Removing an electric shower..

[WaterTight]

I have no elec quals, no elec knowledge, no elec experience. Most I've done is pipe one up that hadn't be wired up yet once years ago.

Customer wants one removed as he doesn't use it.

Is my best option to include cost of a spark in the quote to come along and remove/blank off wiring? And is that a quick reasonably cheap job?

Thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

does it have a pull switch if yes very easy job

 

[WaterTight]

Not seen it yet. Shouldn't I know how to test/double check it's dead though?

Oh unless you mean very easy for the sparky.

So it can be a big of a bigger job if not cord?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Not seen it yet. Shouldn't I know how to test/double check it's dead though?

Oh unless you mean very easy for the sparky.

So it can be a big of a bigger job if not cord?

easy for the spark and yes

 

[Dotty]

Not seen it yet. Shouldn't I know how to test/double check it's dead though?

Touch it. If it hurts it's not dead.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Touch it. If it hurts it's not dead.

but the key is lick your fingers first

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Joking aside,if you can't use a multimeter best to involve someone who can,as a Engineer often involved on faults,turning it off on a pull switch is not enough if you can't safely test what you are working on ,play it safe and involve a sparks,his fee will be insignificant if there is a fault on the installation

 

[Best]

Probably well worth you learning how to safety test. I tended to leave the pull cord with neon on and pull fuse or MCB and RCD off to confirm neon off at pull cord. I would also lastly pull the pull cord off for belt and braces approach. (If pull cord wasn't type with built in neon, then I used a basic mains tester.) Although I always did a recheck at the cable finally, I now realise that this wasn't 100% safe.

A friend of mine, who had been an electrician in his earlier career, was doing a job for his daughter. He was about to work on a 6mm cable feeding her shower that had been done years ago as part of the new build by the builders spark. My friend turned the proper shower RCD off, but although he was confident power was off, luckily his electrical background meant he did his habit of using a multimeter while working on the bare cables. Cable was live, - the 6mm cooker cable had been mistakenly mixed up with the shower cable and reversed when house was built.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Not to mention all shower pull cords should be double pole,but some are not,basically this means if you turn off a mcb it isolates the live only,under fault conditions neutral will put 240 v down through earth,outcomes permanent

 

[Best]

Not to mention all shower pull cords should be double pole,but some are not,basically this means if you turn off a mcb it isolates the live only,under fault conditions neutral will put 240 v down through earth,outcomes permanent

I haven't come across any pull cords like that on showers. That makes me scared thinking about it. Same on isolating switches to boilers, - I see a lot are just the cheaper single pole switches and frankly they can often look identical to two pole on the outside. I think a lot of installers don't realise the risk involved, plus the fact that only a two pole switch can be a proper isolator.
Another thing not mentioned is that switches inside can fail and one or more of the contacts could be still joined despite the actual exterior switch being moved to off position.
Also there is always one more possibility, - idiots who wire the switches wrong, - like one "electrician" who could have killed me as he had wired to one side of the two pole switch with the cables - yes, he had just joined each live to each other, and the neutral to the outgoing neutral etc, on one side. The two pole switch then wasn't a switch, just a connector

 

[JCplumb]

I'll always remove the fuse, close the double pole, use my multimeter and as a belt and braces I bridge the exposed wires with my screwdriver, never had a bang but you never know.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

I haven't come across any pull cords like that on showers. That makes me scared thinking about it. Same on isolating switches to boilers, - I see a lot are just the cheaper single pole switches and frankly they can often look identical to two pole on the outside. I think a lot of installers don't realise the risk involved, plus the fact that only a two pole switch can be a proper isolator.
Another thing not mentioned is that switches inside can fail and one or more of the contacts could be still joined despite the actual exterior switch being moved to off position.
Also there is always one more possibility, - idiots who wire the switches wrong, - like one "electrician" who could have killed me as he had wired to one side of the two pole switch with the cables - yes, he had just joined each live to each other, and the neutral to the outgoing neutral etc, on one side. The two pole switch then wasn't a switch, just a connector

see problems like this all the time,in short a multi meter is your best friend regarding electrics ,it will save your life if you use it correctly,we drum it into our 2 lads ,don't be complacent test first,they even get told to continuity test the meter every time to make sure the leads are working

 

[Best]

I'll always remove the fuse, close the double pole, use my multimeter and as a belt and braces I bridge the exposed wires with my screwdriver, never had a bang but you never know.

Funny you mentioning you bridge the wires, - that's exactly what I did re my last post!
I had been totally complacent and just made sure on a new boiler install the 2pole switch was off. I had to move a socket it supplied, so when I disconnected the socket wires I thought just in case power on anything I would join all 3 wires together. House trip switch went off. Obviously I then knew the neutral was highly likely still linked.
If I hadn't joined the cables in a test, then all I relied on was the time clock not putting the live through to me and perhaps electrocution

 

[tamz]

If you are doing much work on electrics get yourself one of these or similar.
Easier to handle and quicker to use than a multimeter and has a built in proving unit. Some of them have no contact voltage sensors on too.

TIS 851 Voltage & Continuity Tester

 

[ShaunCorbs]

If you are doing much work on electrics get yourself one of these or similar.
Easier to handle and quicker to use than a multimeter and has a built in proving unit. Some of them have no contact voltage sensors on too.

TIS 851 Voltage & Continuity Tester

I would go with one of these or the t120 if you don't need all the bells etc

Fluke T130 Voltage/Continuity Tester