There are many electrical hazards in the home that can be seen, smelled, touched and heard. Electricity will let you know in many ways if things are not safe. There can also be hidden dangers that you will not be aware of and these may need an electrician competent in electrical testing to carry out an inspection to find them.
There are situations regarding your electrical supply that you simply should not ignore. These warning signs can make the difference between catching something early and missing something important resulting in serious problems. A BURNING SMELL FROM THE SHOWER is one of these situations this should not be ignored.
The photographs show an issue with an electric shower circuit that had failed. This is a common occurrence with electrical shower circuits. The cable, the switch and the connections at the shower regularly fail. There are many different reasons for this and many different solutions for the problem. It is not always the case that electric showers, cables and switches should simply just be replaced. It is often the case that the circuit will need redesigning and installing by an electrician competent to do so.
Issues that can affect electric shower circuits are as follows:
- Burnt Wires and cables
- Burnt Switches
- Burnt shower connections
- Undersized cables
- Cables incorrectly installed
- Showers incorrectly installed
- Lack of electric shock protection to showers
These are the common problems that we see regularly but there are other problems we come across as well. Wherever water and electricity mix, the wiring regulations become very strict regarding the safety of the installation and for good reason! There is no worse place to have a poor electrical installation carried out than a bathroom where people will be exposed to risk of electric shock through shoddy wiring will also likely be soaking wet!
Back to top1) How do I get my electric shower checked?
You call us. If you have absolutely any safety concerns including a BURNING SMELL FROM THE SHOWER, we will be happy to come to your home and carry out some basic safety checks. We offer a variety of services including a Visual inspection report, a full periodic inspection (EICR) and a minimum charge visit to check something specific for you.
Back to top2) What checks will you carry out on my electric shower?
- We will make sure that the cable that carries power to your electric shower is sufficiently large to cope with the power demands upon it.
- We will ensure that, where we can visually see, the cable has been installed in the correct manner, is not likely to suffer damage or at risk of overheating and is in good condition.
- We will check that the shower switch, if you have one, is in an acceptable condition, has been installed correctly, the wiring within is not damaged and that the cabling is not showing signs of overheating.
- We will check the rating of the shower and compare this against the cable rating given its installation methods.
- We will also attempt to remove the shower case to check the connections and in that case, we will also carry out a test to ensure the earthing is sufficient at the shower.
- If possible, we will also check that the trip switch in your electrical box will disconnect in the event of a fault using some mathematics and calculations 😊
3) What can we do if you find something dangerous?
We will offer you free impartial advice and if necessary, a quote for the work that needs to be carried out to bring your electrical installation up to a safe standard. If we cannot personally carry out the work in a reasonable time scale then we may recommend a local trusted colleague that may be able to help you. We will not leave you without options.
Back to top4) What does a burning smell, smell like?
It has been described as many different things but once you have experienced it once it will be an unforgettable smell. It is the melting and smouldering of PVC and plastic. It smells very chemically even fishy and is very pungent. Once this smell is noticeable, the accessory or cable from where the smell in emanating is almost certainly damaged beyond repair. The importance of having this dealt with immediately is paramount. Your home and its electrical system can be at risk of fire!
Back to top5) What should I do if I can smell this smell?
If you think that you have an electrical problem like this then you should call us immediately. If you want attendance straight away then call us 24/7. If you just want to chat about it, please email or call during normal working hours. We are always happy to bail out of bed for emergency attendance but would rather chat when we are awake 😊 If there is smoke coming from something, turn the electricity supply off. If you are unsure how to do this then read the next bit! If there are flames and lots of smoke then please stop reading and call the fire brigade, NEVER EVER throw water on electrical fires.
Back to top6) How do I turn off my electrical supply?
There is a box in everyone’s home called one of the following:
- Fuse box
- Trip switch box
- Electrical box
- Fuse board
- Consumer unit
- Distribution board
It doesn’t matter what name you have for the box it is the same thing in nearly all properties. It is usually under the stairs or near the front of the property in older houses. Newer building it will be somewhere a little more accessible.
You need to ensure that you flick ALL switches down. That is the quickest and easiest way of shutting off the power to the house. Then please call an emergency electrician to come and help.
We are able to assist you with a BURNING SMELL FROM THE SHOWER or in fact a burning smell from anything electrical. We are available 24/7 for emergencies, we carry many spare parts on the van with us and we are able to repair most situations immediately. If there are bigger problems such as a replacement consumer unit needed then we are able to carry this out also.
We can take payment via, credit or debit card, cash or BACS.
If you need an emergency electrician then call us. 😊
