Please help! 16 amp in line RCD with overheat protection??

[BintyandtheBeast]

Hi guys,

We have a German made shower; the kind which is all enclosed and has lots of jets, steam, radio, etc. The problem we have is that when it was installed the electrician that installed it thought it would be a good idea to cut the cable and remove the 16 amp in line RCD and the european 2 prong plug as it has been wired straight in to a dedicated RCD unit. After cutting it out, he discovers that there are 4 flex cables going in and 3 coming back out:

From the RCD to the 2 prong plug: Earth, Neutral, Live (all 2.5mm and pretty normal), but...

From the shower to the RCD: Earth, Neutral, Live (all standard 2.5mm), and a 1mm black flex which provides overheat protection and obviously terminates within the RCD at the PCB.

The RCD was simply wired together again using 20 amp connector blocks, and for the past 2 years, worked fine. However, a couple of weeks ago, we had some more workmen in as we're renovating the house and one of them managed to accidentally tug the cable and we've had problems with it since. We've had it rewired at the connector blocks, but the problem is coming from within the RCD, the slightest movement and it cuts out. Basically, we paid a small fortune to get this shower brought over, and our bathroom was built around it, so I need to get this thing fixed!

What I'm looking for is someone that can advise me where I can get an inline RCD capable of having 4 incoming cables and only 3 outgoing, with overheat protection built in. I'm grateful for any help and advice from any members, as I think I've spoken to every local electrician and nobody can/will help!

Thanks, Stephen (The Beast)

 

[JohnD]

sounds very unusual. I suggest you contact the shower manufacturer.

If the shower was only supplied with a 2-pin plug this is not acceptable in the UK so your installer was not wrong to cut it off.

You say it is 16Amp so obviously not an Electric shower, does this supply the pump and lights?

How do you know the extra wire is for overheat? What is it connected to?

Can you post some pics of the device, showing terminals and maker's identification?
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=129539

 

[BintyandtheBeast]

That was the bit I forgot to mention.....the manufacturer went bust! They are/were called De-Sanita. Also, yes, the power supplies the steam, lights, etc. There's no pump as it runs off my 40kw combi boiler.

I had an electrical wiring diagram which showed the 1mm black cable runs from the steam pump direct to the in-line RCD as the thermal overheat cut-out, but true to form, this has gone missing. I have searched all afternoon for this, but had no luck.

I will borrow a digital camera and post a pic shortly of the RCD, but I have a pic of the shower below.

Untitled

• BintyandtheBeast
• 10 May 2008
• 1

Untitled

• BintyandtheBeast
• 10 May 2008
• 1