Any electricians on here?

My shower stopped working the other day, I didnt think too much of it, just assumed that the shower was broken. We moved in a couple of months ago and the shower looks pretty old anyway.

However, I noticed a strange smell in my kitchen, which happens to be where my shower isolator switch is located. I noticed the light on it was flickering and decided to turn it off.....it wouldn't budge. I turned off the electricity to the house and unscrewed the socket. I was able to flick it to off and the underside of the swith is half melted and black.

I'm no electrician but that doesn't seem great. Any ideas?

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Originally Posted by easty

My shower stopped working the other day, I didnt think too much of it, just assumed that the shower was broken. We moved in a couple of months ago and the shower looks pretty old anyway.

However, I noticed a strange smell in my kitchen, which happens to be where my shower isolator switch is located. I noticed the light on it was flickering and decided to turn it off.....it wouldn't budge. I turned off the electricity to the house and unscrewed the socket. I was able to flick it to off and the underside of the swith is half melted and black.

I'm no electrician but that doesn't seem great. Any ideas?

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If it's the isolator switch itself that has melted, then you'll probably find that the switch is either a) lacking the capacity for the required current to operate the shower, or b) very old, in which case, it sometimes malfunctions and melts.

either way, replacing the switch itself to a suitably sized double pole isolator switch should do the trick.

To calculate the size of d.p. switch you need, divide the damand of the shower (in watts) by 230. For example, if it is a 10 kw shower, divide 10,000 by 230, =43.48.

In that case you would require a 45 amp double pole switchwith LED.

I hope this helps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 500miles

If it's the isolator switch itself that has melted, then you'll probably find that the switch is either a) lacking the capacity for the required current to operate the shower, or b) very old, in which case, it sometimes malfunctions and melts.

either way, replacing the switch itself to a suitably sized double pole isolator switch should do the trick.

To calculate the size of d.p. switch you need, divide the damand of the shower (in watts) by 230. For example, if it is a 10 kw shower, divide 10,000 by 230, =43.48.

In that case you would require a 45 amp double pole switchwith LED.

I hope this helps.

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Cheers mate.

Could even be something as simple as the connections are loose causing arcing. Seen a lot of shower switches with this problem and most end up with one side melted like you describe. The first reply is also possible but just throwing in another possibility.