Old shower issues

[Pearster]

Hi all,

I was wondering if I'm barking up the right tree when I'm trying to analyse a shower issue in my new house and any help I could be provided with would be great.

I moved into a new house 6 months ago and about 5 months afterwards my shower stopped working, rather than looking at it properly I just went out and purchased a new shower (didn't like the current one, but still tut tut), when looking at installing the new one I started looking at the electrics and realised there was no light on the isolating switch, ah ha the fuse has blown, what I saw then started to concern me, I have a 15Amp fuse blown in the CU and it looks like a 15Amp fuse wire had been doubled up through the block, would that have made it a 30Amp fuse?

Anyway as I was following the cable that comes from the shower I noticed the worst bit of cabling I have ever seen, the cable I think comes from the fuse box and goes into a junction box, the earth cable doesn't enter that box but is instead tied to 2 earth cables from the outgoing cables, one of which goes to a shaver point and the other goes to the isolating switch on the shower.

The question is I suppose, does what I say make sense from the fact that it would have worked even if it is done completely wrong? Also am I up the swanny with installing my new shower, I can happily install an RCD and redo the cabling but all I have is a 15Amp fuse block unused.

Sorry didn't mean this to be so long and if I don't get a response I wouldn't blame anyone for not reading it all.

Thanks

 

[dingbat]

Pearster, that sounds truly dreadful and all-too familiar.

It needs rewiring properly, with appropriate protection for the cable and for yourself. Although the regulations do not specify it, few electricians would wire in a shower without using an RCD. We also intensely dislike rewireable fuses for the very reason you've described - their openness to abuse - so a dedicated shower consumer unit is advisable.

The shaver socket should be suppied via the lighting circuit, by the way and the shower supply should only supply the shower.

Now for the bad news. This is notifiable work under the Building Regulations and, given your question, one that you probably do not have the knowledge, tools or test equipment to carry out correctly. I suggest you get in two or three local, registered, electricians to quote for the job.

 

[JohnD]

You might also think about having a full-size consumer unit fitted, not just a baby one for the shower. I suspect you have a 40-year old brown fusebox, so sooner or later (preferably sooner) the whole thing will want replacing, the condition of your other wiring is unknown.

When phoning round electricians, be sure to ask if they are a member of a self-certification scheme; and which one; and will they be issuing you with a certificate for their installation (the correct answer is "yes")

 

[Pearster]

Thanks for the quick response and the information as well as confirming my thoughts that it has been done terribly. I will do as you suggested just one other question how can I make sure that the electrician I get will do it properly (certificates etc).

Cheers very much.

 

[JohnD]

An electrician who is a member of a scheme will proudly say so on his van, his business card and his quotation.

NICEIC (?sp?) is not the only scheme, but here's an example: http://www.niceic.org.uk/common/contractor_search.html

 

[dingbat]

As John D has said, make sure they are members of a self-cert scheme. The mains ones are NICEIC, NAPIT and Elecsa - if you use the classified ads, look out for electricians using phrases such as 'Part P registered'.

 

[Pearster]

Thanks all. This forumn is really handy.