Electric shower cold in morning, warm in evening

[choco]

I am a landlord of a flat that has had the electric shower that I was familiar with replaced, and since its replacement a new tenant has moved in. The new tenant complains that the water from the shower is cold in the morning, unless he heats the water in the water tank, but warm in the evening, without needing the water from the hot water tank.

Ironically I am in a similar position - I am renting a house, and the water from the electric shower is cold unless I have heated the water in the hot water tank. I thought electric showers produced their own hot water independently of temperature in the storage tank?!

Bank to my tenant - I have asked the letting agent to contact previous tenant to see if they had a problem.

 

[sparkticus]

Is this an electric shower (a shower that heats the water instantaneously when turned on)

Or is this simply a power shower, uses an electric pump to increase water flow rate but requires storage of hot water?

 

[riveralt]

It sounds like you have a pumped electric shower which draws its hot water from an already heated tank rather than an 'instantaneous' electric shower which draws its water from the cold supply but heats the water inside the shower.

 

[choco]

I am getting brand name and details from management company. Why is the water from my tenants shower cold in morning and warm in evening even if hot water is not heated?

And why would plumber have replaced an electric shower which did heat the water at all times of day, to a pumped one?

 

[choco]

I accept it is a pump in the house I am living in...

 

[EFLImpudence]

And why would plumber have replaced an electric shower which did heat the water at all times of day, to a pumped one?

It is not likely that he would have.
This would have needed additional pipework from the hot water tank and also changing the cold supply from mains to one from the cold water tank.

Can you see how many water pipes go to the shower?
If one then it is an actual electric shower.
If two then it is just a pump.

 

[ColJack]

I am getting brand name and details from management company. Why is the water from my tenants shower cold in morning and warm in evening even if hot water is not heated?

presumably because the tank is in the loft and the water in it is heated by the increase in the loft temperature during the hot days?

it could be that the shower is fed from a cold water tank in the loft and that the reason it heats up when the hot water tank is heated would be to do with overflow from it being dumped in / backing up into the loft tank??? ( sparky here, ask in the plumbng section for confirmation )

if this is the case then further investigation is needed by a plumber since I gather that this is not an ideal situation and may even be seriously dangerous.. ( I believe a little girl was badly scalded when such a tank overflowed and spiled near boiling water through the ceiling above her cot / bed a while back ? )

 

[choco]

Will check with tenant about number of pipes...

Tank not in the loft as am in a flat, cold water tank sits above hot water tank...

 

[Geps]

Could it be water pressure related - I've found that can have a massive effect on the temperature that they give out.

 

[seco services]

The new tenant complains that the water from the shower is cold in the morning, unless he heats the water in the water tank, but warm in the evening, without needing the water from the hot water tank.

Ironically I am in a similar position - I am renting a house, and the water from the electric shower is cold unless I have heated the water in the hot water tank.

Sounds like you have a powershower which won't have hot water unless cylinder is hot.

 

[choco]

After doing some digging it appears my electric shower (in the sense of producing its own hot water independent of temperature of tank) was replaced in October 2007.

What is the normal "shelf life" for these showers? Has it stopped working because it is "old"

 

[choco]

And it's a Triton T80, which appears to be an electric shower fed from cold water cistern...

 

[sparkticus]

Yes a Triton T80 contains a heating element to instantaneously raise the water temperature when water is flowing. Usually it would simply just fail. The symptom of warmer water in the afternoons may well be just environmental factors. These showers have over temperature (thermal) cut-outs which can fail, the heater element can fail (but usually trips the supply when it does) or the main switch may have failed. Really needs someone to have a good look at it.

 

[sparkticus]

After doing some digging it appears my electric shower (in the sense of producing its own hot water independent of temperature of tank) was replaced in October 2007.

What is the normal "shelf life" for these showers? Has it stopped working because it is "old"

Nearly four years life is not bad for an instantaneous electric shower.

 

[seco services]

And it's a Triton T80, which appears to be an electric shower fed from cold water cistern...

A triton T80 is an old shower that many parts are now obselete.
you say it was a replacement.

A triton T80 should be mains fed not tank fed.
if fed from a tank will give a low pressure neon

So you need to go and check the exact model or give us a pic.