6 Tips For Electric Shower Wiring

Are you considering installing an electric shower? Perhaps you have one and need to do a little maintenance?

To help save you time and money, here are the top wiring tips.

Sealing Around The Electric Shower

You should never seal an electric shower to your bathroom wall. Each corner of the shower’s rear casing has short spacers that keep it just a few millimetres off the wall. This helps allow ventilation around the side and back for the shower unit.

If there isn’t adequate ventilation, your electric shower risks over-heating and condensation which can cause damage to the internal components of the shower.

However, electric supplies that feed through from the back of the unit have to be properly sealed to stop water entering. Also, you have to ensure that your electric supplies or devices are of top quality such as those elegant Mira showers.

The Right Water Pressure When Fitting Your Electric Shower

In order for a mains water operated shower to work properly, you need to maintain a minimum pressure of around 0.7 to 1 bar. If a gravity pumped shower, the minimum pressure is anywhere from 0.008 to 1 bar. A running pressure will occur when other draw offs are used.

Why Does The MCB Tip Out When It Uses In Terms Of Upgrading A 9.5kw Shower To A 10.8kw Unit?

The first thing you should do is check the MCB current rating. Showers of this kilowatt rating need a 45 amp. However, the circuit needs to be able to cope with the increased load without the risk of overheating. It’s important to adhere to the relevant wiring regulations, too.

If your MCB tips out, it could be that the MCB terminal connections are loose, which leads to overheating.

What If The Unit Refuses To Work When Fitting The Shower, Even When The Controls Are Cold And Low?

It’s important to follow the right safety procedure for this one. Carefully check the mains voltage at the terminal block. For this, use a multi-meter. If you have power, make sure the water supply to the shower is turned on and the inlet filter is clear. Then, make sure there is a maintained water pressure that’s good enough to operate the shower. Also, ensure the fit of the cover assembly.

Must You Install An RCD Along With A Double-Pole Isolation Switch?

If this is a new installation, you need to incorporate a 30 mA RCD into the electrical supply to the shower in line with writing regulations.

If you’re replacing an existing electric shower, you should fit a 30 mA RCD. You should ensure a separate and permanently connected supply is taken from the unit to the shower through the 45 amp double-pole switch, too, which needs at minimum amount of 3mm contact separation.

You can mount the switch to a ceiling pull cord within the shower or you can use a wall-mounted switch.

What’s The Average Cost To Run An Electric Shower?

It all depends on how much you pay for your electricity. For example, a 10.8 kW shower that operated on a 240v supply will cost around 30p for a ten minute shower.

The wiring tips above should help you in installing an electric shower.

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