No power at shower

[Josh Miller]

Would this be suffice?

https://www.diy.com/departments/mk-white-30a-3-way-junction-box-86mm/189593_BQ.prd

 

[Josh Miller]

Would this be suffice?

https://www.diy.com/departments/mk-white-30a-3-way-junction-box-86mm/189593_BQ.prd

Have you taken voltage readings on the cables under the bath ?
I would use a waterproof junction box ,as its below the bath.

So I pinned into the supply and earth above where its connected and I had no reading, did the same below the connection and I had no reading, now my electrical knowledge and testing knowledge isn't the best but at either side of where I was pinning in I would be making a full circuit so if the fault was above or below I would have had a reading but I had no reading at either side of the connection.

 

[Josh Miller]

I've found the wiring and it goes straight from the MCU in the little hall way, underneath to the kitchen the straight up the back wall to underneath the bath as I've pushed the wiring up and it's lifted it straight up as you can see in this image to the previous one I posted.

Now is a straight supply/earth/neutral only with a breaker in the circuit a bit cowboy/dangerous?

 

[Josh Miller]

And this is what I'm sure is the other connection which is in the cellar.

I'll test this on both sidea with the breaker on and off to make sure I'm on the right power supply line and if so it may be this at fault.

Now I've really looked at the electrics in this house they all seem very ***** ‍

 

[terryplumb]

There is no requirement in the wiring regulations to have a seperate isolation switch on your shower circuit ,either ceiling or wall mounted ,over and above the isolation provided at the consumer unit. Having said that ,one is nearly always fitted.
The way the cable has been " joined together" however ,is another matter !!

 

[terryplumb]

And this is what I'm sure is the other connection which is in the cellar.

I'll test this on both sidea with the breaker on and off to make sure I'm on the right power supply line and if so it may be this at fault.

Now I've really looked at the electrics in this house they all seem very ***** ‍[/QUOTE

You ought to consider re wiring the shower circuit. Without the joins. And get the rest of the installation checked out .

 

[Josh Miller]

You ought to consider re wiring the shower circuit. Without the joins. And get the rest of the installation checked out .

Yeah it looks like that's the only fix, I checked the junction box in the cellar and it has a reading of 240v either side but I've double checked the reading underneath the bath and there's no reading either side so the issue is between where it leaves the cellar and where I can see it running up the wall underneath upstairs floor.

I think your bang on there to be fair.

 

[terryplumb]

What do you mean by " it has a reading of 240 v either side " ??
If at the cellar jb you measured 240 v ,line to neutral , same line to earth ,
But below bath 0 volts line to neutral ,line to earth. Then there is a break in the cable ,or it is not the same cable !!

 

[Josh Miller]

What do you mean by " it has a reading of 240 v either side " ??
If at the cellar jb you measured 240 v ,line to neutral , same line to earth ,
But below bath 0 volts line to neutral ,line to earth. Then there is a break in the cable ,or it is not the same cable !!

I measured across the live and earth before it goes into the junction box and had a reading of 240V then I measured it as it comes out the junction box to cancel out the junction box being at fault.

Which as you've said leaves the wiring at fault as there's no voltage underneath the bath so the break is between the wiring coming through the cellar and entering below the bath.

 

[terryplumb]

How did you establish the cellar cable is the shower circuit cable ?
If the jb is in the cellar , and cable then rises up through the kitchen to bathroom ( which I assume is directly above the kitchen) that's not a very direct route ??

 

[Josh Miller]

How did you establish the cellar cable is the shower circuit cable ?
If the jb is in the cellar , and cable then rises up through the kitchen to bathroom ( which I assume is directly above the kitchen) that's not a very direct route ??

So I turned the breaker off and checked the cable, 0V. Turned the breaker on and had a reading of 240V.

The cable runs from the ground floor where the MCU is, down into the cellar with all the other cables, runs from one side of the cellar to the other where it then goes up into the kitchen, straight up the wall into the bathroom and up, it seems like a really simple route to be honest and I can see a lot of the cable as it runs through the back of the cupboard where the gas meter and boiler is then into trunken as it comes out the top of the cupboard and up so there's probably a third of the cable that's not in sight.

 

[terryplumb]

Is the cellar jb screwed to the ceiling ?
Have you tried to unscrew it and check the cables where they enter what looks like concrete ? Judging by the condition shown in your pic , I think its more likely an issue there ,rather than higher up in the kitchen ,unless you have had work done in kitchen recently.

 

[Josh Miller]

Is the cellar jb screwed to the ceiling ?
Have you tried to unscrew it and check the cables where they enter what looks like concrete ? Judging by the condition shown in your pic , I think its more likely an issue there ,rather than higher up in the kitchen ,unless you have had work done in kitchen recently.

No I've not done that, I'll have a look when I'm back home.

We had a new boiler installed late October early November but I'll go with what you'd saying and unscrew the jb from the concrete and have a look at the wiring there.

 

[terryplumb]

Do you know what size the cable is ,looks like 6mm² twin and earth ,but pics can be deceiving. It takes quite a lot to sever such a cable. Its far more likely to be loose or poor connection / disconnection . You really must check voltages line to neutral ,not just to earth below the bath. If the CPC is not intact ,you may be getting false voltage readings.

 

[Josh Miller]

Do you know what size the cable is ,looks like 6mm² twin and earth ,but pics can be deceiving. It takes quite a lot to sever such a cable. Its far more likely to be loose or poor connection / disconnection . You really must check voltages line to neutral ,not just to earth below the bath. If the CPC is not intact ,you may be getting false voltage readings.

I'll be honest I haven't checked what size cable it is, I'd hope it'd be 10mm but could be 6mm as it looks very old.

I haven't checked vtage across the neutral either, can I just pin the earth cable off the multimeter into the neutral and it will give me a reading the same as doing it into the earth?