How to Prevent Shower Seams from Melting

Some installations, because they are poorly designed, can have a serious problem of melting the applied cabling, and this fact largely happens in the seam between the shower and the network.

In this article, we will address this problem and explain in a simple way how this imminent fire risk can be avoided and what methods should be applied to reduce this risk, as well as a clear understanding of why this phenomenon happens.

Why do shower cords melt?

Let’s understand or remember a little of the class on electric current where you certainly learned that an electric current has intrinsic characteristics and that it naturally generates heat in electric conductors.

Electrical conductors in turn have a specific resistance in their properties, so we are able to choose the best type of conductor to apply in our circuit, always taking into account its specific resistance and the cost of this cabling.

This specific resistance is the resistance faced by the electric current, this resistance can be low or high and it will all depend on the material being used, the lower this specific resistance of the conductive material, the better the energy transmission, so if the resistance If the material is too high, the plastic protection may melt and short circuit may occur, among other more serious problems. Tips to detect pipe in the wall before drilling

Why do the seams heat up and melt the cable?

The melting of the conductor cables that are caused by a splice between wires happens due to the fact that a splice was wrongly executed and with that, heating will happen beyond what is supported and cause damage to your installation.

A splice must be well executed in order to guarantee the characteristics of the cable as close to the manufacturing standard and in this way the heat generated will be supported by the plastic protection in addition to not breaking the connection, so when executing a splice, you must always follow the splicing patterns, obeying the details and avoiding an increase in energy consumption as well as more serious problems like short circuits and fires.

Why do shower seams melt more often?

The electric shower is the most powerful equipment in a residence, we know that it must have an independent circuit in the installation and that its cabling must be dimensioned for its power.

Knowing this, if you undersize the shower cabling you will certainly have a great risk of melting the cable at some point or completely, as it will be required to the extreme and with this it will increase the resistance of the current passage and consequently lead to melting.

Whether or not the shower cabling is undersized or not, the first place you notice a fault in the shower circuit is in its splice. This happens because it is the point of union between two materials and it was often executed in the wrong way.

How to prevent shower seams from melting:

To prevent the shower cable and splice from melting, you need to follow the electrical installation standards, taking into account not only the gauge of the wire to be used but also the correct execution of the splice between the shower and the electrical network.

A well-executed splice in an electric shower that will make your installation richer in safety and even in aesthetics can be done in two methods, by connector or direct, let’s understand each case

Connector splicing: This method is the simplest, fastest and most effective, offering even more convenience when replacing the shower if necessary, this method consists of installing multiple connection ceramic connectors. These connectors are able to maintain the mechanical characteristics between the cables, that is, they maintain their specific resistance and better dissipate the heat generated on site. It is worth remembering that you should use ceramic connectors whenever possible, as these models can withstand and dissipate better at high temperatures and you don’t run the risk of this material melting, as can happen with plastic connectors;

Direct splicing: If you still prefer the direct splicing, you can do it, but taking some details into account:

¹ The first is always to obey the standard of the size that must be made the stripping of the wire both from the shower and from the electrical network.

² The second step after carrying out the extension splice is advisable to carry out the tin process in the splice, this step allows the cables to be fused, thus making the resistance unique with the same mechanical characteristic and the tin helps in reducing the temperature increase.

To insulate this splice then use high fusion tape and then insulating tape, in this way the insulation does not run any risk of short circuit or shock.

After knowing these safety tips for your electrical installation, surely your problems with the electric shower seam will disappear from your life and from your customers.