Poor shower performance. !

[GT1]

Guys just a quickee. Picking people's brains for ideas.
Client has a 10.8kw shower which isn't getting particularly hot.
It's fed by 6mm unfortunately, however that aside put my clamp meter on the line conductor and it's only drawing about 32amps.
My only thoughts are assume its faulty and simply swop it out (for 9.5kw). My thinking being that the element isn't performing as well as it used to. It's a triton shower by the way. Haven't even bothered looking at spares as I'm sure it wouldn't be economical.
Anyone had similar experience ?

 

[johnboy6083]

Have you tried valving down the water supply? If there is too much flow, then it might not heat up the water as well.

 

[Amp David]

Isn't that what the temp knob does, restrict the flow? What do they class as not hot?

 

[Rockingit]

It's probably just all scaled up inside, the scale overheats so the element goes off, water keeps flowing and never gets properly hot.

Bin it!

 

[Deleted member 26818]

10.8kW should draw about 46A.
Unless it's got variabale power settings, it should be drawing this amount all the time it is runing.
Many of these have dual elements, it may be that one has stopped working.
Another thought, is that some of these units have an economy mode setting, it may be that this is switched on?

 

[GT1]

Thanks guys.
I've tried all of its controls. They all appear ok. Valving the water down with the temp control on the shower slows it down to an absolute dribble when the temp is anything like "normal" shower temp.
I think the low measurement on the amps suggests a problem with the heater so will go with swooping out for new one.
Thanks fellas

 

[timo1]

Has the owner taken the front off to have a look themselves? If they have then maybe they have not aligned the controls up properly when replacing the front which meant the spindle is not being fully opened and not operating at full power.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Have they got a combi boiler, if they have tell them to get one fitted to work off the hot and cold water. Electric showers are crap on a good day. I swapped mine for a rainfall shower last year and its awesome, my old electric thing was OK when the ambient temp of the water was about 20degrees in summer, but in winter it was pants, i would have been better off standing under a watering can.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[oldtimer]

Bl**dy electric showers cannot stand them if its not the customer bitching about them its the plumber who has bang in a 9kw to replace the 7kw that was in me personally I have a pumped shower and I am very happy with it and before you say a but it is not instant well I have no problem waiting 20 minutes having a cuppa while the water hears up.

Mind what I do like about them is that the shower switch pull cord or wall switch burns out because some clown has not tightend the terminals and it is a good money stream for my electrical repair businesss

 

[GT1]

Sadly the customer doesn't have a gas boiler. !
Heating is E7 storage heaters and hot water cylinder has 2 immersions.
Sourced a 9.5Kw triton shower today from DIY shed so fitting that next week.
But ditto the others. I hate electric showers. ! Hate working with 10mm even more !!!

 

[wildgoose]

32amps for a 10.8kw shower means that it is not taking the required current - hence the poor performance!!
The heating element or switch could be knackered or it is shutting down due to overheating from heavy scaling or restrictions. If it still only takes 32amps on a cold startup, then it's unlikely to be scaling or blockages.

 

[GT1]

Yes thanks for that goose.
Pretty much my angle on it too.
I'm fitting the replacement this afternoon as it happens !!

 

[UNG]

Have you checked the incoming water pressure. Had similar problems a few years ago and invested £15 on a water pressure gauge and found the water pressure was too low for the shower. Unfortunately some water suppliers are reducing the pressure to reduce the amount of water lost through leakage although a lot of the new builds are also putting a strain on the existing water supply system causing reduced pressure

 

[Deleted member 26818]

If water pressure is low, the usual result is overheating, rather than under heating.

 

[UNG]

If water pressure is low, the usual result is overheating, rather than under heating.

Not necessarily if water pressure is low it can result in the pressure switch not operating fully and switching both elements on

 

[GT1]

New shower fitted today.
Lots of lovely hot water. Client very happy !