Electric shower heater wiring (a bit long)

[tabbypurr]

Lots of old Wylex boxes have them fitted. Lower breaking capacity but better response in the face of overload & easier reset.

NT

[newshound]

Thanks, I had a mental picture of the curves, but without labelled axes!

Now that is a *really* useful link. I hadn't realised that DIYFAQ was so up-to-date (but I havn't actually needed to do much electrics since I did the main rewire in the 90's, and I only have the site guide from 2004)

Don't know, but I *think* it is unlikely. In an industrial installation you might have proper round conduit with access boxes, I suspect that here the cable might just be plastered into a chased groove, at best under a plastic capping beneath the tiles. The "distribution board" has been boxed in with a simple box with doors immediately below the ceiling, you would not be able to see the cable route without ripping out the box and pulling down some ceiling plasterboard. The shower tray is boxed in above the distribution box so you can't examine the cable route from above either. The existing cable seems to run behind the tiles about 6 inches into the shower enclosure.

Agreed.

[John Rumm]

Yup, one of those cases where the devil is in the detail - not much use without the labels.

Its not *that* up to date - I think Adam and I added those bits in 2010...

Well I just had my nice shiny new light blue version turn up, so I spose some more updates will be required shortly.

Thinking laterally - how about a mixer shower ;-)

[tabbypurr]

someone needs to make the CU busbar tubular, then the shower water can carr y away the heat! You could save tuppence on copper then.

NT

[John Rumm]

Lower compared to DIN rail MCBs, but quite often equal or better than most 3036 rewireables (which can normally only break 1 or 2 kA depending on type).

Those will normally interrupt up to 3kA. The older push button type cope with less:

[ARW]

There can be no overload. You know the current rating of the shower. Different for sockets when you can plug in and alter the load