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New electric shower issue

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  • 11-08-2024 10:20pm
    #1
    Umpalumpa
    Registered Users Posts: 546 ✭✭✭


    Lads

    New electric shower fitted and only used twice.Each time it has tripped after about 45 seconds.We have 2 electric showers but never had an issue before.

    I only had 1 electric shower on at a time and no other appliances

    IIs this an issue with the shower itself or something else



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    #2
    JL spark
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭JL spark


    would you post a picture of your fuseboard,



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    #3
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    That would be unexpected on a like-for- like shower replacement

    As above anyway , pic of board and what's tripping .

    And some info on the work done and whether carried out by a REC



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    #4
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,107 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    It's very unlikely to to be the shower. A shower trip is usually instant. Likely to be a faulty / undersized isolation switch or RCBO. It could be a screw in the cable but again I'd expect instant tripping for that

    No mention of the installer. No priority or non priority board mentioned. Sounds like a DIY or handyman installation. I would strongly recommend getting a REC out to bring it up to code & cert it for you.



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    #5
    Umpalumpa
    Registered Users Posts: 546 ✭✭✭Umpalumpa


    20240812_064951.jpg

    There Ya go



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    #6
    Umpalumpa
    Registered Users Posts: 546 ✭✭✭Umpalumpa


    Thanks for the reply.It was installed by a registered plumbing company.I originally had a power shower and replaced it with an electric one



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    #7
    Umpalumpa
    Registered Users Posts: 546 ✭✭✭Umpalumpa


    IMG-20240809-WA0000.jpg

    After the initial install it stopped working.He came back and replaced the original switch with this one



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    #8
    Tow
    Registered Users Posts: 7,647 ✭✭✭Tow


    The wattage of the new shower may well be higher. The 'traditional' Triton T90 used in Ireland has increased in wattage to 9kw, the first version was 8kw, then it went up to 8.5kw.

    When is the money (including lost growth) Michael Noonan took in the Pension Levy going to be paid back?



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    #9
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,107 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    When you say registered plumbing company, who did the electrics? Only a REC can do this work. The switch shouldn't be in the hot press & two showers using the same regular RCBO is definitely wrong.

    I'd get plumbing company to send out a REC to put everything right. If they don't then report them to Safety Ireland.



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    #10
    Tow
    Registered Users Posts: 7,647 ✭✭✭Tow


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122493310#Comment_122493310

    An electric shower used a lot more power than a power shower, which just pumps water.

    When is the money (including lost growth) Michael Noonan took in the Pension Levy going to be paid back?



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    #11
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    As above time for a REC , there's something dodgy at play and unlikely to be the new shower

    Is there a 2- shower controller elsewhere ?

    Possibly a dodgy install caused a lowered IR reading or something else in the wiring /wiring setup/ protective devices

    Very low on information here

    "A new shower trips an RCBO" is about all you can surmise here



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    #12
    Umpalumpa
    Registered Users Posts: 546 ✭✭✭Umpalumpa


    The lads who installed the shower also installed switch



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    #13
    This is it
    Registered Users Posts: 5,555 ✭✭✭This is it


    Is it the shower RCBO that's tripping?



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    #14
    Doolittle51
    Registered Users Posts: 404 ✭✭Doolittle51


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122493325#Comment_122493325

    Yes and if an electric shower was installed in place of a power shower, it would most likely mean the existing cables were insufficiently sized. Most likely 10sq required for the electric shower. OP, did they install a new cable from the fuseboard? Any way to see the cable, is it routed through the attic? And what size is the shower RCBO? A close up pic of it showing all the details would help.

    There should be a priority board if you have 2 electric showers. Any sign of this OP?



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    #15
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122493303#Comment_122493303

    It sounded from the ops description that there was no controller fitted

    Hopefully they have at least "bunched" the 2 shower cables direct into the rcbo and are using it as a crude overload controlling device

    Worst case scenario they've teed off 1 cable to separate instant showers



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    #16
    Umpalumpa
    Registered Users Posts: 546 ✭✭✭Umpalumpa


    I'll have to have a look further when I get home.

