I’ve been brushing up on my NEC for my new shop. While on vacation, I stayed in a small B&B in the Caribbean. There was no hot water in the bathroom except the shower which had a shower head with a built in electric heater. You can control the hot water during a shower by adjusting the dial on top of the head. I thought this set up was funny and scary in so many ways.
Scary Hot Water Solution
- Thread starter rdagger
- Start date
G_P
Well-known member
Is that just yellow tape on the wire connections? Holy ****! I wonder how many people those shower heads have killed over the years? One slip of the hand while adjusting the knob and you're dead. Looks like the neutral and ground are connected toghether at the red wire and that both wires are coming out of the wall through a phone jack!
nonhog
Well-known member
"Codes? We don't need no stinking codes!"
uniballer
Well-known member
I've never seen something like that!
There are the instant heaters under sinks but a shower head?
There are the instant heaters under sinks but a shower head?
ishiboo
Well-known member
That's not to code even in the 11 BC edition of the NEC.
Holy **** that's scary! You can safely get away with avoiding codes, but that clearly is why codes are in place... it's excessively dangerous
Holy **** that's scary! You can safely get away with avoiding codes, but that clearly is why codes are in place... it's excessively dangerous
justsam
Well-known member
Never knew such a thing existed! Thanks for sharing!
I guess it is all grounded via the galvanized pipe but exposed connections would scare me.
I guess it is all grounded via the galvanized pipe but exposed connections would scare me.
senor fozz
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2013
- Messages
- 543
Question is did you cut the wires and take a cold shower or go without showering?
djjsr
Well-known member
How well did it work?
It actually worked very well. The water was hot instantly and the temperature was consistent. I didn’t mess with the controls and tried not to splash the wires too much. There were no wire nuts, just loose yellow tape with visible copper. The green & white wires from the head were connected to the red from the phone jack. The black from the head was connected to the white from the jack.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
- Where thick flip flops/Crocks
- Make cure you are surrounds 360° by a plastic shower curtain hanging on plastic shower curtain rings
- Keep you arms close to you body at all time. Wash your hair in the sink.
Make sure your life insurance is paid up and re-read your travel insurance policy to see how they would handle "electrocution".
Last edited:
mayday0017
Well-known member
Is that the switch wrapped up in white tape I see too? Prob were getting to many complaints abouut the guest shocking themselves turning it off/on.
Zrexxer
Well-known member
Wow, that picture gave me flashbacks... I stayed in a "hotel" in Honduras up in the mountains near the Guatemalan border that had one every bit as scary as that. We were so happy to have hot water we just grit our teeth and tried to ignore it...
tshetter
Well-known member
Holy **** that is scary.
Growing up we used to call showering from the sink with only a rag a "Puerto Rican bath." Maybe there was some origin to that in reality. Yikes.
Growing up we used to call showering from the sink with only a rag a "Puerto Rican bath." Maybe there was some origin to that in reality. Yikes.
67carl
Well-known member
I've seen those before - they're nicknamed the Suicide Shower. Somewhat common in tropical residences and low budget hotels. Google "suicide shower" and be amazed.
http://johnnyvagabond.com/travel-tips/survive-suicide-shower/
http://johnnyvagabond.com/travel-tips/survive-suicide-shower/
Last edited:
Highbeam
Well-known member
I don't know, other than the exposed copper and tape connections, it's not a bad concept. No water tank, cheap, easily replaced. No hot water plumbing or mixing valves. There are some upsides but yes I would be afraid to touch it.
redlinetoys
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
- Messages
- 69
WOW!! Just did a google image search on suicide showers. AMAZING!!!
Kevin C
Well-known member
I have seen them in south and central america. My personal experience is, avoid touching the shower head!
. . . 
Jme128
Well-known member
lmfao! No kidding!
Dave in Mass
Well-known member
Is this the Timeshare thread?
Bruce4310TX
Well-known member
Time to upgrade your Hotel
alwaysFlOoReD
Well-known member
I was listening to a radio show and the person talked about growing up with his dad, a electrical engineer. He told about seeing a show in which a radio or something electrical was thrown into the tub in order to electrocute someone. The dad told his son that that was total BS and then got his son to throw a toaster into the full tub while the dad was standing in the water. NOTHING happened to the dad but his son was scarred for life thinking he was about to kill his dad. I repeat this story because it could be that the shower head isn't so dangerous after all. I'm not an electrician or engineer but after reading a bit about electricity I tend to think the dad was correct.
Richard
Richard
trainer
Well-known member
You can buy those showerheads on ebay for under $50 shipped.
The scary thing is that they draw something like 5500 watts on 120v. Thats nearly 50 amps!
The scary thing is that they draw something like 5500 watts on 120v. Thats nearly 50 amps!
So you do believe this enough to let me throw a plugged in toaster in a tub with you in it? You don't know how something is wired behind that plug in on the wall.
Would you take the chance. The breaker should pop but what if there is no breaker.
It doesn't take much electricity to stop your heart. Myth Busters did an episode on tub electrocution and the results were very clear that you could die. The results vary depending on how far the item is dropped from the drain and the urine content of the water.
6768rogues
Banned
I would rather be dirty and smelly than get under that shower head.