Electric Shower Not Working or Tripping: What It Can Mean
Pulled the cord, pressed start and nothing happened? Or the shower runs cold, cuts out halfway through, or trips the fuse box as soon as it heats up? This guide explains what each of those can point to, which checks are safe to make, and when it needs an electrician rather than a plumber or the manufacturer.
Send a short message and a photo of the shower and the fuse box to start.
Why an electric shower stops working
An electric shower heats the water itself, so it needs a good water supply and a good electrical supply. Electrical Safety First says an electric shower must be installed by a registered competent electrician and be supplied on its own circuit, and that circuits in bathrooms must be protected by an RCD. A fault can sit in the water supply, in the shower unit or in the electrics feeding it.
No power at all. No lights on the unit and nothing happens. The pull cord or isolator switch may be off, the circuit may have tripped at the fuse box, or there may be a fault on the supply. Mira Showers says a possible electrical supply issue needs a qualified electrician to investigate.
Runs cold. Mira lists a poor water supply, a stop tap that is not fully open, a showerhead blocked with limescale, a kinked hose and the temperature settings. These are not usually electrical.
Cuts out mid-shower. Mira points to the electrical supply, the water supply, other taps in use at the same time, and a blocked head or hose.
Trips the fuse box. Mira says this can happen when the circuit’s breaker or fuse is undersized for the shower, or when an ageing fuse has become more sensitive to the load, and advises consulting a suitably qualified electrically competent person.
Safe checks before you call
Check the isolator is on. That is the pull cord or wall switch for the shower.
Check the fuse box. If the shower’s breaker or the RCD has tripped, the RCD keeps tripping guide explains when one reset is reasonable and when to leave it off.
Check the water side. The stop tap fully open, and the showerhead and hose clear of scale or kinks.
Do not take the cover off the shower unit. Inside it, mains wiring and water sit together. Leave anything inside the unit or the wiring to an electrician or the manufacturer’s engineer.
Stop using it if it smells of burning, shows scorch marks or trips again straight away. The burning smell guide explains what heat and scorch marks can mean.
These checks follow guidance from Electrical Safety First and Mira Showers.
Electrician, plumber or manufacturer?
If there is no power to the unit, it keeps tripping, or there are signs of heat or burning, it is an electrical job. If power is reaching the unit but the water is weak or cold, the cause may be the water supply, the showerhead or the unit itself, and the manufacturer’s service team or a plumber may be the right call.
If you are not sure which it is, a photo of the shower, its pull cord or switch and the fuse box is a good place to start.
Shower jobs AJS has done
Six AJS jobs reviewed on Checkatrade involved an electric shower: a broken isolator switch, a shower that had stopped working, a wire fault, a rerouted shower switch and new or replacement shower units. Fault finding and repairs explains how a fault is traced, and fitting or replacing a shower is covered under kitchen and bathroom electrics.
Every review here is copied word for word from Checkatrade. You can read the full list on Checkatrade and Google.
A broken shower isolator
“Electrician came promptly and at the time he said he would. A straightforward job, but the switch was in an awkward position. Work completed without fuss and within the hour. Courteous throughout. Recommended.”
Checkatrade review, isolator switch for electric shower was broken, CR5
A shower that had stopped
“Workman did a great job, shower now working ok”
Checkatrade review, fix electric shower, CR3
A shower and a wire fault
“Very polite and very efficient. Very please with his work.”
Checkatrade review, supplied fitted shower and fixed wire fault
A replacement shower unit
“I needed a new shower unit ,Alex phoned and we agreed a date he was running a little late on the day he text to let me know which was very good. He replaced the shower unit in no time he was very friendly and polite i would recommend to family and friends i would definately use him again”
Checkatrade review, shower unit replaced, RH11
A rerouted shower switch
“He did what he said he would do and quickly.”
Checkatrade review, rerouted shower switch
Common questions
Can i reset the breaker myself?
Once, as the RCD keeps tripping guide explains. If the shower trips it again, or anything smells hot, leave it off and get it checked.
Is it safe to keep using a shower that cuts out?
If it cuts out because of the water supply or a blocked head, the cause may not be electrical. If it trips the fuse box, smells hot or shows any marks, stop using it until it has been checked.
Can i replace the shower myself?
No. Electrical Safety First says an electric shower must be installed by a registered competent electrician and be supplied on its own circuit.
Is a shower with no power an emergency?
Not usually, unless there are signs of burning or water getting into the electrics. For urgent problems outside working hours, the emergency electrician page explains how a call-out works.
What should i send?
A photo of the shower unit, its pull cord or switch and the fuse box, with a note of what happens when you turn it on.
Shower stopped working?
Send a photo of the shower and the fuse box on WhatsApp with a note of what it is doing, or call. It is the same process whichever of the electrical services available you need.