Electric head shower CFCI breakers

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Heresmil

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I live in Costa Rica and my customer ( a civil engineer) decided to have electric head showers in the bathrooms of the house he is building now.It is posibble te get italian head showers in Costa Rica of 5500Watts, 120 Volts.But neither Eaton Cutler Hammer neither Schneider Square D manufacture GFCI breakers 50 A, 1 pole what is needed for such power and voltage.The owner said me that is not necessary but I am not agree with him.Please your opinions
 
charlie b

charlie b

Moderator
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Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
The NEC only requires GFCI protection for certain 15 and 20 amp receptacle loads, plus a very few other specific applications. This is not one of them. So it is not necessary. Would it be a good protective feature, if such an item can be found? Probably. Will you be able to find such an item? I do not know.
 
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MrArachnid

Member
Location
Titusville, FL US
Since Hot tubs, Receptacles near pools, bathroom and kitchen receptacles near sinks and the like are to be GFCI protected, I would err on the side of caution and install the GFCI breaker. Do a search for "GFCI/RCD breakers panel mount" you may find what you need for single pole breakers of that size. The draw back is the trip rating. In the States, the GFCI has a trip rating of 5 mA where the RCD equivalent have trip ratings that start at 10 mA that I have found. I am having to install a Din-mount GFCI/RCD on a project of mine for the convenience receptacles that are within a system that processes liquid.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I don't know what an "Electric Head Shower" is but if it is nothing more than a heating element in the line and is not within the shower enclosure it is not any different than an "electric water heater" which does not require GFCI protection.
 
H

Heresmil

Member
What is a lectric head shower?

What is a lectric head shower?

It is a shower with electric resistane inside with water flow swicth.When water flows switch close and resistance turn on heating the water.Electricity in contact with water falling on thge people who are bathing and standing on wet floor.
portal_duchas.asp
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Heresmil said:
It is a shower with electric resistane inside with water flow swicth.When water flows switch close and resistance turn on heating the water.Electricity in contact with water falling on thge people who are bathing and standing on wet floor.
portal_duchas.asp
Click to expand...

So basically it is a point of use water heater. I assume it is located near the shower but not actually within the shower space.
 
RichB

RichB

Senior Member
Location
Tacoma, Wa
Occupation
Electrician/Electrical Inspector
This almost sounds like one of those funky shower heads with the heater in the head that was being advertised --there was a thread on here about those awhile back and I can"t find it now--where the heating element was just a wire that the weater flowed around--If so I would suggest removing it and installing a point of use heater--and follow the advice given in earlier posts
 
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renosteinke

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
IIRC, the prior thread also originated in Costa Rica.

The apppliance was actually a shower head with a small heating element in it- and a couple wires sticking out. As you might guess, folks here had a few concerns.

I agree with the general concept- I simply don't want power anywhere near the shower ... and what there is I want it bonded to Hell and back, GFCI'd, and sprinkled by holy water by the local UL priest. But that's just me.

Costa Rica is in many ways similar to the US, but it is NOT the US. It is possible that the circuit, even the entire house, has some manner of RCD/GFCI already installed.
 
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