Ccccold ssshowers!!!

denzil13

Hi peeps,
Hope someone is able to help.
Whilst my dd was taking a shower last night the RCD tripped on my main fuse box cutting all the upstairs and downstairs wall sockets. After re-flicking the RCD switch power was resumed, however the shower water was tepid, though not totally cold. It can be made warmer by turning the shower temp dial up to nearly full on the shower but obviously water pressure drops and you end up with a trickle shower.
Has water got in to the shower unit and caused damage or is it something else. This is the first time its happened.
The shower is approx 6 years old and is a mira sport.

paulmapp8306

Depends if the RCD is on the shower supply as well.

Normally, the RCD is fore the mains socket - not a separately fused supply like the shower - however its possible the shower is also on the RCD.

if it is - and the RCD tripped while the shower was on - its possible there is a fault in electrical, and in the heating element of the shower. That could have tripped the RCD when the fault occurred, and would mean its not longer heating the water properly. Its unlikely to be water in the shower causing that though.

If you getting a little heat, then its not the power to the shower itself thats the issue - so in all likelihood its time for a new shower (or at least a repair if its economical).

Ruski

I'd put my money on a blown element inside the shower.

Time for a repair or replacement.

Russ

ian103

we had a mira sport 10.8kw in the house we brought 2 years ago, when on setting 3 the electric used to trip out, on setting 2 it was OK and the shower was tepid.mira do a repair service but a new shower was only £50 more. I'd agree with the poster above

WestonDave

Generally these things have two power settings for the heating element - sounds to me like the top heat part has suffered a fault which tripped the RCD as it did so (this often happens even with lights blowing as the RCD's are very sensitive to the momentary surge which happens as it blows).

If you are confident at DIY might be looking on the Shower Doctor site to see how much a new heater tank is for your shower, but otherwise it sounds like a new one. Generally speaking Mira showers keep all the connections in the same place so they are (or were last time I swapped one out) relatively easy to replace yourself.

paulmapp8306

ian103 wrote: »

we had a mira sport 10.8kw in the house we brought 2 years ago, when on setting 3 the electric used to trip out, on setting 2 it was OK and the shower was tepid.mira do a repair service but a new shower was only £50 more. I'd agree with the poster above

That sounds like you had the wrong breaker fitted. When you upped the power, the element had to work harder and drew more current and tripped the electric.

You'd need a 45 Amp breaker for 10.8Kw - but you'd be surprised how many people/electricians only fit a 40 Amp. thats only good for 9.2Kw at 230v. Some electricians will stretch is - as most showers give their rated power at 240v not 230 - AND it takes a while before the breaker trips even over its rating.

southcoastrgi

£160 to repair an electric shower tbh i wouldn't have bothered replace the shower.

paulmapp8306

Depends on the price of the shower. A top end Mira is £350+

Spending £160 on a propper repair on that standard of shower is probably worth it.

if it wasnt top end (or rather, still isnt close to top end specs) then maybe not.