shower fuse
Tony Collins
renting. In the last few months it has blown it's 30 amp fuse 3 times.
Is this normal? Just before this period it had only blown once, when
my wife truned on the oven whilst I was showering (yeah...really
funny...). Just before this period when the fuse has blown repeatedly,
I bought a 1 kW oil filled radiator whch is on when the shower is
used. This is on the wallsocket circuit with a different fuse though
(?). Any suggestions as to why the shower fuse keeps blowing?
I'm in a hard water area, is this anything to do with it?
Yours, cold and soapy
Tony
Matt the Rat
>About a year ago an electric shower was installed in the flat I am
>renting. In the last few months it has blown it's 30 amp fuse 3 times.
>Is this normal?
No.
>Just before this period it had only blown once, when
>my wife truned on the oven whilst I was showering (yeah...really
>funny...).
Is the shower wired on a separate circuit and not just off the oven feed?
--
Matt the Rat
Reply to matt DOT helliwell AT net DOT ntl DOT com
Ed Sirett
Tony Collins wrote in message <36f22490...@is.bbsrc.ac.uk>...
>About a year ago an electric shower was installed in the flat I am
>renting. In the last few months it has blown it's 30 amp fuse 3 times.
>my wife truned on the oven whilst I was showering (yeah...really
>I bought a 1 kW oil filled radiator whch is on when the shower is
>used. This is on the wallsocket circuit with a different fuse though
>(?). Any suggestions as to why the shower fuse keeps blowing?
>I'm in a hard water area, is this anything to do with it?
>Yours, cold and soapy
>Tony
Points to check.
1) Some pillock did not 'extend' the oven supply for the shower.
(should be seperate 30A circuits for each).
2) What is the power rating of the shower? There is a tendency for a typical
shower in the shops to increase in power year by year and you need to
actively look for units which are rated for less than 30A which is 6.9kW at
230V (or 7.2 kW at 240V). Make sure it was not replaced with a more powerful
model at some time.
Ed Sirett
Property Maintainer
Rosie
<e...@makewrite.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Is this normal? Just before this period it had only blown once, when
>>my wife truned on the oven whilst I was showering
Just how bad is yor wife's cooking ?
Keith
Tony Collins
>
>Points to check.
>1) Some pillock did not 'extend' the oven supply for the shower.
> (should be seperate 30A circuits for each).
>2) What is the power rating of the shower? There is a tendency for a typical
>shower in the shops to increase in power year by year and you need to
>actively look for units which are rated for less than 30A which is 6.9kW at
>230V (or 7.2 kW at 240V). Make sure it was not replaced with a more powerful
>model at some time.
I think the oven is a bit of a red herring! Today the fuse blew when
the oven wasn't being used. I'm pretty sure the oven's on a different
fuse though - or so the label on the fuse box would heve me to
believe. I'll investigate further though. The wall sockets, immersion
heater and lights also have separate fuses - according to the fusebox!
I was told that the shower was 7.2 kW rated - again, perhaps I shall
check this.
Is there any likely reason as to why it's blowing more frequently?
Spikes in the power supply? A 30 amp fuse is borderline for this
shower is'nt it?How bad would it be to put a higher rated fuse in?
They seem to go up in large steps at that ampage though!!
mar...@my-dejanews.com
Check that the fuse cartridge is being held firmly by the holder. I have an
(unconfirmed) theory that my shower was blowing fuses because of resistive
heating of the cartdidge, because the el-cheapo bent metal fuse holder was
just barely gripping the cartridge. The theory is unconfirmed because I had
to bin the entire shower when the overheat 'stat died, and it was impossible
to get replacement parts.
PS. I sympatise with you.. An electric shower that blows fuses has to be the
*most* annoying thing around. Running around soaking wet and covered in soap,
and trying to replace a fuse without getting electrocuted...! Not recommended!
