23 Amp electricity cable

[gln121]

I have just bought a pool heater (5 kw) which connects to pool pump. It has a 2.5mm cable on it and reccommends plugging straight into socket with a circuit breaker plug. I had an electrician install it yesterday into garage socket which has a 2.5mm cable running to the house. The pool heater is not heating and it keeps tripping out. The website where I purchased the heater states that it needs to be connected to a 23 amp cable but this is not stated in the Owners Manual. How can I tell if the garage cable is sufficient for the heater? We put a 13amp plug on the heater, is this correct? Any advice on any part of the set up would be greatly appreciated!

[Postdog]

If you had an electrician install it, why not get the electrician back again. That's what I'd do.

[gln121]

Because I'm not totally confident he knows himself. He installed it as per the Manual but as I said it did not state 23 Amp in the Manual. He is someone I know through someone else and he is a qualified plumber who obviously does electrical work linked with plumbing, ie. heating, etc. He's due back tomorrow night for another reason but I was just eager for any other qualified information in the meantime. But thank you for your comment, I may need to contact a fully qualified electrician instead if all else fails.

[gln121]

Okay (bearing in mind I am a housewife!) I have now been back in the garage, noted there is a big electrical junction box stating "maximum load 45Amps" and found another socket in the garage definately linked into it, plugged heater in and it is working BUT how hot is the water supposed to feel coming out of it in comparison to the pool water? My husband expects it to be like a hot shower (!) but I think we are expecting too much and it is only going to be a few degress higher than the pool water. I think I will post this question as a new one too with a pool heater heading! Many thanks.

[woodchopper]

If I remember rightly a 2.5mm has a design current of 15amps - and a maximum curennt of a bit higher. That is for a permanent cable ie. Twin & Earth - therfore on this basis I would not try pulling 23amps through a 2.5 cable.
I would think things other than the water would get a bit hot.
I would also suggest getting another electrician in.

[jake-the-peg]

You definately need a proper electrician.

It's actually now illegal for unqualified people to work on electrics in areas like kitchen, bathrooms and outside of the house.

Basically anywhere that you come across water

You should make sure they are "part p certified"

see here:
http://www.myworkman.co.uk/articles/partp.php

[sddsddean]

Looking at this the other way, if it is 5000W heater, at 240V it needs nearly 21 amps, so there is no way a 13amp circuit is going to be safe. Get another electrician to advise! Better safe than sorry.

[gln121]

You are all absolutely right, thank you for your posts and I have a qualified electrician on his way to sort it safely.

[woodchopper]

Was the first electrician qualified or a DIY electrician - if he was qualified - report him to the governing body.

[buildersmate]

Jake's advice is spot on. Woodchopper's calculations are about right. There is no way this device should be connected through a 13A socket - it must be directly wired into its own circuit using a T&E cable of at least 4 square milliametres cross-sectional area, probably protected by a 45A fuse or a 40A MCB. It should also have an RCD earth leakage breaker in the circuit. This electrician would seem to be incompetent and you should report him to Trading Standards. Ask if if he is Part P qualified and see if he knows what it means.

[Hamish]

I'm not an electrician but have done a fair bit of wiring in the past, before part P. This will need a dedicated 6mm (min) wire from the fuse box. It will also need a deicated circurit braker (25A pref if avalible). A 13A plug is wrong and I suspect the heater should be hardwired in to the mains with a twin pole switch to turn it off at the wall.

Hope this helps.

[Hamish]

I should add - in theory you should be able to run the heater off a ring main (so long is it is not on a spur) as the ring consists of two 2.5mm cables back to the box - giving a total of 26A - however if you have just able anything else running it will trip the 32A trip switch - also this is not safe as if there is a break in the ring you will draw 21A though only one half of the ring - it will get v hot and is a serious fire hazard.