Redring Poor spray pattern from the handsetwhat to check
Redring answer this with a spray plate clean and a mode change, and it is worth doing before it becomes one of the faults that costs money.
Before you start
What this means
This is the smallest entry in Redring's guides and it is on this site because of what it turns into if it is left. Their published answer is short: clean the spray plate, and if the handset is adjustable, select a different mode by rotating it. Both take a minute. The reason it matters more than the symptom suggests is that on an electric shower the handset is not a comfort item — it is the outlet restriction that sets how fast water moves through the heater.
A spray plate furring up is the same event as the flow through the appliance dropping, and a shower with reduced flow is a shower running closer to its temperature limit on every use. That is the chain that connects a slightly disappointing spray to the expensive entries elsewhere in the same troubleshooting table. First the water gets hotter than it used to at the same setting, because the same heat is going into less water. Then the temperature starts cycling, because the shower is repeatedly reaching its threshold and cutting out.
Then the over-temperature cut-out operates properly. And at the far end, if the outlet blocks enough, the pressure relief device ruptures and the shower is out of service until somebody replaces it. Redring name a blocked handset as a cause in every one of those entries. So the reason to deal with a poor spray pattern promptly is not that a weak shower is unpleasant, though it is. It is that the handset is the cheapest component in the chain and the one whose neglect causes the failures further along it.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Scale on the spray plate | Redring’s own answer is to clean it. In a hard water area the holes narrow over months and the pattern degrades before the flow visibly drops. | Common |
| Handset set to an inappropriate mode | Redring suggest rotating an adjustable spray plate to select a different mode. Some modes concentrate the flow and feel weaker overall. | Occasional |
| Debris collecting in the handset | Material from the supply lodging in the head. If it recurs quickly, that is the supply problem Redring treat as a separate question. | Occasional |
| Hose partially restricted | A collapsed liner reduces what reaches the head, so the pattern suffers even though the head itself is clean. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Clean the spray plate, which is Redring’s own first answer. Rubbing the flexible jets by hand clears light scale without any chemicals.
If the handset is adjustable, rotate the spray plate to select a different mode. Redring name this as the second half of their answer.
Take the handset off and run the hose into the tray. Strong flow from the bare hose confirms the head is the restriction rather than the supply.
Descale the head properly if the pattern does not recover — or replace it, which is often cheaper than rescuing one that has gone hard.
Note how quickly it recurs. A head that blocks again within weeks is the debris question rather than the scale one, and that points at your water supply.
Get a qualified electrician to look at your Redring 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–£35
Time on site
10 minutes
Free to clean. A replacement handset is the only likely cost, and it is the cheapest part in the water path by a wide margin.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
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Related Redring fault codes
- Water dripping from the bottom of the showerGet it checkedRedring attribute this to the safety pressure relief having operated, and they are clear it is a replacement part rather than something that reseals.Related: leaking
- Water too COLDGet it checkedRedring answer this with eight checks in a deliberate order, and the seventh is the one nobody guesses: run the shower cold to reset the cut-out.Related: same brand
- otGet it checkedOver Temperature Shutdown on a Selectronic: the water got too hot, so the shower stopped it. Purge it cold before restarting, and stop using the isolator to switch off.Related: same brand
- Shower cycles from HOT to COLDGet it checkedRedring name one cause: the temperature is set too high, so the thermal cut-out keeps operating. Their fix is a dial adjustment done slowly.Related: same brand
- Water too HOTGet it checkedRedring give six checks, and the one that distinguishes them is a filter inside the solenoid valve that other brands do not send you to.Related: same brand
- LPGet it checkedLP on a Selectronic Advanced means the water supply has dropped below two litres a minute. The shower has cut its heaters rather than boil a trickle.Related: same brand
Own a Redring electric shower? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions
Is a poor spray pattern worth bothering with?
Yes, and not for comfort. The handset sets the flow through the heater, so a restricted one pushes the shower towards running hot, cycling and eventually tripping its cut-out — all faults Redring attribute to a blocked handset.
Can I descale the head with vinegar?
A mild descaler is the usual approach, and rubbing the flexible jets clears light scale without anything at all. Avoid abrasives and anything unsuitable for plastics or plated surfaces.
How often should I clean it?
In a hard water area, treat it as regular maintenance rather than a repair — every few weeks keeps the flow up. Bristan build the same idea into their showers as a reminder that appears every few dozen cycles.
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.