Mark
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Tony Collins
>Check that the fuse cartridge is being held firmly by the holder.I have an
>(unconfirmed) theory that my shower was blowing fuses because of resistive
>heating of the cartdidge, because the el-cheapo bent metal fuse holder was
>just barely gripping the cartridge. The theory is unconfirmed because I had
>to bin the entire shower when the overheat 'stat died, and it was impossible
>to get replacement parts.
Fuse cartridge? Sorry for being a bit dense, but is that the proper
name for the inch long thing with metal caps that contains the fuse
wire? It is held in two strips of metal that wrap around the end caps
which fit into a plastic(bakerlite?) block- is this the holder? It
does look a bit manky. Could it have been knackered when the fuse blew
the first time? I'll try to get a new one and keep you posted.
Cheers.
Tony
Andrew Gabriel
Tony.C...@bbsrc.ac.uk (Tony Collins) writes:
>
>I think the oven is a bit of a red herring! Today the fuse blew when
>the oven wasn't being used. I'm pretty sure the oven's on a different
>fuse though - or so the label on the fuse box would heve me to
>believe. I'll investigate further though.
Pull out the fuse, and see if the cooker (or anything else)
goes off too.
>The wall sockets, immersion
>heater and lights also have separate fuses - according to the fusebox!
>I was told that the shower was 7.2 kW rated - again, perhaps I shall
>check this.
>Is there any likely reason as to why it's blowing more frequently?
>Spikes in the power supply?
No (unless there is a major supply fault - do your lights
flicker a lot, he says just wondering for a split second
about a broken neutral).
> A 30 amp fuse is borderline for this
>shower is'nt it?How bad would it be to put a higher rated fuse in?
>They seem to go up in large steps at that ampage though!!
You can't replace the fuse with one of higher value unless
you know the wiring will take it, which it very likely won't.
A 7.2kW shower shouldn't blow a 30A fuse if it's working
properly.
--
Andrew Gabriel
Consultant Software Engineer
Bill Coffel
>In article <36f60e5f...@is.bbsrc.ac.uk>,
> Tony.C...@bbsrc.ac.uk (Tony Collins) wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >Points to check.
>> >1) Some pillock did not 'extend' the oven supply for the shower.
>> > (should be seperate 30A circuits for each).
>> >2) What is the power rating of the shower? There is a tendency for a typical
>> >shower in the shops to increase in power year by year and you need to
>> >actively look for units which are rated for less than 30A which is 6.9kW at
>> >230V (or 7.2 kW at 240V). Make sure it was not replaced with a more powerful
>> >model at some time.
>>
>> I think the oven is a bit of a red herring! Today the fuse blew when
>> the oven wasn't being used. I'm pretty sure the oven's on a different
>> fuse though - or so the label on the fuse box would heve me to
>> believe. I'll investigate further though. The wall sockets, immersion
>> heater and lights also have separate fuses - according to the fusebox!
>> I was told that the shower was 7.2 kW rated - again, perhaps I shall
>> check this.
>> Is there any likely reason as to why it's blowing more frequently?
>> Spikes in the power supply? A 30 amp fuse is borderline for this
>> shower is'nt it?How bad would it be to put a higher rated fuse in?
>> They seem to go up in large steps at that ampage though!!
>
>Check that the fuse cartridge is being held firmly by the holder. I have an
>(unconfirmed) theory that my shower was blowing fuses because of resistive
>heating of the cartdidge, because the el-cheapo bent metal fuse holder was
>just barely gripping the cartridge.
I can't confirm this was the case, but is highly likely.
Some years ago my cousin bought a house (previously owned by an
horribly incompetent DIYer*), the first time they were mowing the lawn
they noticed the attached garage filling with smoke (the CU is mounted
in a hall between the garage and the house). I received a paniced
phone call inquiring should they call the fire brigade. I asked if
there were any flames and they said no and that the smoke had abated,
so I drove over to investigate. Turned out to be loose terminal on
fuseholder assembly was heating up and had melted/started to char the
asphalt like potting compound used to fill/cap the screw holes in the
bakelite fuse block. Cleaning and tightening of the terminals (and
new fuses for good measure) fixed it until a new CU was fitted the
following year.
