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Electric Shower Not heating water.

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  • 02-10-2011 9:28am
    #1
    dixierip
    Registered Users Posts: 185 ✭✭


    My shower Mira Elite is turning on but not heating water. Water is quite hard (limescaly). Have cleaned filter to no change.
    Any ideas? Would it be the element gone and can they be replaced or is it new shower time?


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    #2
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    Is it starting off hot then going cold, or cold from the start when you switch it on? Or did it cycle got and cold for a while? Is there an RCD on the shower circuit?


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    #3
    dixierip
    Registered Users Posts: 185 ✭✭dixierip


    Shower turns on cold and stays cold. Rcd ? Tbh not sure.


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    #4
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    A failed element can cause it, but that usually trips the RCD or RCBO if the shower circuit has one in the fuseboard, and so the shower would trip every time its used. The rcd tripswitch for the shower would have a test button. So if there is one, its less likely to be the element, but it still could be if its covered in limescale and so the elements overheated regularly.

    But showers have at least 2 elements, but if one failed, it might feel like its still cold with just one element on.

    If the pump is not running, the pressure would be too low for the elements to come on. Also clogged up heating tank from limescale can cause too little water to flow to bring on the elements because the pressure switch at the heating tank hose outlet would have too little pressure to switch the elements on.

    Bad or burned connection inside the shower unit could also cause it, or a failed overheat cutout or pressure switch, or heat selector switch.



    All easy tests for the competent electrical person anyway.


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    #5
    PrismES
    Registered Users Posts: 87 ✭✭PrismES


    Try running the shower without the head on. There could be a blockage in the head reducing the flow rate below the required amount to operate the internal heater micro switches.


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    #6
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    PrismES wrote: »
    Try running the shower without the head on. There could be a blockage in the head reducing the flow rate below the required amount to operate the internal heater micro switches.

    A blockage in the head will provide plenty of pressure on the pressure switch to bring on the elements. And its the actual pressure on the pressure switch that is used to switch on the elements when the shower is started. Flow rate is not measured or monitored at all, assuming its an instant electric shower anyway.

    A blockage before the pressure switch such as clogged heating tank from limescale or filter, can leave too low a pressure on the pressure switch to bring elements on, which also means low flow rate because of the blockage.

    But a blockage in the shower head, which is now after the pressure switch, can/will also have a low flow rate, but the pressure on the pressure switch will now easily be high enough to bring on the elements, even if the flow rate is almost nothing. Now the water will get too hot.


    Either the element(s) are gone, or shower unit tank badly scaled up, or bad/burnt connection within the unit, or failed pressure or overheat cutout or pump failure. But you never know for certain, anything is possible with them.


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