Shower advice!
Discussion
An appeal to the plumbers amongst us!
The electric shower in our bathroom I beleive is on it's way out (it now has two heat settings..... freeze your bits off, and scald yourself to death!)
I suspect I need to replace it.
I am quite happy to perform a DIY install of a new unit (If I can't manage it, I have a father-in-law who can!)
Question is, what should I be looking for in a replacement unit?
I realise that a power shower or a shower with a mixer valve is not an option, as the current unit has a cold feed only, but 8.5kW, 9.5kW, 10.5kW?????
Don't want to spend the earth, but equally don't want "cheap and nasty"
Current unit is a Triton "Ivory" if that helps!
Thanks in advance!
The electric shower in our bathroom I beleive is on it's way out (it now has two heat settings..... freeze your bits off, and scald yourself to death!)
I suspect I need to replace it.
I am quite happy to perform a DIY install of a new unit (If I can't manage it, I have a father-in-law who can!)
Question is, what should I be looking for in a replacement unit?
I realise that a power shower or a shower with a mixer valve is not an option, as the current unit has a cold feed only, but 8.5kW, 9.5kW, 10.5kW?????
Don't want to spend the earth, but equally don't want "cheap and nasty"
Current unit is a Triton "Ivory" if that helps!
Thanks in advance!
kentish said:
Do you know that due to recent legislation, you are no longer allowed to install your own electrical equipment (or gas) in your own home unless you are fully qualified and registered to do so?
I have a NICEIC registered mate who is happy to check my work and sign it off accordingly (for a pint of course!)
kentish said:If you are talking about Part P then that's incorrect.
Do you know that due to recent legislation, you are no longer allowed to install your own electrical equipment (or gas) in your own home unless you are fully qualified and registered to do so?
You are allowed to install it yourself so long as you CONFORM TO CURRENT REGULATIONS. The rub comes when you sell the house etc. the potential buyers can demand a Part P certificate which can ONLY be issued by a certified person (a day course from what I've been told). Any work that has been undertaken since (Jan?) 2005 must comply otherwise you can be made to have it ripped out and done properly.
This is my understanding anyway. I'm prepared to be told otherwise!
chim_knee said:
Do you know that due to recent legislation, you are no longer allowed to install your own electrical equipment (or gas) in your own home unless you are fully qualified and registered to do so?
You are allowed to install it yourself so long as you CONFORM TO CURRENT REGULATIONS. The rub comes when you sell the house etc. the potential buyers can demand a Part P certificate which can ONLY be issued by a certified person (a day course from what I've been told). Any work that has been undertaken since (Jan?) 2005 must comply otherwise you can be made to have it ripped out and done properly.
This is my understanding anyway. I'm prepared to be told otherwise!
I've always had my electrician mate check any stuff that I've installed *just to be sure* (basically, because he does it for a cuppa, and a couple of games on the piball machine I have in the garage!) so it will be no difficulty to get it formally inspected and paperwork supplied accordingly.
Sorry, yes that is the other option.
If you are competent and wish to do it yourself you can but must get it certified by a registered and approved person.
Personally, I do my own gas and electrical work myself and have done for years and the standard is the same as any other trades person and as such nobody would know whether it was original fitment or not.
If you are competent and wish to do it yourself you can but must get it certified by a registered and approved person.
Personally, I do my own gas and electrical work myself and have done for years and the standard is the same as any other trades person and as such nobody would know whether it was original fitment or not.
To answer your original question - the wattage (AFAIK) really comes down to how much you use your shower.
If there's just two of you 9.5 should be OK. More and you'll need a more powerful shower that'll be able to heat more water more quickly.
You MAY need to worry about what circuit it's going on to (this is where you'd need an electrician) as you'll need to ensure that the fuse is man enough.
If there's just two of you 9.5 should be OK. More and you'll need a more powerful shower that'll be able to heat more water more quickly.
