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Blue Wire of Electric Shower Switch burnt

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  • 10-07-2013 6:11pm
    #1
    angeline
    Registered Users Posts: 904 ✭✭✭


    My electric shower would not work yesterday. When I switched it on the red light came on but when I went to put on the shower unit it would not work. It turns out the blue wire in the switch had burned and blew a fuse in the switch. However, the trip switch never went off when this happened. Is this significant? Thanks.


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    #2
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,593 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    angeline wrote: »
    My electric shower would not work yesterday. When I switched it on the red light came on but when I went to put on the shower unit it would not work. It turns out the blue wire in the switch had burned and blew a fuse in the switch. However, the trip switch never went off when this happened. Is this significant? Thanks.

    A mains voltage electrical cable that is melting and/or burning is always significant.

    The trip switch (generally refereed to as an MCB) did not trip because it is not designed to trip unless the circuit it is protecting is suffering from a short circuit or sustained overload condition. A melting cable generally causes neither.

    My advice is to get an electrician to have a look at it. I imagine (without looking at it) that it would be best to replace the isolator.


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    #3
    angeline
    Registered Users Posts: 904 ✭✭✭angeline


    A friend who is fairly knowledgeable replaced the switch and so the shower is working now. But he thought the trip switch should have gone off. Assume it's all ok now once it's been replaced?


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    #4
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,593 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    angeline wrote: »
    A friend who is fairly knowledgeable replaced the switch and so the shower is working now. But he thought the trip switch should have gone off. Assume it's all ok now once it's been replaced?

    Ask him exactly what he thinks should cause an MCB to trip. If he feels it should have tripped I assume his position is that the existing MCB is faulty? On this basis is he suggesting that you get the MCB replaced ?

    Regarding the replacement switch:
    It is important to ensure that connections are tight and the switch is suitabley rated for the load.


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    #5
    Mr.Fred
    Registered Users Posts: 1,055 ✭✭✭Mr.Fred


    I'd imagine it was just a loose connection which caused the neutral to char/melt whilst arcing.


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    #6
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,593 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Mr.Fred wrote: »
    I'd imagine it was just a loose connection which caused the neutral to char/melt whilst arcing.

    So would I.


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    #7
    mattjack
    Registered Users Posts: 5,389 ✭✭✭mattjack


    2011 wrote: »
    So would I.

    Me too , like a previous poster noted " make sure ALL connections are tight"


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    #8
    BrianDug
    Registered Users Posts: 163 ✭✭BrianDug


    Mr.Fred wrote: »
    I'd imagine it was just a loose connection which caused the neutral to char/melt whilst arcing.

    Ay, I was looking at a shower unit a few months ago with the same problem. It was indeed a loose connection. Them terminals are big and no doubt somebody initially used a small flat head to tighten it during install.


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    #9
    mikehammer67
    Closed Accounts Posts: 699 ✭✭✭mikehammer67


    did'n he say it blew a fuse in the switch?


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    #10
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    2011 wrote: »
    Ask him exactly what he thinks should cause an MCB to trip. If he feels it should have tripped I assume his position is that the existing MCB is faulty? On this basis is he suggesting that you get the MCB replaced ?
    .

    A bit of over-thinking there. Its likely the friend of the OP assumed burning connections mean an overload or short must have occurred.


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    #11
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,593 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Bruthal wrote: »
    Its likely the friend of the OP assumed burning connections mean an overload or short must have occurred.

    Indeed, he may have.

    If he were to conclude for whatever reason that an overload condition had caused this then as I said:
    If he feels it should have tripped I assume his position is that the existing MCB is faulty? On this basis is he suggesting that you get the MCB replaced ?


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    #12
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    2011 wrote: »
    Indeed, he may have.

    If he were to conclude for whatever reason that an overload condition had caused this then as I said:

    Sounds like a layman assumption was made that burnt pull chord terminal should = tripped MCB from overload.

    How many burnt pull chords have you seen on showers that were caused by faulty MCB,s? A shower is exceptionally unlikely to overload its circuit once its a proper circuit.


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    #13
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,593 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Bruthal wrote: »
    A shower is exceptionally unlikely to overload its circuit once its a proper circuit.

    Yup


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