ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum What the.....?

I am sure that, with a determined designer at the helm, that is just might be possible to make one of these things work in a perfectly safe manner, but....

I think we are running up against our cultural bias as to just how things ought to be done. Wires looping through the shower stall are not included in our list of "good things to see." That these shower heads come from places we generally consider to be somewhat behind us (in technology) does not help us to accept them.

Now, this "bias" is not always a bad thing. In the course of learning the trade, we are taught "this is the way things are done." Time and again, the things we're taught have no actual code requirement. Yet, again, we see these practices either survive code cycles unaffected, or actually see how these 'trade practices' prevent problems, and ease service, down the road.

Long ago, in another thread ("Bathroom Electric") I posted a pic of a typical Israeli bathroom....including the full-size water heater hung on the wall INSIDE the shower stall. This practice somehow seems to work for them- but I still wouldn't want it in my bathroom!

Yet, even that 30 gallon, 240 volt, 50 amp Israeli water heater could not handle a long shower, and needed about 20 minutes to heat up a tank of cold water. (The Israeli heaters are not left on, but have a switch outside the bathroom). Therfore, I rally have trouble believing that tiny shower head can really accomplish much heating- and I don't care how 'water saving' the shower head may be!

As mbhydro says, if that sucker goes at 5000 watts, I wonder what happens if the water stops and the heat stays on? Care for a "melted plastic" shower anyone?

The flags of Germany and Belgium?

Some of that wiring is scary. Even at 5kW I have a hard time believing that you could get much of a decent hot shower, unless the water is somehow pre-heated before reaching the shower.

Some of the older "instant" electric showers in use here (heating elements in the box on the wall, not in the showerhead!) are rated 6 to 7kW. It's reckoned that our water is delivered from the supply at a fairly constant temperature of about 50 degrees, and even with 7kW you can really only get a modest flow if you want the water to be anything but lukewarm.

Kind of like the low flow shower heads in a private railcar.

You only get 250 -300 gallons from one service stop to the next, so you can't-don't use a lot.

The showers are more an area of really high humidity than actual running water

TW

5V, 12V, ground
I immediately associate that with computer wiring.

Ah! The light dawns.........

Wires look too small if coming from a 50 amp breaker. I'd have to push the test button on the GFCI and verify that it works.

Paul, do you ever watch 'Tellytubbies' on CBBC? They got one of those doohickies sticking out of the astroturf to brainwash the little ankle-biters!
Take care if watching this programme; it's for under 3 year olds and is highly infectious for the middle aged!

Tellytubbycustard!!! Hooraaaay!!!

Tellytubbyspelling!

[This message has been edited by Alan Belson (edited 03-15-2006).]

Today I stumbled over a picture of one of these on a German site about travels to Africa!
Believe me, compared with the one there the ones in thsi thread are gold! Why? They used electrical tape! The one in Africa had open choc block connectors along the pipe... the green wire was sticking out in mid air, clearly not being connected to anything.

If I saw either of those contraptions I'd find a garden hose to stick in the shower so I wouldn't need to touck that thing! Those things are just creepy looking, makes me think of taking a shower in a flash suit!