You MAY need to worry about what circuit it's going on to (this is where you'd need an electrician) as you'll need to ensure that the fuse is man enough.
dp1 said:Well, again - it's a tough one but I believe that the regs require blue/brown not red/black cable. I think that nowadays you can only buy blue/brown - therefore anything with that wiring is post cut-off and subject to investigation.
Genuine question - not being a smartarse (honest) - When you come to sell the house, how does the buyer know when the work has been done and therefore if it needs a part P certificate.
Not reliable by anymeans. I wish I'd bought that load of cheap cabling from B&Q I saw once. :sigh:
chim_knee said:
To answer your original question - the wattage (AFAIK) really comes down to how much you use your shower.
If there's just two of you...
Never had the option to get more than one other person into the shower at once with me..
But on a serious note, what counts as an installation? Light fittings? Cooker, plumbing in a washing machine?
Psychobert said:
To answer your original question - the wattage (AFAIK) really comes down to how much you use your shower.
If there's just two of you...
Never had the option to get more than one other person into the shower at once with me..
But on a serious note, what counts as an installation? Light fittings? Cooker, plumbing in a washing machine?
Applies to gas and leccy only.
Basically, anything electrical that you can't just plug in and have to hard wire.
Gas, basically everything is restricted to a qualified person. The hot water side is OK to work on yourself.
Recently, I've fitted approx 20 wall and celing lights, a central htg pump and 3 way control valve, outside lighting and repaired 3 gas leaks.
That lot cost me very little but my time but had I followed the rules it would have cost into the thousands.
I can see why the rules exist, so that public safety of neighbours and DIYer's isn't compromised but I am happy that after 25 years of doing this type of work myself and having been taught by a qualified electrical and electronics engineer I am fairly competent. Gas and DHW is also not a problem since I was a hydraulics engineer before I changed to my current career.
As you are replacing an existing item, I'm not convinced you need to have it checked. I know it is perfectly OK to replace light fittings yourself without the check/certificate.
As to what shower to choose, it depends on what flow rate you want. The higher the wattage, the more water can flow at the temperature you desire. It makes sense to get the highest wattage possible - we've just gone for a 10.5kw. The only problem would be if your mains pressure is insufficient to deliver the flow required at the highest heat settings - the shower manufacturer will tell you what mains pressure/flow rate is required. If you are in a low water pressure area then a lower wattage is more suitable.
As to what shower to choose, it depends on what flow rate you want. The higher the wattage, the more water can flow at the temperature you desire. It makes sense to get the highest wattage possible - we've just gone for a 10.5kw. The only problem would be if your mains pressure is insufficient to deliver the flow required at the highest heat settings - the shower manufacturer will tell you what mains pressure/flow rate is required. If you are in a low water pressure area then a lower wattage is more suitable.
chim_knee said:
Genuine question - not being a smartarse (honest) - When you come to sell the house, how does the buyer know when the work has been done and therefore if it needs a part P certificate.
Not reliable by anymeans. I wish I'd bought that load of cheap cabling from B&Q I saw once. :sigh:
Loads of twin and earth on Ebay, tonnes of it.
Disregarding all this talk of form P's etc. your post indicates that their is already a shower installed. The maximum rated shower you can buy will be dependant on the size of the existing cable that is supplying it.
Also, if the cable is already installed, it'll be coded black/red. As your just making off the end, no one will know when the device was fitted. You'll only get into bother if you need to pull in a new cable coded brown/blue.
Edited becuase I guessed wrong.
>> Edited by Byff on Tuesday 14th February 15:11
Also, if the cable is already installed, it'll be coded black/red. As your just making off the end, no one will know when the device was fitted. You'll only get into bother if you need to pull in a new cable coded brown/blue.
Edited becuase I guessed wrong.
>> Edited by Byff on Tuesday 14th February 15:11
pearl nicholas said:
please get your mate to check things out first,you cant just bung in another shower,you have to be sure the cable and circuit protection is adequate as you increase the kw rating,you also should have rcd protection in place for extra safety
As far as I can remember, the shower is powered via a 10mm T&E cable that runs directly to the board, (via a double pole isolater) and sits on it's own breaker... but will double check this.
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