I have often seen loose terminals on industrial/commercial motor
starters (contactors with thermal overload) cause false tripping.
Often when I get called after the motor has already been replaced.
This of course did not fix the problem. They get real quiet when I fix
it by tightening the terminal screws.
Whenever I look at any equipment, I always check all terminal screws,
and find about half are loose.
* there was enough in this house for an entire book on how not to DIY
> The theory is unconfirmed because I had
>to bin the entire shower when the overheat 'stat died, and it was impossible
>to get replacement parts.
>
John Neale Baraclough
from Tony.C...@bbsrc.ac.uk (Tony Collins) contains these words:
> shower is'nt it?How bad would it be to put a higher rated fuse in?
> They seem to go up in large steps at that ampage though!!
The fuse is there to protect the _cable_ to the appliance and stop it
overheating. You must check the rating of the cable before attempting
to fit a higher rated fuse.
John
Tony Collins
>>Check that the fuse cartridge is being held firmly by the holder. I have an
>>(unconfirmed) theory that my shower was blowing fuses because of resistive
>>heating of the cartdidge, because the el-cheapo bent metal fuse holder was
>>just barely gripping the cartridge.
>
>I can't confirm this was the case, but is highly likely.
I took the fuse holder into a electrical retailers and he seemed to
think there had been some arcing in the holder. Fuse not held
properly? Would this result in the fuse blowing?
I've now got a new fuse holder now (and a few extra fuses, just in
case...) and will let you all know if the fuse blows again. Many
thanks for all your comments.
Tony
Mungo Henning
> Some years ago my cousin bought a house (previously owned by an
> horribly incompetent DIYer*)
> * there was enough in this house for an entire book on how not to DIY
Whilst I wouldn't like to categorise myself as "incompetent" (I think
I know my limits) there must be some value to hearing about incompetent
DIY tales - tell us more Bill please!
Mungo
nick nelson
> Whilst I wouldn't like to categorise myself as "incompetent" (I think
> I know my limits) there must be some value to hearing about incompetent
> DIY tales - tell us more Bill please!
Yes, please.
Nick.
Ed Sirett
>Bill Coffel wrote:
>
>> Some years ago my cousin bought a house (previously owned by an
>> horribly incompetent DIYer*)
>
>> * there was enough in this house for an entire book on how not to DIY
>
>I know my limits) there must be some value to hearing about incompetent
>DIY tales - tell us more Bill please!
>
Well Mungo,
Here is the worst house I've seen so far.
1) Electric sockets supplied from 1.0mm² T+E
2) Ceiling roses fixed to skirting board, flex from same to wall lights.
3) 5A rewireable fuse holder wired with a chunk of bared 1.5mm² flex.
4) Laminate flooring tight to all walls so it bulges up in middle of floor.
5) Conventional flued boiler in small bathroom, no vent of course.
6) Short flight of stairs where nearly all the wedges were missing so it was
shored
up by a plank which was in turn held fast by the gas main (1.5" steel pipe).
7) Kitchen sink waste run for 10m along the side of the house going slightly
uphill and then dropping to foot level by side door and then rising again
and then down in to a culvert.
Ed Sirett
Property Maintainer
Bill Coffel
n.w.n...@education.leeds.ac.uk (nick nelson) wrote:
>Mungo Henning wrote:
>
>> Whilst I wouldn't like to categorise myself as "incompetent" (I think
>> I know my limits) there must be some value to hearing about incompetent
>> DIY tales - tell us more Bill please!
>
>Yes, please.
>Nick.
OK
I will write up the saga of the CH and post as a new thread tommorow.
I will also begin the task of compliling the list of botched DIY
projects by the previous owner.