This morning got a phone call at 7.00am from my daughter "dad the shower is on fire" !!! not the type of call you can deal with well at any time, few words were exchanged, switch the fuse board off and get out!

 

7 miles away, got there in race track time, to see two fire engine and associated pipes and firemen and the girls outside in their pj`s

 

Everybody was safe and despite a very, very smokey house the main rooms are ok.

 

The amazing thing is only the electric shower unit actually caught fire but the smoke damage is major in the bathroom, thankfully Danni had presence of mind to shut the bathroom door which the fire crew said saved the rest of upstairs.

 

Defo an insurance job now, assessor coming tomorrow, meanwhile Danni is back home with us until its fixed.

 

One point I would like to make is the excellent response time and actions of the Tamworth Fire Brigade, arrive within 7 minutes of the call, no doubt this added to saving the rest of the house.

 

The firecrew made a complete check of the house to ensure the electric supply was ok to turn back on etc.

 

The added shame was it was Danni`s 30th birthday this morning and her house mates had no chance to do the present thing.....but could of ended very differently.

 

Worth having your house checked out from time to time, the shower units was only 4 years old!

 

Jeff TT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 201213 yr by JeffTT

Glad everyone is ok. Smoke damage is horrible stuff.

get the electrics checked and get some decent circut breaker's in there, we have just had to have all the bedsit's done and the amount of electrical appliances that the tennant's (their own gear) have had to throw out is unbelievable, the fuses never blew but the breaker's flick off immediately

 

glad to see everyone is safe though, could have been so much worse

 

also to add, if you have to clean it yourself's (as the insurance company's are usless) use cream cleaner's with citrus added, the citrus cut's through the soot enough to cover with paint on the ceiling

 

tiles and bathroom suite will clean spotless, but not sure on the grout

 

hope it get's sorted quick

Bloodey 'ell... that thing mustve had a hell of alot of moisture in it to do that after just 4 years. would have to be sealed up properly to avoid it especially with the shower heads on the hose.

 

Glad everybody is okay mate.

Glad everyone got out ok, the builders have just finished at our house, four months after our freezer set on fire in the garage.

The insurance company have paid out, but its been a very slow process.

 

I lost everything in the garage, tools, motorbikes etc, there was smoke damage to the rest of the house and everyroom had to be re-decorated to get rid of the smell of smoke.

 

Our freezer set on fire in the attached garage and I noticed smoke coming around the frame in the internal door, kept the door shut and the fire service arrived in about 10 mins, but the smoke ruins eveything.

Glad no one was hurt, that must have been a scary experience for her and an adrenalin filled one for you too.

Glad everyone got out ok, the builders have just finished at our house, four months after our freezer set on fire in the garage.

The insurance company have paid out, but its been a very slow process.

 

I lost everything in the garage, tools, motorbikes etc, there was smoke damage to the rest of the house and everyroom had to be re-decorated to get rid of the smell of smoke.

 

Our freezer set on fire in the attached garage and I noticed smoke coming around the frame in the internal door, kept the door shut and the fire service arrived in about 10 mins, but the smoke ruins eveything.

 

Seeing as we are on the fire topic i'll throw this in

 

We're talking geez, 30 years ago?

 

My grandfather used to have a panel shop.

 

Burnt to the ground one night, tracked it down to the car batteries shorting in the wrecked cars.

 

So lesson learnt and batterys were always unhooked before lock up/ removed if car wasnt to be moved etc.

 

Then one night somebody forgot one car, and he lost the lot again, not a problem with newer car batteries, but back then it was.

 

Also had a mates car catch fire while we were driving along and watched a car that took 6 years to build go up in smoke. Never did find the cause.

 

Damn cavemen and thier discoveries.

Looking closer at the shower the cables have clearly overheated that caused the insulation to melt and then flash across sparking the fire, oh I did forget to mention Danni was actually in the shower when this started!! lucky girl me thinks.

