the 21st century?
Hope I don't sound too patronising!
Unfortunately, pumpkin, you may well need to do more than upgrade your fusebox.
Basic cost for replacing it will be about £100-150 for materials, and a day's labour (250-300? unsure on this, and depends where you live).
A spark that claims to be able to change it in 2 hours can shove his quote. Before and after changing the fusebox, the circuits need testing as their characteristics will have changed, and they need to be suitable for the new protective devices.
One electrician on this forum claims to have taken 2 days to replace a fuse box. But he does very neat work.
Also bear in mind, the main and supplementary bonding may need updating - this is a job you can do yourself if you feel up to it.
Basic cost for replacing it will be about £100-150 for materials, and a day's labour (250-300? unsure on this, and depends where you live).
A spark that claims to be able to change it in 2 hours can shove his quote.
Before and after changing the fusebox, the circuits need testing as their characteristics will have changed, and they need to be suitable for the new protective devices. One electrician on this forum claims to have taken 2 days to replace a fuse box. But he does very neat work.
Also bear in mind, the main and supplementary bonding may need updating - this is a job you can do yourself if you feel up to it.
Ah, how I love being the bearer of good tidings (I wish!)...
A new consumer unit with RCD protection is quite cheap (say £50-£80), and fitting it just takes a few hours (say £100-£150), but here's the thing.... the regulations require that your whole installation (all your circuits) are tested before reconnecting them to the new board. And you have to have earth bonding to gas/water services if it's not already there, etc, etc. (all for your own safety, ultimately).
So you see, there's good news (shiny new consumer unit with easy-to reset MCBs, better overload protection, electric shock protection on selected circuits, confirmation that all circuits in the house are good, or if not, it's just as well to know...but the bad news may be that you need to sort some problems you didn't know were there (but it's not that likely).
If all the circuits test OK, then the actual testing should only take a few hours, depending on the size of your house/flat. So, at best, you might be talking about £250-£300 (not including replacing your shower cable). At worst...well, I won't go there!
A new consumer unit with RCD protection is quite cheap (say £50-£80), and fitting it just takes a few hours (say £100-£150), but here's the thing.... the regulations require that your whole installation (all your circuits) are tested before reconnecting them to the new board. And you have to have earth bonding to gas/water services if it's not already there, etc, etc. (all for your own safety, ultimately).
So you see, there's good news (shiny new consumer unit with easy-to reset MCBs, better overload protection, electric shock protection on selected circuits, confirmation that all circuits in the house are good, or if not, it's just as well to know...but the bad news may be that you need to sort some problems you didn't know were there (but it's not that likely).
If all the circuits test OK, then the actual testing should only take a few hours, depending on the size of your house/flat. So, at best, you might be talking about £250-£300 (not including replacing your shower cable). At worst...well, I won't go there!
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