What are these switches?

[Sahag]

: we have recently moved home and had some electrical work done. since then our shower has lost water pressure. i looked in the airing cupboard today and noticed these two switches. i turned them on and noticed that the shower was more powerful. im guessing one switch is a pump not not sure what the other is. grateful for any advice. I'm wondering if the electrician turned them off .many thanks

Read more: https://www.diynot.com/diy/forums/plumbing/add-thread#ixzz4s5LBh4C2

 

[EAST61]

One them is probably an immersion heater for your cylinder

 

[terryplumb]

the lower switch appears to feed the immersion heater ,follow the cable ,I think it goes to the top of the hot water cylinder ,which is where the immersion heater connections are. the switch above looks as though it had a cable ( which is now hanging down with exposed conductors ) once connected to it. can't tell what that switch supplies ,if anything. why not ask the electrician ? what type of shower do you have ?

 

[stem]

From what you describe, it sounds as if you have a power shower. One that utilises a booster pump to increase the water pressure. It is very common for an installer to connect the shower pump to an existing immersion heater circuit and it would look like the photo you have posted. If this is the case, it's easy to test. With the top FCU switched on, run the shower so that the pump operates, then switch off the top FCU if the pump stops, you have your answer.

The other box at the right hand side looks to me like an RCD installed as an additional safety measure against electric shock, but I can't see it clearly enough to be sure.

As to whether / why the electrician turned them off, only he will know, so ask him. In any case, if you have a boiler that provides hot water, and the wire leaving the bottom switch does go to an immersion heater, it should be turned off anyway.

 

[Sahag]

From what you describe, it sounds as if you have a power shower. One that utilises a booster pump to increase the water pressure. It is very common for an installer to connect the shower pump to an existing immersion heater circuit and it would look like the photo you have posted. If this is the case, it's easy to test. With the top FCU switched on, run the shower so that the pump operates, then switch off the top FCU if the pump stops, you have your answer.

The other box at the right hand side looks to me like an RCD installed as an additional safety measure against electric shock, but I can't see it clearly enough to be sure.

As to whether / why the electrician turned them off, only he will know, so ask him. In any case, if you have a boiler that provides hot water, and the wire leaving the bottom switch does go to an immersion heater, it should be turned off anyway.

Thank you. I've contacted the electrician and he did turn the switch off. The top one must be the pump as the shower pressure decreases when I switch it off. I've left the bottom one off, and yes I guessed the box on the right may be something to do with shock because it says earthing