 

Jeff

 

get the electrics checked and get some decent circut breaker's in there, we have just had to have all the bedsit's done and the amount of electrical appliances that the tennant's (their own gear) have had to throw out is unbelievable, the fuses never blew but the breaker's flick off immediately

 

glad to see everyone is safe though, could have been so much worse

 

also to add, if you have to clean it yourself's (as the insurance company's are usless) use cream cleaner's with citrus added, the citrus cut's through the soot enough to cover with paint on the ceiling

 

tiles and bathroom suite will clean spotless, but not sure on the grout

 

hope it get's sorted quick

 

 

Its a rented house, hopefully the landlord will get his insurance to pull their finger out!

 

Jeff TT

fookin hell jeff. Looks like the installer is at fault there :(

 

Very very lucky!!!!

Very lucky to be alive, cant imagine being electrocuted never mind electrocuted in a shower !

 

Leathal Weapon scene comes to mine there !

 

Scary stuff

I actually wonder if there was ever anything between those 2 metal blocks that the cables bolt into, wouldn't suprise me if the landlord fitted it himself.

So, so glad everyone is all ok !!

 

I gotta ask, do you know what make and model the shower was ?

 

Family hugs all round this weekend methinks !

 

Alan.....

glad to hear everyone is ok mate..... scary stuff!

So, so glad everyone is all ok !!

 

I gotta ask, do you know what make and model the shower was ?

 

Family hugs all round this weekend methinks !

 

Alan.....

 

Was wondering this as well!-Hope the L/Lord didn't fit it,otherwise he's in deep do-do!

Glad it had a happy ending tho' Jeff:yes:

Shower was a Tritan not sure of exact model, I did take a quick look at the breaker board and could not see any electrical test labels?

 

The landlord was informed and arrived before the firemen left and apparently they were asking him some questions he seemed to be avoiding answering directly??

 

Jeff

its good that every one is ok ... did it start with the show being used ?

those wires look the right gage for shower the insulator could of be cracked or even chafing

 

but its good that the hole house didnt go with it .... :)

I bet this was a new type shower which is rated at 9.5kw, and the cable was only a 6mm2, rated for 8.5kw. I can this is becoming a common problem, people fiting new showers, and not thinkng about the updating of the supply to a 45amp RCD and cable replacement to 10mm2 Jeff it would be worth checking the cable if you get chance at the dist board end.

 

Allan

Shocking pictures Jeff, glad everyone is ok and hope they get it all sorted and made sure things are safe for the future when put back together!

Eeek, that could have been a lot worse...:scared:

 

I'm pleased Danni is OK though; so please wish her all the best from me Jeff, and I hope she gets the house sorted mate!

 

Richard:sad:

I bet this was a new type shower which is rated at 9.5kw, and the cable was only a 6mm2, rated for 8.5kw. I can this is becoming a common problem, people fiting new showers, and not thinkng about the updating of the supply to a 45amp RCD and cable replacement to 10mm2 Jeff it would be worth checking the cable if you get chance at the dist board end.

 

Allan

 

being an electrician id go with this as being the cause also. i make it standard practice to just install 10mm cable on all my showers now also even if it was the right cable ect something as simple as a loose (even if it doesnt look loose) live or neutral in the conector block can be enough to cause that due to the ampage it pulls, doesnt have to be a loose conection on mains can be a loose factory conection

also if it was rented house the landlord should have periodic testing certificates which would highlight any defects in wiring even if he hasnt acted upon it

 

glad everyone was ok though thats the main thing

Edited January 20, 201213 yr by zerocooldel

Blimey Jeff, Never rains but pours does it

 

Give Danni our love and say lucky girl with the presence of mind to deal with it as she did.

 

From above it does sound like her landlord is on a sticky wicket.....

That's a scary combination, fire, electric and water. My shower has been making strange noises for a few months. This might be the kick up the backside I needed to get it checked out.

had a simular issue with a steam generator at work the other week on eof the elements overheated blew and caused a direct short to earth(3phase supply) bang, breaker didnt cut in an dit started to melt all the internals. fortunatly someone pulled the plug before it took the building out.

Wow first time I have seen a shower catch fire and as said the cables look to small for the unit. Glad no one was hurt and they get it sorted soon.

Very lucky girl. Glad everyone is ok and it's not the whole house that went up!