Hm, this topic may have saved someone's life
We have three bathrooms in our house and one of them doesn't get used very often, usually only when we have guests over. This weekend we've noticed that there's a really odd fishy smell whenever someone uses the shower in that bathroom - I've put half a bottle of Harpic down the drain just this morning - but I thought I'd google it before posting here.

Seems that the fishy smell is most likely overheating insulation in the electric shower and we need to get an electrician to look at it before letting anyone else use it. Never would have guessed that.
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 10:11, 14 replies)

The UK is health and safety to annoyance, yet they allow these death traps...
"Electricity in a shower, what could go wrong"?
(smellysamlyingcable Seaman on, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 10:20, closed)

Dolphin bathrooms used to install an electric shower with an exposed element for heating the water. fucking mental.
Flip side. electric showers are only really dangerous if poorly installed with little regard to earth safety.
RCD protection is required as standard too.
(boarders You won't catch me with my trousers, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 10:35, closed)

As opposed to what?
An electric hot water heater elsewhere in the house?
(gordonjcp, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 11:43, closed)

Why've you got mictoboy on ignore, you big bender?

( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 12:26, closed)

thanks, mr Dedd

( mictoboy shitting in your cunt since, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 12:34, closed)

I'm surprised you noticed it over the fishy smell of all the ropey birds you've oh you know what fuck it I can't be arsed.

( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 11:19, closed)

It's a sad day when folk can't even be bothered to take a lazy swipe at the really really easy targets.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 13:28, closed)

Pickled
onions
(Dr Skagra glorious glargzhem, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 19:38, closed)

Hey Gordon, why have you got me on ignore?
www.b3ta.com/users/profile.php?id=40875
Can someone ask. He won't see this
( mictoboy shitting in your cunt since, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 12:23, closed)

Me too. He must hate us.
Perhaps we smell bad?
( Infidel , shit and wrong, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 12:44, closed)

I might have been a cunt to him
But I can't remember doing so
( mictoboy shitting in your cunt since, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 12:55, closed)

Now we have to remember who we've been cunts to?
This place gets worse with every visit.
( Infidel , shit and wrong, Mon 20 Jan 2014, 20:26, closed)

I'd bet overheating insulation.
I've suffered a similar problem at work, due to a defective on-demand water heater installation. It was only really designed to provide hot water for a hand wash sink, but was plumbed in to provide *all* the hot water for a *whole* delicatessen counter.

It's a red herring, isn't it? The smell arises when copious water is sent down the drain, so its logical (but wrong) to assume it's water displacing the stank.

It may not be the shower itself, but the supply to it: Get an electrician to check all the junction boxes, fuses, and switches that feed it until you find the problem. Isolate current, remove covering plates, look for scorching / charring / melting; which will probably be due to the shower drawing more current than the supply can handle.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Tue 21 Jan 2014, 1:07, closed)

Yep, we had a chap come round last night and that was pretty much it
Nothing to do with the drains or the shower at all, it was the little pull-switch outside whose wiring had seen better days. I'm very glad I googled it now, as it was a serious fire risk if nothing else. And the drains underneath are super-clean now :)
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Tue 21 Jan 2014, 8:15, closed)