Ping - Those wot know about leccy showers.

I had an Iflo Essence 9.5kw electric shower fitted in the crashpad
back in June.

It's always leaked a little down the shower hose - I assumed this was
just because it was a bit pikey and prone to leaks.

It got worse whilst I was taking a shower last night, so I grabbed the
shower hose to tighted it up.

It gave me a belt - enought to make all the muscles up my left arm
spasm away like recently beheaded salmon.

Strange - I thought. I wonder if that was a leccy shock or just a
muscle spasm, so I tried again with my right hand - same result right
arm spasm - quite a jolt in fact.

This is where alarm bells started ringing - exit shower stage left at
speed.

Once dry I flicked the isolator off and decided to take a butchers.

http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/8909044/1/Shower?h=b2fa42

The source of the leak was immediately apparent. The hose from the
heater to the shower hose connector had sheared off - this was
obviously slowly filling the shower unit up with water.

Questions - Would the solenoid at the bottom of the regulator valve be
a lower voltage that 240v - therefore making it a spasm inducing but
not Brownz killing voltage ?

It's a new install (whole place wired in June this year) with RCD's
etc etc - Why didn't the RCD kick in ?

Anyhoos - I'm glad I'm here to tell the tale.

 

That was a bad idea!

Does the RCD test button work? Is there definitely one on the shower circuit?

 

heh, there's an episode in the Simpsons like that you know.

Good call.

'kin 'ell, I doubt it's anything other than 240v. I can pop over with
the jolt meter if you like.

Faulty, IMO. Or not wired via RCD. Get it checked soonest.

yersh.

 

heh, "LEAK TEST OK".

FAIL.

Dunno, but I'd get SWK in to look at it soonest.

But I don't even want your bike!

 

You plonker! Glad you're OK.

 

He's got the VFR now hasn't he? Oi Brownz, can TBC have your bike when
you cark it? He's on his way here on an unfaired bandit rental, I'm
expecting swearing when he arrives.

 

The funny thing is that if the install was done in June it should be very
difficult to have any circuit without protection because it should have
been up to 17th edition spec.

 

Will check this out with the builders and sparky who are back there
now.

It's all signed off and certified to 17th, so worthwhile of a little
more investigation.

 

No. It's the worlds bestest motorcycle and it's being buried with me.

 

Have you thought of getting yourself stuffed and mounted like that squirrel
that ogden posted?

 

You utter idiot! Mind you, I'd have done the same.

Well done. Doubt it was the full 240v, because if it had been, in a
shower, you wouldn't have lived to type that post.

 

Volts don't kill, currents do.

I can't see why they'd bother to have a low voltage item in there for
safety, since there's already obviously 240 exposed, albeit higher up.

I can sorta see why they're illegal in some countries, eg France.

 

Is that why you hid yours in the barn under the house ?

 

Ah yes.

 

If the shower tray was plastic, that would help. Standing in a earthed
metal bath in that situation would be *bad*. I've had a jolt from a
metal plant holder that was nailed through a lighting cable. If you wore
shoes, you didn't even feel it, in socks it was a good jolt.

I reckon the solenoid would be 240v, and the resistance of the water and
shower tray limited the jolt, purely because if it was lower voltage,
you'd make it low enough that you wouldn't even feel it- a SELV type level.

 

Or not pulling enough current to trip but enough to give a belt when
wet.

 

I saw that on a documentary on BBC2.

 

Cowboy Lookin Builders?

 

That would be my guess too.

 

And you all call *me* a TC !