Shower isolator.

[SUNRAY]

We went away for holiday and turned off everything apart from ...

Did you think to turn this off too?

Reason I ask is a colleage went out on a job yesterday as the customer came home from their 3 week holiday to find water running in the shower. Their solution was to pull the cord and call electrician out. He arrived, pulled cord and water started running so reached in to turn the shower heaters knob to off but it was already off and turning through all positions only lit the high power light. Pulling the cord stopped water again. Luckily the water all went down the drain and not spill over the open cubicle.

By chance they had read their gas, electric and water meters a month before, water had gone up about 300m³ and electric about 3500KWh.

It seems the plastic switch moulding had broken.


I know we've had this discussion before but when will people remember to switch these things off when not in use? Isolators are there for a reason, not just for show.

 

[winston1]

I know we've had this discussion before but when will people remember to switch these things off when not in use? Isolators are there for a reason, not just for show.

No that is NOT what they are for. The regs don’t even require you to have one. Having said that if you have one switching it off when you go on holiday is sensible and would have prevented the above scenario.

 

[SUNRAY]

No that is NOT what they are for. The regs don’t even require you to have one. Having said that if you have one switching it off when you go on holiday is sensible and would have prevented the above scenario.

AFAIC they are there to provide isolation... so that's what I do when it's not in use. It makes perfect sense to me and prevents wasting energy.

 

[CBW]

Having said that if you have one switching it off when you go on holiday is sensible and would have prevented the above scenario.

As would turning the water off.

@SUNRAY - you may be aware, some showers come on with pull cord to purge, but when ribbon cable is disconnected internally.

 

[SUNRAY]

As would turning the water off.

I recall one of the older models without a solenoid valve was prone to the pressure switch welding and the heat continueing after the water was switched off which boiled the heater dry then burnt out. The name Gainsborough comes to mind but not sure.

 

[winston1]

AFAIC they are there to provide isolation... so that's what I do when it's not in use. It makes perfect sense to me and prevents wasting energy.

Do you have and use a separate isolator for all your light switches as well?

A local shower isolator is not required by the regs. You can isolate at the CU for maintenance and holidays.

 

[bernardgreen]

Do you have and use a separate isolator for all your light switches as well?

A light switch that has failed in the ON position just means that a lamp will be on until the switch can be replaced,

A shower switch that has failed in the ON position is a totally different matter,

You can isolate at the CU for maintenance and holidays.

Yes the house owner can turn OFF at the consumer unit, that is assuming the consumer unit is accessible and is clearly labelled as to which MCB (or fuse) supplies the shower.

Turning OFF at the consumer unit is NOT isolation if the Neutral is still connected

A local shower isolator is not required by the regs.

How many times have you pointed out things that are ( in your opinion ) errors or omissions in the regulations. Maybe not requiring a local shower isolator is a genuine omission.

 

[chivers67]

I dislike those pull cord isolators they are often a bit difficult to get a 10mm cable in the terminals and then push back into & screw into place. The crabtree version is better but looks a bit sh1t. I'd much rather use a rotary version in a cupboard or something similar. I'd always have an isolator though!

 

[SUNRAY]

Do you have and use a separate isolator for all your light switches as well?

Don't be so ruddy pathetic winston.
I recently made this reply in a completely different thread

No I don't believe you are asking stupid questions, how can it be stupid if you don't already know the answer.

Suddenly I find i'm seeing just the situation I envisaged when I wrote that.
And of course that quote went on to include:

Stupid answers are of course possible and sadly we see them on here.

But just in case there is a tiniest glimmer of a chance the question is genuine; no of course I don't have individual isolators for my light switches, but then I don't consider a device capable of consuming hundreds of kilowatthours and passing (wasting in a time of national drought) tens of thousands of gallons of valuable drinking water and therefore potentially destroying a home by flooding during a holiday to be comparable with a lamp bulb.

A local shower isolator is not required by the regs. You can isolate at the CU for maintenance and holidays.

No indeed not, the regs do not require the fitting of a shower isolator, but then of course neither do they require the fitting of a light switch for every light (or group of), or sockets for power circuits, or as you keep pointing out fuses as the manufacturers ar supposed to supply them. The list goes on ad infinitum. But I imagine you have all of those things in your home and don't question their requirement.
I'd like to say grow up winston, and I will do. EDIT; but I expect it oversteps the mark for mods and apologise to them in advance

 

[SUNRAY]

I dislike those pull cord isolators they are often a bit difficult to get a 10mm cable in the terminals and then push back into & screw into place. The crabtree version is better but looks a bit sh1t. I'd much rather use a rotary version in a cupboard or something similar. I'd always have an isolator though!

One of my 'trademarks' is cut a hole in the ceiling for a plasterboard box and in the back of an adaptable box (I prefer a 6x4x4"), place it on top of the ceiling so the holes line up, remove the back from a plasterboard box and fit. I then have a big box to take the large cables with a lot more ease than a patress box.
I've seen something similar done with these devices:

But I've usually seen them when I make the repairs.

 

[CBW]

I recall one of the older models without a solenoid valve was prone to the pressure switch welding and the heat continueing after the water was switched off which boiled the heater dry then burnt out. The name Gainsborough comes to mind but not sure.

Not sure myself, but wouldn’t surprise me, and good to know.

 

[SUNRAY]

Not sure myself, but wouldn’t surprise me, and good to know.

The covers used to make good 'component trays as they wer almost smooth inside and no holes.

 

[flameport]

The solution - don't install electric showers.
They are a last resort choice, only to be considered when there is absolutely no other option.

 

[winston1]

The solution - don't install electric showers.
They are a last resort choice, only to be considered when there is absolutely no other option.

Agreed. Even a standard shower and a separate separate instant water heater is preferable.

 

[winston1]

Don't be so ruddy pathetic winston.
I recently made this reply in a completely different thread

Suddenly I find i'm seeing just the situation I envisaged when I wrote that.
And of course that quote went on to include:



But just in case there is a tiniest glimmer of a chance the question is genuine; no of course I don't have individual isolators for my light switches, but then I don't consider a device capable of consuming hundreds of kilowatthours and passing (wasting in a time of national drought) tens of thousands of gallons of valuable drinking water and therefore potentially destroying a home by flooding during a holiday to be comparable with a lamp bulb.

Well he didn’t get the flooding did he? I guess he has a drain! And, of course if he had switched off the shower MCB no water would have been wasted.