A dead steam shower control panel is usually a power problem rather than a broken panel … check the built-in RCD and the fuse or breaker first. If power is confirmed reaching the unit and the panel is still blank or unresponsive, the panel itself has likely failed and needs replacing with an exact matching model.
Applies to: steam showers
If your steam shower control panel is not working or the display will not turn on, the problem is usually caused by a loss of power to the control panel.
The control panel is responsible for operating most functions inside a steam shower cabin including the steam generator, lighting, radio, Bluetooth and other features. If the panel is not receiving power the entire system may appear to stop working.
In many cases the issue is simply caused by a tripped electrical supply or a blown fuse rather than a fault with the control panel itself.
This problem can occur in many steam shower cabins including Insignia, Vidalux, Aqualuso and Lisna Waters models, as well as many other generic steam shower cabins and shower pods.
Compatible with many shower cabin brands including
Quick diagnosis
If your steam shower is showing these symptoms:
- The control panel display is completely blank
- The panel lights up but the buttons don't respond
- Buttons respond but nothing on the shower actually happens
- Lights, radio or Bluetooth stopped along with the panel
Likely causes, most likely first
- No power reaching the panel. The built-in RCD on the cable behind the cabin has tripped, or a fuse or breaker has gone on the fused spur … nothing lights up at all.
- The electric control box, not the panel, has failed. The panel lights up automatically as soon as power reaches it, but none of the buttons or functions respond at all. Check the connections behind the shower and the RCD before assuming the panel itself is at fault … a new electric control box is often the fix here, not a new panel.
- The panel itself has failed. Power is confirmed reaching the unit and the control box connections check out, but the display still stays blank or unresponsive, often after years of condensation or moisture exposure.
- The fault sits in the generator rather than the panel or control box. The panel lights up and takes button presses, but nothing on the shower actually happens … replacing the panel won’t fix this one.
Likely cause
Steam and non-steam cabins can share the same panel shape, but not the same electronics behind it … an MK117L panel, for example, is built for a non-steam cabin and needs its own matching control box, never a steam model's. A blank panel with no lights points to the power supply first, since a tripped RCD or blown fuse stops it powering up before you get anywhere near a faulty component. Where the panel lights up but nothing responds at all, check the electric control box behind the shower before assuming the panel itself has failed.
Check this first
- Check the built-in RCD behind the cabin, if fitted, and the fuse or breaker on the property side
- Look for the model code printed on the front or back of the panel before ordering a replacement
- Note whether the panel lights up at all, or is completely dead, since that decides which fault you’re dealing with
How to identify your part
- Find the model code printed on the front face or the rear of the panel … common codes include MK117, MK220, TR019, TR029 and their ‘L’ variants
- An ‘L’ suffix (MK117L, MK220L) marks a panel built for a non-steam cabin … don’t fit one to a steam model
- Control pads must be fitted with their corresponding steam generator and electronics, so the replacement has to match the code exactly, not just the shape
- If the code has worn off, a clear photo of the panel usually lets us match it
Parts that fix this problem
If your control panel has failed and is no longer powering up, replacing the control panel with the correct model is usually the quickest solution.
Control panels must always be replaced with an exact matching model as different versions are not interchangeable.
Not sure which replacement control panel you need?
Send us a photo of your existing control panel or the model number printed on it and our team will help identify the correct replacement.
How to fix it
- Isolate the power and check the built-in RCD on the cable behind the cabin, if one is fitted
- Check the fuse or breaker on the fused spur or consumer unit circuit feeding the shower
- If the panel is completely blank with no lights at all, the fault is most likely the power supply rather than the panel
- If the panel lights up automatically but none of the buttons or functions respond at all, check the connections behind the shower before assuming the panel has failed … this usually points to the electric control box
- If power is confirmed reaching the unit, the control box connections check out, and the panel is still blank, the panel itself has likely failed and needs replacing
- If the panel lights up and takes button presses but nothing happens on the shower, the fault is probably in the generator rather than the panel or control box
- Note the exact model code before ordering a replacement, since panels are not interchangeable between models
Also described as
- steam shower control panel
- steam cabin control panel
- steam shower digital display
- steam shower controller
- steam shower control unit
Related guide
When to call a professional
Checking the RCD, fuse or breaker is a DIY-safe check. Any fault-finding beyond that inside the wiring should go to a qualified electrician.
