How suicidal are electric "suicide showers?"
Some people refer to the showers commonly found in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia which have an electric heating element built into the head as "suicide showers" due to the apparent risk of electric shock. How high is this risk really? Even if one was to get shocked how likely would it be at a dangerous or even fatal level?
Best Answer
I live in Brazil and used this kind of shower for a good amount of my life. On the summer we actually remove the gas shower and install this eletric shower, cause it is cheaper.
So, with that said, I'm pretty confident that it depends more on the capability of who made the instalation than the shower itself.
I've been showering this way for twenty years and never had a problem.
I can undestand why foreigners would be scared to the point of naming it a 'suicide shower', but in my opinion, there's no need for such fear.
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Are electric shower heaters safe?
You probably know that water and electricity are usually a very dangerous combination, but electric showers are perfectly safe if they're properly fitted. That's because a heating element is a completely sealed unit. The electric current flows through the element, but not in such a way that it can give you a shock.Can you get a shock from an electric shower?
In most cases, you can get shocked if the water pipe in your shower water heating system is not properly isolated from the electrical circuit or if the shower fixture electric is not properly grounded, if you felt anything like that please contact a certified electrician before making any changes that may endanger your ...How does the Lorenzetti shower work?
The water pushes on a diaphragm which is connected to electrical connections that are connected to the element, so when the water pushes on the diaphragm the diaphragm then makes contact with the electrical contacts and so giving power to the element.What is a suicide shower in Costa Rica?
The last form of heating water that we have experienced in Costa Rica is what we like to refer to as the "suicide shower". Using electricity directed through a coil, the water is heated just before delivery. We have seen a few of these units that looked perfectly safe to use.How Safe Is the SHOWER HEAD OF DOOM?!
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Answer 2
These are common in rural areas of Ecuador and Peru. I have used them for years and only got some mild shocks a few times. More than 95% of the time, it runs fine and without risk. Guess it depends on the installation and maintenance of these as the ones that shocked me were in very remote areas. Those in hotels that use them, were pretty much always safe.
Answer 3
I was shocked by one of these one time, in Costa Rica. It was just a quick jolt, nothing too painful and nothing lasting. Different brands and models are certainly different though, so always worth it to be careful.
I wouldn't stress out about it and I certainly wouldn't avoid staying in a place or visiting a country that is known to use them.
Answer 4
You will find something very similar, not in the shower head, but on the wall of your shower, in many bathrooms in Germany. Usually 10-20 kilo watt, an electronic fuse that shuts down the power within a microsecond if any electrical current is misdirected, and it produces water at the exact temperature that you want immediately.
https://www.siemens-home.bsh-group.com/de/produktliste/warmwassergeraete/durchlauferhitzer
I'd love one of those in my home, but a UK electrician would probably get a heart attack if you ask them to install it. They are supposed to be very energy efficient, and if you use solar energy to create warm water, they can easily just add that little bit extra temperature that you want.
Answer 5
I've used good ones and not-so-good ones. The electric element is in the water, but of course you can avoid getting shocked if you avoid putting yourself in a place where you close the circuit. i.e, don't touch metal plumbing. The best is if the shower floor + wall is plastic and you only touch plastic while the heater is on. The one you pictured would be a lot safer if they moved the on/off switch a few inches over so you could more easily avoid touching the metal pipe until it's off.
Answer 6
They are perfectly safe, as long as they are well installed. In my 36 years of life, using them practically all my life, I never had any problems. There are brands in Brazil that develop showers of the highest quality.
Answer 7
Used these showers every day for two years and never had a problem. Noticed that 220 volts produced better hot water than the 110. Don't be scared.
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