I have just recently replaced a Gainsborough Regent II (7.2 KW) with a Gainsborough 9.5E (9.5 KW) electric shower. I’ve used the existing installation (plumbed into the cold water mains and uses 6mm cable with a 30amp fuse. The cable run is 8 metres and has a double pole isolating switch). The electrician is coming around this week to upgrade the cable to 10mm - and I expect he will replace the fuse with a 45amp.
The flow is no better than the previous 7.2 KW model. I then swapped the shower head on the 9.5 KW model for an adjustable head (bought from B & Q for £10 and compatible with electric showers). The new head is adjustable giving a much more invigorating pulse type spray. The pressure relief device (PRD) triggered and water started coming out of the back of the shower. Great!
I’d never even heard of a PRD until a few days ago. Fortunately, it was easy to reset, as it’s just a tiny rubber ball that needed reseating in the outlet pipe. My questions:
1. Is there any way that I can use the new adjustable shower head on the new Gainsborough? Blocking off the PRD outlet springs to mind, but that sounds potentially dangerous as that would stop the PRD operating. I’d be tempted to consider it though if anyone else has done this on the same model without problems.
2. How long have these PRDs been around? My old Gainsborough Regent II (7.2 KW) model lasted from 1994 to 2007 and not once did it leak at the back. Perhaps due to the age of the model (production stopped in 1993 or 1994) it did not have a PRD. This brings me back to question 1, and just blocking up the PRD outlet if a PRD isn’t absolutely necessary. Hmmm….?
I’ve searched for hours on this forum and google and it seems that the PRD is a cause of misery for many electric shower owners. I’ll never own an electric shower again.
Cheers,
Hedgehog.
The flow is no better than the previous 7.2 KW model. I then swapped the shower head on the 9.5 KW model for an adjustable head (bought from B & Q for £10 and compatible with electric showers). The new head is adjustable giving a much more invigorating pulse type spray. The pressure relief device (PRD) triggered and water started coming out of the back of the shower. Great!
I’d never even heard of a PRD until a few days ago. Fortunately, it was easy to reset, as it’s just a tiny rubber ball that needed reseating in the outlet pipe. My questions:
1. Is there any way that I can use the new adjustable shower head on the new Gainsborough? Blocking off the PRD outlet springs to mind, but that sounds potentially dangerous as that would stop the PRD operating. I’d be tempted to consider it though if anyone else has done this on the same model without problems.
2. How long have these PRDs been around? My old Gainsborough Regent II (7.2 KW) model lasted from 1994 to 2007 and not once did it leak at the back. Perhaps due to the age of the model (production stopped in 1993 or 1994) it did not have a PRD. This brings me back to question 1, and just blocking up the PRD outlet if a PRD isn’t absolutely necessary. Hmmm….?
I’ve searched for hours on this forum and google and it seems that the PRD is a cause of misery for many electric shower owners. I’ll never own an electric shower again.
Cheers,
Hedgehog.