Quick Question Double Pole Switch

Optimus Prime

Hi, ive a 45amp doube pole switch in our main bedroom for the shower, over the years ive had to change it a couple times and it seems to need changing again, but i noticed this time when i flip the power off in the fuse box for the shower\bathroom as usual, that the small LED light on it is still dimly lit, when in the off position no less. If i switch to "on" it goes off.

Im worried there might be power going to it? even though i have it off in the fuse box? Could it just be getting enough power to dimly light that led? Thanks

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058219281/quick-question-double-pole-switch

Few issues here

you shouldn’t have to replace numerous times. Get a good quality one and make sure the connections are tight

there should be rcd protection on a shower circuit and if you turn this off then both live and neutral should be isolated. This doesn’t seem to be your case here as indicated with the slight glow when turned off

only a rec is permitted to work in bathrooms and when they replaces the switch they should test and certify this work.

PilotHole

Are you using the switch the turn on/off the shower ,

they should be left on and the button on the shower used ?

John.G

Assuming the shower is drawing 39A and a good quality 45A DP switch is installed correctly and if someone is using this (incorrectly) to switch on/off the shower then should this isolator still give lots of switching without any trouble?, (switching on isn't switching 40A as the shower flow switch has to make the shower contacts). A coil operated contactor can make hundreds of switchings but perhaps this has a capacitor, is that the difference??.

PilotHole

Switching at the pullcord/wall switch with the shower running is what kills them prematurely .

That and loose connections,

Optimus Prime

We don’t use this switch to turn the shower on and off directly. We turn it on when getting a shower , then turn the shower on. I’ve probably changed it 3 times in 16 years. I didn’t think this was an unusual way to use a shower everyone I know that has a shower with a switch like this turns it off when not in use.

if i turn of “upstairs sockets “ in the fuse box , the light goes off on the switch. Just not when I just flick the bathroom one down like it normally does.

John.G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118210314#Comment_118210314

The majority of people don't use the isolator as a on/off switch and they don't have lose connections but still fail, wonder why? but my original query still stands.

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118210394#Comment_118210394

Photos of distribution board would help. It doesn’t seem like shower has dedicated rcd protection

Optimus Prime

It does have dedicated RCD protection and every time I changed it previously there was no dimmed light when I turned off the power.

The underline issue seems to be the heater is gone in the shower. It runs fine if I put it on just cold and turn on. Every time I turn it to hot and turn on it trips the switch.

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118211915#Comment_118211915

It may have a dedicated mcb but it also requires a dedicated rcd. What you’ve explained in previous posts doesn’t seem to indicate that to me. Post a photo of distribution board and it’ll soon be clarified

also ,you now say it trips the switch. What switch exactly does it trip and do the sockets also go off.

Doolittle51

Probably an induced voltage from the upstairs socket circuit. The switch LED might be more sensitive than previous switches that you had, so you never noticed it before. If you put a multimeter across it, you might see about 70V. If you want to be sure it's dead, cut the power to the whole house. But it sounds like your issue is not the switch anyway.

Optimus Prime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118215714#Comment_118215714

Yeh think you are right. if i turned off the sockets in the fuse box it went off. installed a new shower today and all working fine, so shower was gone alright.

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118215714#Comment_118215714

This should not happen if the shower is wired correctly. The sockets and shower should be wired independently. I’d recommend a rec to test the installation.

Doolittle51

Even if everything is wired correctly, you can still get induced voltages.