Hello,
We stopped using our electric shower at home because it started leaking water from the wall mounted part of it.
After opening it I've found that there's a leak somewhere, not far from the electric connections.
I see the water sprinkling in the circled area in this image:
The shower is a Galaxy Aqua 3000 10.5Kw.
Do you think it's something that could be fixed? or should we look for a new electric shower all together?
thanks,
Giulio
My first thought which sounds condescending but not meant to be is "if you have to ask then you possibly ought not to try to repair" However trying to be constructive....
Depends if you can get the parts? could be a simple seal that has failed
- likely to be a generic O ring or part of the moulded plastic bit has split and you will need the bespoke part.
Good Luck
Thanks,
I found the original spares here, I will try replacing the N. 14, which seems to me the broken part.
You are right, it might well be the gasket or the orings, I'll try replacing them all.
I've never repaired an electric shower, what scares me is all that water so close to the electricity. That looks pretty dangerous to me. Though I've seen several electric showers working similarly, and I don't understand how these can be considered safe.
Is there any security mechanisms in the electric showers that I might not be aware of?
thanks,
That would make asking a question, and this group obsolete.
I would make doubly sure where the leak is and disassemble. Like Bob, I would suggest a new O-ring may be the fix you require.
Not sure if Fernox LS-X would help in sealing the joint when reassembling?
In message , Giulio writes
We have just replaced my son's faulty electric shower. The original installation had no RCD in the electrical supply.
One is now fitted. Having seen inside the shower, I think it's essential.
The safety mechanisms are built in. 1 Pressure switch and 2 over temperature switch. Finally the house RCD should trip if the water leaks compromise the electrics.
Not quite true - some jobs have particular hazards associated with them and it is very difficult to judge when offering advice if the questioner has general awareness or is largely fuelled by enthusiasm rather than skill.
After a few years of reading this group one can begin recognise some our resident A-holes relatively easily! lol
I'm not suggesting the OP is one of those incidentally!
Bob
Thank you all for the replies,
I've disassembled the electric shower, as I suspected the connector elbow l ooks like cracked, and the position of the crack corresponds to the sprinkl e pattern. I've ordered the spare part from here:
I'll try replacing it. LS-X doesn't look like viable in this situation, giv en the type of damage and its position.
The o-rings look in good shape, so I think I'll be keeping the current ones , if I don't get new ones with the spare.
As suggested by Bob M. I see this work as a potentially hazardous, as I don 't understand how the electrical part of the shower is made safe against wa ter spillage.
The RCD imho isn't safe enough in a shower, as it switches only after a sho ck is taken. Ok it avoids prolonged electrocution, but still the electricit y available at home is a lot and even a quick shock with all these ampere s eems to me very painful and potentially deadly.
That's why I asked here if electric showers are something people can fix DI Y or if it's always better to refer to an expert.
I'm somehow experienced in repairing electrical parts, and as a kid I took enough shocks to be extremely careful in these matters.
From the answers I am under the impression that people do fix these things, so I will give it a try.
After replacing the microwave grilling components, and the thermostat on th e conventional electric oven, I'm starting to feel like a pro in fixing app liances. :) :)
I'll keep you posted.
thanks,
looks like cracked, and the position of the crack corresponds to the sprin kle pattern. I've ordered the spare part from here:
on't understand how the electrical part of the shower is made safe against water spillage.
hock is taken. Ok it avoids prolonged electrocution, but still the electric ity available at home is a lot and even a quick shock with all these ampere seems to me very painful and potentially deadly.
DIY or if it's always better to refer to an expert.
much safer to diy imho - long as you're capable enough
k enough shocks to be extremely careful in these matters.
s, so I will give it a try.
the conventional electric oven, I'm starting to feel like a pro in fixing a ppliances. :) :)
If we never hear from you again we'll know why :)
NT
LOL
I would recommend against top posting as it offends a number here!
Like any hazardous situation, care and some understanding is required.
Personally I would only ever use one hand, and keep the other well away from anything metallic in any situation that may possibly be live, in the belief that it would reduce any electrical path across/through the body.
For info, the earth sleeving is black and not the usual green/yellow variety.
I'm afraid the RCD is all you have for protection. 10mA ones are rare if you want greater protection.
Despite this, there is an earth wire going to the shower heater. Although the heater body may be plastic, it's likely the heating element sheath is earthed, so the water being emitted from the shower is always going to be close to earth potential.
Well... heating elements split open at some point, passing power directly t hrough the water. Hopefully there is an earthed collar around the water out put. But even if the showerhead were fully live, standing under the stream would seldom result in shock, so theyre not as dangerous as might be imagin ed.
Top posting messes with the record of the discussion. Its not usually good practice.
NT
I'd hope there is or there would be a lot of dead people lying around!
Brian
One word of warning of course is that any seals must be of the same type as the originals, especially if they are where the heating element is. Brian
From the 17th edition on, a RCD protected feed is a requirement. However it was not always so, and its possible to create a safe installation without a RCD (although one is preferable)
First impressions tend to often not reflect the reality... Gut reaction it to think "water and electricity in close proximity, can't be good".
However when you start trying to break down the actual shock risks involved there are not many...
The casework it all insulating - even the chrome bits are usually just chromed plastic. The metal pipe (if it has one and its real metal) tends to be floating (electrically).
The conduction path to earth in the shower enclosure is probably not as good as one might expect (insulating tray in most cases). Any extraneous metalwork that could bring an earth potential into the room (taps, CH pipes etc) will (if done correctly) be EQ bonded with the shower, or all circuits protected by a RCD.
So the worst case is usually an insulation fault in the boiler chamber / element could result in "live" water. Again RCD/ Conventional earthing will disconnect the supply in short order in that case. Coupled with the reality that clean water is not actually a very good conductor in the first place.
I would suggest the biggest risk from most electrical showers (if you exclude expiring from old age waiting for a good one) is a fire risk from the cabling, since the very high currents involved can generate lots of heat at any connection points.
What are you doing in the shower? ;-)
Good advice when poking about in the back of live TVs etc, but it ought not be too difficult to prove a shower circuit is de-energised before working on it!
Indeed, and the cable clamp not on the right bit of the cable...
That is far from true. Plenty of showers out there without RCDs at all!
It does not really make it any safer - remember RCDs do *not* limit the magnitude of a shock - only its duration. So in a shock situation which is going to pass 100mA through you, the trip rating of the RCD will have no effect on the severity of the shock.
Which under fault conditions could be a couple of hundred volts ;-)
(Although not for long)
Just make sure the water has broken into droplets by the time it hits you.
Interesting thought - the water is live due to a fault but you're showering unaware of this because the stream is broken into droplets. You take the plastic shower head down in order to give the goolies a quick rinse...
Cheers
Having goolies at 240V only becomes a problem when you stick your foot on something that's not ;-)
That's assuming the house has an RCD.
ANdy
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