Replace or repair electric shower

hatt55

I have an electric shower - think its a fairly basic one that has been there since I moved in. There has very occasionally been an issue with it not heating the water but this tended to happen if, say, the washing machine was on at the same time so I assumed it was associated with water pressure or something.


Over the past couple of days the same thing has happened multiple times. At first it coincided with the heating just coming on so again I assumed that it was to do with the water pressure. But, this morning it just wouldn't heat and nothing else was being used.


I've tried turning the temperature dial to v. hot which has sometimes succeeded in getting the heater to kick in and I can then turn it back down, but this wouldn't work this morning so I was left with a cold shower.


It seems like it could be on the way out so I'm wondering if it's worth just replacing with new (looks like a basic electric shower is between £60--£100 ish) or if this sounds like something that could be repaired. I don't really have the skills to undertake a repair myself so I would need someone else to do it. Once I factor in labour costs I wonder if I'll really be saving much by doing it that way.


And....is this a job for an electrician or a plumber? I'm assuming plumber.


Advice appreciated - thanks!

Ebe_Scrooge

Personally I'd be replacing it if it's just a cheap standard shower. Having said that, I'd fit it myself (very easy if you're just replacing like-for-like and you're comfortable with simple plumbing and electrical DIY). If you'll need to call someone in to fit it for you, then of course you'll have to factor in their labour costs - which could be as much as the shower itself cost you.

If you do want to go down the DIY route, be careful of the rating of the shower. If the new one is the same power - or lower - than the old one then no problem. If it's more powerful, you'll need to make sure that the current wiring is up to the job - if you're not sure, then you really should get an electrician to take a look for you.

jimi_man

Hi

I've had showers like that go wrong before. Tbh you are better off getting a new one, for all the hassle of repairing the old. They aren't very expensive.

They are easy to replace, if you can get the same make and model type (ish) then it makes it easier as the electrical and water supply are usually in the same place.

But if you don't want to do it then either an electrican or a plumber will do it. One will no doubt be cheaper than the other.

hatt55

Thanks for the suggestions.


I did a bit of research last night and agree that for the price it's probably just worth getting new. Whilst I would aspire to doing something like this myself one day, at the moment I would still be more comfortable getting a pro to fit it.


In terms of replacement, are the fittings fairly standard? The current model is a Gainsborough but it looks like they only have a 1 year guarantee so if I swap to, say, a Triton (which might be a little bit cheaper albeit maybe not quite as aesthetically pleasing) it looks like I get a 2 year guarantee. Although I suppose that if a plumber is doing it they should be able to deal with adjusting the connection if necessary.

phill99

We fit loads of the Triton T80's. they are designed as 'easy fit' because they have multiple entry points for the water and the electric cable.

Davesnave

You haven't said if the intended shower draws a similar current to the old. The tendency is for showers to use more power, so adding a new cable might cost more than the shower itself. Also, there may be an issue getting a new cable to the new shower.


When we rewired, our electricians left a new 10mm cable coiled up in the loft ready to go. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to replace the old 6mm (I think) cable without attacking the enclosure itself to get the new cable in. Fortunately, we'll probably want to replace the whole cubicle before the old shower stops working.

shapala

hatt55 wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions.


I did a bit of research last night and agree that for the price it's probably just worth getting new. Whilst I would aspire to doing something like this myself one day, at the moment I would still be more comfortable getting a pro to fit it.


In terms of replacement, are the fittings fairly standard? The current model is a Gainsborough but it looks like they only have a 1 year guarantee so if I swap to, say, a Triton (which might be a little bit cheaper albeit maybe not quite as aesthetically pleasing) it looks like I get a 2 year guarantee. Although I suppose that if a plumber is doing it they should be able to deal with adjusting the connection if necessary.

I'm pretty useless with electrics - can change a plug and lightbulbs but that's about it. However, I did the same for our property a few years back and it wasn't too difficult and didn't take so long. Did some Youtubing and checked on various forums what I needed to know before changing out old for new and all went as I had hoped. Shower hasn't skipped a beat and we've not been electrocuted :j

Have you any idea how much it would cost to have a 'pro' do it? Do you happen to have any friends or family who would be able to do it and throw in a few beers if you decided to go down that route?