Mira E fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
Flashing red and blue with Start/Stop off. The flow valve has failed, which is the component that lets water into the heater in the first place.
Take care
Get a qualified electrician to look at your Mira E
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 E means
The flow valve on an electric shower is the gatekeeper: it opens to admit water when you start the shower and closes when you stop it, and the appliance will not energise its elements unless it is satisfied water is actually moving. Code E means that component has failed rather than merely being obstructed, and the distinction from code A matters because the two can look identical from inside the cubicle. Code A is the shower reporting that not enough water is arriving, which is usually something you can clear — a filter, a head, a hose, debris the purge will shift.
Code E is reached after that, through the second reading, and it is the appliance saying the valve itself is not doing its job. Mira’s published action reflects that difference exactly: for A they give you four things to check and a purge procedure, and for E they give you one instruction, contact customer services. The valve is an electromechanical part sitting in the water path inside a sealed case. It fails in the ways such parts fail — the solenoid coil goes open circuit, the plunger sticks on scale in a hard water area, or the diaphragm perishes — and none of those is diagnosable or repairable without the cover off.
What an owner can usefully do is establish that they are on E rather than A, which means running the two-stage reading properly: note the first indication, carry out the initial action, and if the fault survives, press and hold Start/Stop and note the second Status sequence. Getting that right is the difference between a five-minute clean and a service call.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Solenoid coil failed | The electrical half of the valve gone open circuit, so nothing opens when the shower is started. A common failure mode for this class of part. | Common |
| Valve mechanically stuck on scale | In a hard water area the moving parts fur up until the plunger no longer travels. The shower is not obstructed so much as seized. | Common |
| Diaphragm or seat perished | Age rather than fault. The valve stops sealing or stops opening cleanly, and the appliance sees flow that does not match what it commanded. | Occasional |
| Wiring or connector to the valve failed | A healthy valve that is not being driven. Cheaper than a new valve and only distinguishable with the case open. | Occasional |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£90–£220
Time on site
1 hour
A flow valve and the labour to fit it. On an older unit compare that against a replacement shower, since the rest of the appliance is the same age as the part that failed.
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 Mira fault codes
- IGet it checkedFlashing red and white with Start/Stop flashing. Mira call it a software error, and their published remedy is simply to power cycle the unit.Related: internal-components
- JGet it checkedStart/Stop lit, Status flashing red and white. Relay board failure — the board that actually switches the heating elements has failed.Related: internal-components
- HGet it checkedFlashing red and white with Start/Stop off. The cover PCB has failed — the board behind the front panel that reads the button and drives the lights.Related: internal-components
- GGet it checkedStart/Stop lit, Status flashing red and blue. The shower has decided the Start/Stop button is stuck in the pressed position.Related: internal-components
- AGet it checkedFlashing red on the Status light. Mira group three water-supply problems under this one code: no supply, low pressure, or a blockage somewhere in the outlet.Related: same brand
- DGet it checkedFlashing red and yellow. The outlet thermistor has seen a temperature above what Mira allow, and the shower has stopped rather than deliver it.Related: same brand
Own a Mira electric shower? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Mira E
How do I know this is E and not A?
By doing the second reading. A is the first indication with a flashing red status; E is what you get when the fault survives the initial action and you press and hold Start/Stop. Without that second step the two are indistinguishable.
Would descaling the shower help?
It might, if the valve is stuck rather than failed, but not from outside — the valve is inside the case and there is no owner-accessible descaling route to it. That is a job for whoever opens the unit.
Is this worth repairing?
On a shower still in warranty, certainly. Out of warranty it depends on age: a flow valve plus labour on a ten-year-old unit is a substantial fraction of a new shower fitted on the same circuit.
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.