Electric shower

No 2 son has just bought a small semi.

Daughter in law had one shower and the shower has not worked since. It's a Triton T70si.

The shower ceiling power switch was diagnosed by an electrician as faulty. Son replaced switch and now there is power at the terminals inside the shower unit, but still no action. There is a green excrescence on an internal pipe, the thermal cut out seems to be open circuit and a wire leading to the main element has fried insulation.

I looked up and all sorts of places like Screwfix sell more recent Triton showers that look as if they would fit in the same place with little work.

However, the main fuse feeding the shower was a 30A cartridge, which according to the chart on the Triton instructions means it should be a

7kW shower. Argos, Screwfix et al only seem to stock showers of 8.5 kW and up.

I've looked at all the installation this afternoon. The incoming utility fuse is labelled 60A. The consumer unit says 80A max and lists fuse sizes, the maximum being 30A. The label inside the failed shower says it is 7.4/8.0kW. Triton's chart says 7kW = 30A fuse, 7.5kW = 35A fuse, 8.5kW (which is readily available) = 45A.

She's a good cook, so 45A shower + 30A cooker seems pushing it a bit.

I haven't checked the shower cable size, but can do this. It's pretty substantial cable.

Obviously, the correct answer would be to replace the consumer unit with a modern RCD/MCB version and get the supply uprated, but I wonder if anyone can recommend a 7kW shower unit that might be reliable and produce more than a dribble.

He has little money, of course, so any alternative suggestions would be welcomed. His hot water cylinder is the smallest any of us have ever seen, so baths are a bit critical.

Reply to
Bill
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There's only a certain amount of hot water that a relatively low power shower can produce, of course. Ye cannae change the laws of physics, Cap'n.

A quick google only finds one

Reply to
Adrian

There's a wonderful concept called diversity that basically means you don't add up maximum loads the way you have.

I imagine the experts will want to know the cable size to the shower and how it is routed.

Reply to
Graham.

You may be able to get spare parts... e.g.:

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Sounds like something failed in a reasonably big way and took out the switch with it.

Is the main element open circuit as well?

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Worth actually measuring the supply voltage, to get a feel for the likely real power.

Seems unlikely that she will be showering and pushing the cooker flat out for long at the same time. Even then 75A on a 60A fuse is not going to bother it at all.

Compare with the expected dimensions in the table:

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The amount of water produced per kW is down to the laws of physics rather than anything the shower maker can do.

There is a table of expected flow rates Vs power input here:

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I fitted a 7.5kW shower for a mate who was in a place with a 32A main supply fuse once. It worked without causing any nuisance trips (although he was living alone, so was unlikely to be running substantial loads while in the shower). So in reality I don't expect you to have any difficulty with a 8.5kW shower in a place with a 60A incomer.

Reply to
John Rumm

Yes but where does that 30A for the cooker come from? I suspect you'd need to have every ring, oven, and grill on full at the same time to get that level, and how likely is that?

Reply to
Mike Barnes

Wow. Viz magazine gives better electrical installation advice on installing electric showers than redring.

Reply to
ARW

And she won't use the shower while she's cooking will she? And both men and children are dirty creatures who only shower when made to, so all she has to do is remember not to make them shower when she's cooking.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

I wonder when the EEC will bring out a law limiting showers to 5kW?

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

Well, apres-cook everyone comments on the number of offcuts everywhere. We all stay well away during the operation.

Reply to
Bill

Surely a time to remember Green Ares:

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Reply to
polygonum

If the household likes cold showers in the winter fit a 7KW unit - otherwise fit the highest rating you can find.

Reply to
alan_m

My feeling is that over £22 for the cut out, plus other deterioration, makes it better to replace the whole unit.

I've just found a 7.5kW Triton Seville on Amazon for £53.23, which looks like a direct replacement, and has more + than - reviews.

I didn't measure that. It's all up on the wall and above the bath. Crumbling insulation looked bad enough. I'm not sure that I liked the car-type crimped connectors in the feed to the main element.

Looks OK, but a little expensive and not the same shape, so possibly a bit difficult to match into the decor.

OK, that's good. The son does get very dirty and, as I say, his wife likes to cook.

Thanks.

I'm tempted. The Triton shower at Screwfix that looks as if it matches is £40!

Reply to
Bill

Be careful what you suggest - even in jest, you never know who is reading!

Reply to
John Rumm

I replaced a Triton 80si a while back with a Wickes own-brand item which turned out to be a rebadged Triton and was identical to the old one.

Phil

In message , Bill writes

Reply to
Phil

Reply to
Gazz

Of course you get stupid sods like myself as a teenager (worse even than I am now) who total up all the possible loads, turn them on all at once, and when the main fuse blows, says 'See, I told you so'. I should have been put on bread and water for a week.

Reply to
Windmill

I'm waiting for them to improve the situation by declaring that there are less than 4.2 joules per calorie.

Reply to
Windmill

Yes, I have a 9.5kW Triton Ivory that I have kept repairing over the years using parts from the previous 9.5kW Triton Ivory that was there until the main heating element gave up.

I saw the special offer Triton showers in Screwfix myself just yesterday and if I were to buy new now I would go for at least 10.5kW so that the flow rate in the depths of Winter is better, even if it meant re-wiring and a new fuse or whatever. The 9.5kW is just about enough power but I'm sure that a 7.5kW would have to have its flow rate turned down to a trickle when the mains supply is at its coldest to maintain a reasonable showering temperature.

- Mike

Reply to
Mike

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