Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

A question for the resident CL sparkies >>

edited July 2010 in Not Sports Related
My shower hasnt worked since I moved into my gaff.

It all looks fine, just doesnt switch on lol. I noted the pully cord switch thing on the ceiling was broken so bought a replacement one from B&Q. Turned off the mains, undone the screws on the switch...to find four wires...2 brown and 2 blue (and without an earth in sight - is this normal?)

So thought it was just going to be a case of undo the terminals on the old switch and replace the new one. Done that without any problems but I noted the switch has got L & N "load" terminals and L & N "feed" terminals, so obviously I have to put a blue and brown wire to each (rather than blue and blue or brown and brown obviously).

Ala the wiring diagram here:

photo.php?pid=6020796&l=cefd9eccba&id=551039858

However, there is nothing on the old switch or the wires to indicate what is load (presumably the mains) and feed (presumably to the shower) so literally took an educated guess. So now, once wired up, the switch operates the power to the shower unit - you can actually see the light on the shower come on and off now but the red LED on the ceiling switch is permanently turned on now. The shower does turn on but the water flow is just a trickle...

The switch looks like so...

photo.php?pid=6020795&l=ac3c579a8a&id=551039858

So can I assume I've got the "feed" and "load" connections wrong? Would that affect the water flow? If not, what else should I be looking at?

Thanks
Your resident Spurs nutty have-a-go-at-anything fan who's in danger of killing himself very shortly ;-)

Comments

  • edited July 2010
    Yep, you have!
    Not a sparks, so how do I know?
    Cos mines like that : )

    The water supply, was it like that before?
    It sounds like its clogged with limescale?

    ps
    Not a plumber either!!
  • JohnBoy, as TCE has already said, you have the cables the wrong way round.
    The cable from the fuse box / circuit breaker is the 'feed' to the cable-pull switch, the cable from the pull switch to the shower is the 'load'.
    Like TCE has said you could have a clogged pipe.
    How's your mains water (cold) pressure ? - Is it OK or has the pressure dropped lately ? - an electric shower has a pressure switch in it - if the water pressure is too low it stops:
    i. the solenoid valve from opening (letting water flow to the electric element)
    ii. does not energise the electric element (to heat the water) as with a no/low flow of water it would burn the element out.
    I am not a plumber, but have installed/fixed a few showers in my time (am an Inst Tech by trade - some of the ex Navy or PetroChem boys will know what that entails).
  • Good morning chaps, cheers for the words of wisdom T.C.E and Genesis. Armed with my insulated screwdriver and a double pair of marigolds to be on the extra safe-side (with the shower circuit isolated from the mains switchboard of course), I swapped the wires over and hey presto. I have a very dull lit LED when switch is in the off position...and a very brightly lit LED when the switch is in the on position, so I'm assuming thats quite normal.

    Now I've got power to the shower, its nothing but a trickle...and its cold. The water pressure around the house is fine...the kitchen taps are like a fire hose...but the bathroom pressure is a lot less for whatever reason... (as its a two bed flat, the bathroom and kitchen are literally next to each other, which I find strange).

    I'm on the verge of getting a plumber out now anyway. I had to have a bath for the first time in about 5 years last night and it done my head in lol.
  • Has the shower got it's own MCB?
  • edited July 2010
    [cite]Posted By: Friend Or Defoe[/cite]Has the shower got it's own MCB?

    Yes. (Had to Google that to see what you meant.)
  • As far as the water is concerned I'd be inclined to .............
    Start at the shower head remove it and turn on the water, pointing towards the bath ; )
    If there is pressure, its the showerhead..........
    then the hose, checking for pressure.
    Finally remove the complete shower, turning of the power (please ; )
    run the water via the isolation valve.
    We found that our first shower (the cheaper end of the market) only lasted a short while and it was cheaper to replace it.
  • Yeah, I'd already took off the shower head and turned in the water. Thus the small trickle.
    So its definitely not the shower head or hose.

    My mate's father-in-law came by last night to have a look, he announced I've got two words for you...its f*cked lol.
    So need to get a new one. Oh well. Had a feeling that would be the case anyhow.
  • Can anyone on here recommend a decent shower and someone to install it? lol.
  • edited August 2010
    [quote][cite]Posted By: JohnBoyUK[/cite]Can anyone on here recommend a decent shower and someone to install it? lol.[/quote]

    Here you go John, if you did all those tests yourself.
    You can throw one of these on the wall, if you buy a simular size to the one you have the fittings should line up.
    if not I'll ask my boy, where are you?

    http://www.screwfix.com/search.do?fh_search=triton%20shower&cm_mmc=Google-_-Bathrooms-_-Showers-_-triton%20shower?P=P&gclid=COeb8LWaoKMCFYKX2Aode2G_mA&source=aw
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!