Power shower tripping RCD

8 replies

SansaClegane · 27/12/2022 15:50

Hi,
After some advice, but also need to have a whine!
I moved into current house 1.5 months ago. After about a week, the shower in my en-suite would trip the downstairs electrics / lights - managed to find an electrician to look at it; who said he couldn't see anything wrong inside the shower and had run it for 10 minutes without tripping. So, started using it again, same thing happened (tripped after about 5 minutes of usage). Electrician suggests some element in the shower might be faulty and I'd have to get a new one.
Bought new shower, had it put in, worked fine for like 3 showers and today it tripped the fucking electrics again!
I'm just so fed up. I've just spent £££ on a new shower when the old one probably wasn't faulty at all, still can't use my en-suite and on top I'm worried that there's something substantially wrong
Original electrician has stopped responding to my messages so I know I'll have to find a new one, but in the meantime, has anyone got an idea what the problem might be? Or experienced similar?
Just feel so deflated, I knew there'd be snags to sort with this house, but this feels so overwhelming.

OP posts:

Splonker · 27/12/2022 19:27

My first blind guess would be that the shower had been attached to the lighting circuit & not the ring main circuit (sockets). I don't know much about these things but I think the lighting circuit carries a lighter current and the shower might be drawing too much power and making the fuse flip. People do all sorts of dodgy crap with electrics. A really good electrician will test everything and work it out for you. Do try again with another one.

Splonker · 27/12/2022 19:27

I'm pretty sure the shower should have nothing to do with the lights downstairs.

Splonker · 27/12/2022 19:29

Have you also checked for any hints of leaks under the shower where water might land on wires?

Original poster

SansaClegane · 27/12/2022 23:10

Thank you Splonker. The plumber took the bath panel off when fitting the new shower and it was dry, so no leaks. However he did say there was no ? fuse or isolator? for the shower when apparently there should be one.
Sigh... will try and find a reputable electrician then, but it's honestly just making me feel sick.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply though!

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 27/12/2022 23:16

Do you mean it's an electric shower (box on the wall) rather than a power shower?

What kW is it? Is it the correct size cable for the power of the shower? Is there a shower isolator switch?

Splonker · 27/12/2022 23:44

I reckon whoever put it in just grabbed the nearest bit of electrical wire and joined the shower on to that, and that bit of wire happened to be the lower lighting circuit. Sounds like you lucked-out with your first electrician. In my experience though, electrician's are usually more reliable than plumbers. You should find a good one soon.

Original poster

SansaClegane · 13/02/2023 15:31

Just a quick update on this for posterity (if anyone ever has the same problem!).
Managed to find another electrician (despite messaging the first one about once a week, he never had time!); he tested everything and it's a too-small cable that's been used. He will replace this soon, fingers crossed that sorts it. Will report back!

OP posts:

amberedover · 14/02/2023 07:15

Thanks for updating -we have this problem !

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