Shower fire revisited

[RF Lighting]

It is not nonsense. It is frequent and people should care if the errors are dangerous like this one you will have seen before.

Please provide any other example of a manufacturers instructions being incorrect. If it is a frequent occurrence as you say it is, I’m sure this will be a simple task for you.

 

[333rocky333]

The shower that caught fire was apparently about 1/2 hour after use, the wall mounted isolater was left on like the owner always does.
The shower is on the mezz level and the manager was upstairs with his family and children.
Luckily a tenant also lived on the mezz level and noticed it, the shower room had a wooden ceiling, whether the fire could have got to igniting that who knows, it appeared contained mainly within the unit and the front casing barely damaged, so i doubt it.
I assume though, if the isolater was used nightly, then this would not have happened.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sho...l4j69i60l3.10514j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[winston1]

Please provide any other example of a manufacturers instructions being incorrect. If it is a frequent occurrence as you say it is, I’m sure this will be a simple task for you.

I have done. Saying that the shower isolator should be used after every shower is wrong.

 

[333rocky333]

It is not nonsense. It is frequent and people should care if the errors are dangerous like this one you will have seen before.

I see that on another site, geezer called George uses that

 

[winston1]

I see that on another site, geezer called George uses that

He probably copied it from here.

 

[RF Lighting]

I have done. Saying that the shower isolator should be used after every shower is wrong.

No that’s not an example that’s just you saying things again and we all know how you like to make things up.

Provide one actual example.

 

[RF Lighting]

The shower that caught fire was apparently about 1/2 hour after use, the wall mounted isolater was left on like the owner always does.
The shower is on the mezz level and the manager was upstairs with his family and children.
Luckily a tenant also lived on the mezz level and noticed it, the shower room had a wooden ceiling, whether the fire could have got to igniting that who knows, it appeared contained mainly within the unit and the front casing barely damaged, so i doubt it.
I assume though, if the isolater was used nightly, then this would not have happened.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sho...l4j69i60l3.10514j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

If only the home owners had followed the manufactures instructions and switched off the isolator...

 

[EFLImpudence]

A problem with shower isolators is people will insist on turning them on and off every time they use the shower instead of say twice a year when they go on holiday. This is not helped by shower manufacturers incorrectly saying they should do this.

You will note that they are actually called switches and are stated as suitable for isolation (i.e. separation distance).
https://www.screwfix.com/p/crabtree-50a-1-way-pull-cord-switch-white/90597

Are you saying that the manufacturers should make switches that they think should not be operated?
It would indeed be strange for the manufacturers to state 'do not use more than twice a year'.

Switches are for turning on and off whenever you want.

 

[JohnW2]

Through the airing cupboard floor to ceiling, into the loft, through the isolator and a drop down the wall to the shower.

I was talking/thinking of a situation in which it would be difficult, maybe very difficult, to bring a feed to the shower down from above.

Some clever clogs (who presumably believed in shower isolators) has attempted to address this issue in the house of a family member of mine. The bathroom is immediately above the kitchen, and he/she has taken the feed down the bathroom wall into the kitchen, and has installed a 'shower isolator' on the kitchen wall. The main problem with that is that anyone who is, naked and wet, running away from a burning shower in the bathroom would have to pass the CU (in the hall) in order to get to the shower isolator in the kitchen

Kind Regards, John

 

[RF Lighting]

I was talking/thinking of a situation in which it would be difficult, maybe very difficult, to bring a feed to the shower down from above.

I think not bothering to do something because it’s difficult is the definition of laziness!

I used to work for a company wiring disabled bathroom conversions, and I was installing on average 3 showers a week. I’ve never yet met a property where it wasn’t possible.

 

[JohnW2]

I think not bothering to do something because it’s difficult is the definition of laziness!

That would probably be true if you were doing the work for yourself. It might also be true if you were working for a customer, but were prepared to do all the necessary additional work/time (and perhaps all the additional 'making good') involved in the 'more difficult' job without charge.

However, I suspect that we're not talking about either of those situations and, in others, avoiding a course which could involve a customer in appreciably more cost (and maybe more disruption) does not (at least, in my book) necessarily amount to 'laziness'.

I used to work for a company wiring disabled bathroom conversions, and I was installing on average 3 showers a week. I’ve never yet met a property where it wasn’t possible.

Very little is 'impossible' but, as above, the 'more difficult' can be much more time-consuming, and hence much more costly.

What if, for example, that which is above the bathroom is not the loft which you postulated but, rather, a separate dwelling, particularly if what separated the two dwellings was a concrete slab?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Vicario]

I must admit that we switch off after every shower (Mira Sport). The manufacturer's booklet says to do this so what would my insurer say if there was a fire? I like the idea that there is no electricity coming into the bathroom apart from the lights. We do have the shower on a sub-main with 10mm cable and an RCD of course. Would it be a good idea to fit a new switch just in case after 14 years of doing this?

 

[securespark]

What if, for example, that which is above the bathroom is not the loft which you postulated but, rather, a separate dwelling, particularly if what separated the two dwellings was a concrete slab?

Then at least you'd have a fire break if the shower unit went up in smoke!

 

[securespark]

I have to say, I'm in agreement with RF here.

An isolator is a no-brainer. An easy to reach DP means of isolation that will result in minimum inconvenience to other users of the installation if deployed.

Also, WRT failed switches, I have not knowingly had a DP switch failure due to a poor connection in any of my installations.

The key is to use good quality gear.
Two of my favourites were Click, as they had two screws per terminal, and the round Crabtree pull cord isolator, which was absolutely bomb-proof.
Some MK stuff also doubled up on the terminal screws.

 

[bernardgreen]

Would it be a good idea to fit a new switch just in case after 14 years of doing this?

If you switch OFF at the shower before operating the isolator then the isolator is not switching any current and there will be very little wear on the contacts.

Unless the isolator is showing signs / sounds of mechanical wear then probably no need to change it. ( but maybe have a new one to hand just in case )