    II'll Be ring the plumber shortly to get some answers



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    #17
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122493405#Comment_122493405

    That's your problem right there

    "Plumber"



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    #18
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,107 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122493405#Comment_122493405

    You need to get a cert from him. This means he has to use a REC to bring it up to minimun standarts before cert is issued. Any problems from his, tell him you are reporting him to safe electric. People passing themselves off as REC can get large fine & jail term. He passed himself off as REC even without saying so because only REC is allowed by law to carry out this type of work



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    #19
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    An unknown shower is tripping an unknown RCBO in an unknown wiring setup.

    About all that's known here



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    #20
    standardg60
    Registered Users Posts: 4,779 ✭✭✭standardg60


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122493338#Comment_122493338

    Think that's exactly it, sounds like they installed the electric shower on the power shower wiring, which is most likely 2.5sq.



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    #21
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    Just noticed the op said these plumbers installed a switch and changed from power to instant shower and it didn't work the 1st time after install and now it's not working 2nd time after the callback

    Presumably the OP hasn't been supplied a cert ?

    Need Safe Electric involved or a REC out to resolve this safely



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    #22
    JL spark
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭JL spark


    I’d say what happened was , 2.5 circuit was powering the old shower with a switch fuse spur (13amp )

    New shower was added and fuse popped on first use ,

    Came back and put in a 45 amp switch , but rcbo is tripping due to load on cable ,

    Whole lot needs pulling out and a 10ml cable needs installed by a REC



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    #23
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,107 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122494489#Comment_122494489

    I thought something like that myself. Isolation switch shouldn't be in the hot press but the fact that it's so low does suggest there was a spur here for the power shower.



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    #24
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    Hmm, that would explain the need for replacement switch and subsequent tripping of rcbo

    I'd still be surprised if this happened as the level of cowboy incompetentence needed is extreme



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    #25
    standardg60
    Registered Users Posts: 4,779 ✭✭✭standardg60


    I imagine it's the RCD that's tripping, as the power shower wouldn't have been on the RCBO, just the original electric one?

    I'd say they don't know what the issue is at all, and just replaced the switch in the 'hope' it would fix it.



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    #26
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122494689#Comment_122494689

    Probably not , as an instant shower connected to "main rcd" would then likely trip an associated mcb on overload

    Unless there was a N-E issue causing main rcd to trip on high loading, unlikely

    Dont know if op has specified what's tripping

    Anyhow there's a definite cowboy factor at play here .



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    #27
    This is it
    Registered Users Posts: 5,555 ✭✭✭This is it


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122494689#Comment_122494689

    Agree. That's why I was asking if it's the RCBO. What's tripping will give a good idea of the issue



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    #28
    Umpalumpa
    Registered Users Posts: 546 ✭✭✭Umpalumpa


    So I spoke to the plumber and he said he knows what the issue is and will get it sorted.

    I'll wait to see who comes over so I can ask if he's an electrician or another plumber.



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    #29
    drury..
    Registered Users Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭drury..


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122495412#Comment_122495412

    3rd time lucky , joke shop electrics

    Anyway I'm out . Posting half the day and you haven't even confirmed what's tripping

    Another joke



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    #30
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,107 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    He could be an electrician or plumber but tell you plumber. Even if he is an electrician that isn't enough according to the law. Only a REC can carry out the work you describe but the photos you showed that it's doubtful if any type of electrician did the work.

    You must receive a cert. Does not matter if plumber or electrician or pat the postman. By law they must issue you with a cert. Cert can only be issued by REC. There is a a fair amount of work needed before a cert can be issued.

    Can't stress this enough. By law they must issue a cert. Don't except anything less



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    #31
    meercat
    Registered Users Posts: 4,746 ✭✭✭meercat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122495452#Comment_122495452

    this from sleeper

    There’s been some great replies and advice here from others too

    It’s a criminal offence for anyone other than a registered electrical contractor to do electrical work in a bathroom and a certificate has to be provided along with test records



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