4 10kw showers

[jordanp31]

Hi, iv just been asked to price a changing room with 4 10kw showers, lighting and power circuits and need some advice as normally do domestic work! What size armored would you use for a sub mains to be taken off an existing 3 phase supply at a length of 15m and would this cable need to be RCD protected?? 20a radial would be sufficient for power and a 6a lighting circuit.

i know its abit brief but any help would be appreciated!

 

[telectrix]

arte these showers alreadt connected orf is it part of your work

 

[jordanp31]

No this will be a new installation of 4 showers, a 20a radial and a 6a lighting circuit which will need to be fed from a submain in a new built changing room. There is a 3 phase supply which i can feed the sub from but would need to know what size armored i should use.

 

[Darkwood]

I take it other methods of water heating/storage have been discussed, four 10KW showers may not be the most energy efficient way of providing hot water, also can we assume been a changing room we can omit diversity here as it will possibly have all showers constantly running possibly up to an hour when the changing rooms are in use?
You give little info ...install methods; regardless of not been in your normal comfort zone the same calcs still apply.

 

[dan86]

what kinda lighting, how many sockets-used for what? four showers is gonna demand massive power

 

[telectrix]

so, you will have a 3 phase sub main balance the load as best you can. as all showers may be on at the same time, you need to allow for virtually the whole 160A. there's no guidance as far as i know for diversity in a case like this.

 

[Darkwood]

Also what is the demand per phase existing, what is the KVA allowance from the supplier, what service fuse sizes are fitted.... its kinda a little bit more complicated than throwing a circuit in a house where rule of thumb can be assumed that incoming is sufficiently sized.

 

[jordanp31]

Sorry folks I'm open to all advice! I know i haven't given much info on existing supply etc as I haven't looked at the job yet. I thought 4 10kw showers were a strange way of providing hot water in a changing room that could possibly be used for most of the day but this was the spec the builder mentioned on the phone. Has anyone worked on a similar installation that could suggest other methods o heating the water for this installation? I'm only really familiar whith a S/Y plan, immersion heater and combi boiler systems!

 

[Darkwood]

Changing rooms with showers on most the day or just accessible with after match use of hot water... what are the changing rooms serving here?

 

[Engineer54]

Why 10KW showers, why not 8.5KW units, not that it makes much of a difference!! lol!! Sounds to me like this installation would be far better served via an electric boiler/immersion heater through a pump (if no other energy source is available) rather than multiple separate showers!!

 

[Guest55]

the chances of the mains cold water supply being high enough pressure to run 4 elec showers at once is nil to be honest.

 

[Sharpend]

arte these showers alreadt connected orf is it part of your work

Been on the liquid gold by any chance?

 

[Guitarist]

I think that when you tell them the price based on what you have said, they'll want to look at alternative methods.
Also, totally agree with Biff...No way you can run 4 electric showers at the same time from normal mains pressure.

 

[Engineer54]

Id get back to the builder and tell him, what he want's can't be provided and that he needs to change his thinking as to how to supply these 4 shower cubicles with hot water...

 

[telectrix]

solution is obvious........ cold showers, ssimplesss.

 

[Darkwood]

I would suggest liaising with a plumbing Engineer and have a site meeting with the clients and/or foreman if there is one, if this as you imply has already designed then query whether supply demand, availability etc has already been confirmed and if not highlight your concerns and ask for a site meeting with all relevant people... also find out average daily/weekly use and have ready a projected energy cost to run these showers, if as you say they be in use most of the day then this could be a big cost although i find it hard to believe they would be in use that much ...only the like of swimming pools on weekends see a constant flow of traffic through the showers.

 

[applemac]

Place I know had four showers available all day, Rimini boiler fed from large bottles as remote from main building to large storage tank heated then power pump to four down pipes with concusion shower taps. Ran well

 

[joel89]

Use the regs? Tell you current carrying in there for which ref method you using

 

[Engineer54]

Well that was helpful ....Not!! lol!!