Pressure Relief Device Triggered

[Hedgehog1]

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.

 

[giblets]

The PRD is a safety device - do not block it off!

Just 'cos the shower head from B&Q is "compatible" with electric showers does not mean that it is. I suggest you check with Gainsborough to see what they have to say about it. I suspect the "pulse" feature is causing the PRD to fail.

Electric showers are designed to work with the head/hose supplied in the kit. I have replaced numerous PRD's 'cos folk have changed the head with a B&Q model which gives a different flow rate to that required by the manufacturers.

 

[namsag]

in the Gainsborough book it says only use head and hose supplied, the prd on these jump out far to easy, any restriction at all out it pops. Never had this prob with any other shower make . Focus where selling them off for £45 must have got fed up ith people taking them back.

 

[Hedgehog1]

Hi Giblets,

Knowing the bold type convention means emphasis/shouting I'll definitley heed your advice and will NOT block off the PRD.

I am absolutely sure that the pulse feature triggered the PRD as it happened as soon as I rotated the head setting to pulse. I've put the original head back on.

Hi Namsag.

Yup, you're right. The manual does say that the shower should only be used with the supplied head and hose. I read this before going to B & Q (er, actually it was Homebase) and now wish I'd not bothered buying a new adjustable head.

I've now got a shower I'm not satisfied with and a head I can't use. That's £67 for the shower and £10 for the head. My girlfriend reckons I can't return them becasue they're now used. I'm not at all happy with the situation...

 

[gas4you]

Take the shower back and say it is faulty, get a credit towards a better one Just put up with losing a tenner on the head

 

[Hedgehog1]

Dave,

Sounds like a good idea. Potentially I could use the variable head on a new electric shower. More likely not though...

I'll have a look on this forum and see which showers are recommended. I don't fancy paying heavy money for a product that seems fatally flawed.

I'll do some research on showers.

Many thanks.

Hedgehog.

 

[WillingToLearnAndTeach]

Hi,
The Pressure Relief Device on my Triton Jade 2 (8.5KW) electric shower has been triggered somehow. I haven't changed anything but have recently noticed water flowing from the bottom left hand side of the shower unit where the PRD is located. This happens whenever the shower is in use.

Do you know if the PRD is to blame and how easy it is to replace it with this one?:-
http://www.showerspares.com/products/spare_parts/triton_jade_ii_electric_shower

Any helpful tips about how to replace the PRD will be great (assuming it is the cause of the water flow).