It is not even necessary to replace your cable. Why are you doing this? Waste of money. Waste of time. Waste of the worlds valuable resources of copper.
Replacement Cable for Electric Shower
- Thread starter imroberts
- Start date
It is not even necessary to replace your cable. Why are you doing this? Waste of money. Waste of time. Waste of the worlds valuable resources of copper.
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As long as the cable calculations confirm that 6mm² is adequate for the current system [I have to mention a 10.5KW and 45A MCB is only just suitable] then I have to agree with Winston.
However what are the chances the shower could be upgraded? If this is likely then at you [OP] say, this is a good time to be pulling in the new cable while the house is in bits.
"Only just" is not a valid option. It either is or is not suitable and it is.
Apart from which:
Right, so it is suitable.
This is already an upgrade, so nil?
I'd forgotten an upgrade is part of this enquiry. but it's becomming increasingly common to fit 11 & 12KW shower units and on that point I have to agree with what Winston would say about waste. If a bigger unit were to be considered 6mm² would not be suitable.
I agree that most powers are quoted at 240V and usually also at 220V however a lot of imported good are quoted at 220-230V and a 9.6-10.5KW suddenly becomes 11.4KW or 47.5A at 240V [or 48.6A at the 245V that used to be the norm at my home] and at that point a 6mm² is not suitable.
These things are not always as clearcut as the assumptions we make.
Additionally some of the ratings quoted in MI's leave a lot to be desired, one water heater I dealt with recently [not a shower] was:
220-240V, 5.4-6.7KW, 23.4-30.5A. plus a destrat pump rated at 230V, 135W. If omitted the even more confusing 3ph rating.
My instant reaction without doing any calcs told me those figures don't work together even trying to account for the reactance of the pump.
I agree that most powers are quoted at 240V and usually also at 220V however a lot of imported good are quoted at 220-230V and a 9.6-10.5KW suddenly becomes 11.4KW or 47.5A at 240V [or 48.6A at the 245V that used to be the norm at my home] and at that point a 6mm² is not suitable.
These things are not always as clearcut as the assumptions we make.
Additionally some of the ratings quoted in MI's leave a lot to be desired, one water heater I dealt with recently [not a shower] was:
220-240V, 5.4-6.7KW, 23.4-30.5A. plus a destrat pump rated at 230V, 135W. If omitted the even more confusing 3ph rating.
My instant reaction without doing any calcs told me those figures don't work together even trying to account for the reactance of the pump.
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How much bigger are showers going to go? I have a shower in a second home, it has been there a long time and is rated at 6kW on a 32 amp MCB. It seems quite adequate, in fact in summer I have to select low power, whatever that is.
Indeed - even if one does "do the calcs", in all sorts of senses those figures do not 'work together'!
Kind Regards, John
I agree, our first was 7KW and the only control was the tap feeding it. Internally there were 2 elements of roughly 2:1 power so say 4.5 & 2.5 KW. in the summer we used to disconnect the smaller element else it was too hot for the water flow we had. Currently we have 10.5KW and I doubt it has ever been on the hot setting. One of our neighbours has a 12KW and the jet of 'steam' coming from the extractor fan is amusing as are their constant complaints of condensation in the house.
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