Smellectrics....

Prenderb

Hey all, have a headscratcher for you guys. I think I know the answer already, but I was wondering whether I might find a different answer here.

Newish house (3 years) , but recently there's started to be a smell when the electric shower's running. It's, well, fishy is the wrong word, but it's the closest I can get to describing it.

Afraid of burning plastic, I had a look in the shower switchbox, and there's no sign in there of any burning or anything, and similarly in the shower housing aswell. I would rather not rip the plasterboard apart...

Any thoughts, folks?

Joey the lips

Have you a shower tray or into a bath


Is it a power shower or a pumped electric shower.


Whats does the head look like is it full of lime

Prenderb

Tray...
Pumped Electric...
It's not too bad, I descaled it a couple of weeks ago....

Joey the lips

Have you cleaned the trap. ie have you poped of the top and pulled all the gunk out. This usually smells like rotten eggs and confuses people into thinking that the brushes are going in the motor

Rev. BlueJeans

Check the pullcord switch.

Turn off the power at the board first!

Also check the terminals on the shower itself, just in case.

Do this asap, it smells to me like burning bakelite, or whatever they make pullcords out of these days.

JamesM

Rev. BlueJeans wrote: »

Check the pullcord switch.

Turn off the power at the board first!

Also check the terminals on the shower itself, just in case.

Do this asap, it smells to me like burning bakelite, or whatever they make pullcords out of these days.

Yea, Bakelite smells like that - it could be the switch. Also do you have the light on at the same time as the shower. It can also be the light fitting.
Jim.

Prenderb

Turns out it was one of the neutrals arcing in the switch, there's some slight scorching around the terminal and a tiny bit on the insulation. Switch duly replaced, no more smells/danger!

Rev. BlueJeans

Good stuff.