Bristan Two dashes on the displaywhat it means
Standby, and nothing more. Bristan document two dashes as meaning the shower is powered and ready to start, which is the opposite of a fault.
Before you start
What this means
This page exists because two unexplained characters on a display look exactly like a fault code to the person reading them, and this particular pair means the shower is working. Bristan document it plainly: symbols showing in the temperature indicator display indicate the unit is in standby mode, the shower is powered and ready to start. It is the display's resting state, shown when there is supply to the unit and nobody has pressed the button. Understanding why it looks alarming explains why it is worth a page. The display is a temperature indicator. Its normal job is to show a number, and it can only show a number while water is flowing and being heated.
When nothing is running there is no temperature to display, so rather than going blank — which would be indistinguishable from a dead shower — Bristan show a placeholder. That is a sensible design decision that produces a confusing result, because the reader has no way to know that this pair of characters is different in kind from LP, CL, E1, E2 and E3, which really are codes.
The useful thing to take from it is what it rules out. Dashes on the display mean the supply has reached the appliance, the electronics are alive, and the display is working. If the shower will not start from that state, the fault is downstream of all three, and none of the supply-side checks that dominate this category apply. That is genuinely worth knowing before somebody starts looking at the consumer unit.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| The shower is in standby | The only meaning. Bristan describe it as the unit being powered and ready to start, with the shower ready to use. | Common |
| No temperature to display yet | The indicator shows the water temperature, and there is none until the shower runs. The dashes stand in for a number that does not exist yet. | Common |
What to try yourself
Press the start button. From standby the shower should run, and the dashes should be replaced by a temperature reading within a few seconds.
If it starts and shows a temperature, nothing is wrong and the dashes were doing their job.
If it will not start from standby, note that the supply, the electronics and the display are all confirmed working — that rules out the breaker, the pull cord and the cable.
Take a real code seriously if one replaces the dashes. LP, CL and the E-codes are the entries in Bristan’s troubleshooting table; the dashes are not.
Get a qualified electrician to look at your Bristan electric shower
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified electrician, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0
Time on site
1 minutes
Nothing. This is the shower’s resting display rather than a fault, and there is no repair associated with it.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related Bristan fault codes
- CLUsually simple to fixNot a fault. A scheduled cleaning reminder that runs for five shower cycles and then stops on its own, whether or not you do anything.Related: controls
- LPGet it checkedTwo letters that look like an abbreviation for low pressure. On a Joy Care, Bristan file six different causes under them, including a tripped cut-out.Related: same brand
- E1Get it checkedThe code where Bristan contradict themselves. On a Glee it is a failed thermistor and a phone call; on a Joy Care, hot water left in the unit or a blockage you clear yourself.Related: same brand
- E3Get it checkedA Joy Care code about water arriving. Two of Bristan’s four causes are things you can check yourself in a few minutes and cost nothing.Related: same brand
- E2Get it checkedA Joy Care code covering two component faults: an inlet or outlet thermistor, or the temperature control dial. Neither is an owner repair.Related: same brand
Own a Bristan electric shower? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions
Is the display broken if it only shows dashes?
No. It is the standby state, and Bristan document it as the shower being powered and ready to use. A working display with nothing to measure is exactly what you would expect to see between showers.
What should the display show when the shower is running?
A temperature. That is what the indicator is for, and the dashes are the placeholder shown when there is no flowing water to measure.
The shower shows dashes but will not start. What now?
That is a useful result rather than a dead end. Supply, electronics and display are all confirmed alive, so the supply-side checks do not apply and the fault is in the start circuit, the solenoid or the flow path.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.