Are you wondering if there’s an easy fix for your faulty Baxi boiler?
Dealing with a faulty boiler can be stressful, but wouldn’t it be good if there was an easy way to diagnose and fix the problem? Well, there just might be.
I’ve written a few of these blog posts now, with the aim of covering some of the most common faults and issues with popular boiler brands, so you can get a better idea of the problem and arrange for the help you need – you might even be able to try a couple of these yourself!
TIP: If you’re in any doubt, or it’s not an easy fix such as low pressure or a frozen condensate, DO NOT try to fix the boiler yourself – always call a professional Gas Safe registered heating engineer.
So, this week it’s time to take a closer look at common issues with Baxi boilers. Sitting comfortably?
About Baxi boilers
You may have fond memories of British boiler manufacturer Baxi from when they were well-known for their back boilers in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s – however, the times have changed and so has the Baxi brand.
Gone are the days where the old, inefficient Bermuda back boilers and fires ruled the day, but despite this, the brand is still going strong, and now they are producing modern, high efficiency A-rated boilers you can rely on – with parts readily available in the UK.
Baxi are still a popular and well-respected household name name in Britain, although in the past they did fall a little behind the competition – now they’re back at the top of their game, and offering reliable products that are made to last, with a 10-year no quibble guarantee to prove it!
Common fault 1: Baxi Solo 1PF and 2PF – boiler lockout
If your boiler has gone into lockout, it’s most likely due to the boiler overheating, and this should be a relatively easy fix you can try on your own.
The Fix: First, check your boiler’s pressure and top up if necessary. Next, for the 1PF, check the left side of the orange thermostat knob, as there should be a red overheat thermostat; press this and that should reset the boiler. On the 2PF, turn the thermostat knob all the way to the ‘off’ or ‘reset’ mode, and on again.
That should get the boiler going again, however, if the problem persists this could be down to a faulty pump or blocked pipework, in which case you should call a heating engineer to investigate.
Common Fault 2: Baxi 133HE Plus – boiler leaking
This is a common fault in the Baxi 133HE Plus and other HE Plus models, and you’ll know it by the big giveaway of water leaking out from underneath the bottom of the boiler. When these boilers were made, the housing for the diverter valve and pump were made from plastic, so after 5 – 7 years it become prone to hairline fractures.
The Fix: Your best bet is to replace the entire plastic manifold housing unit – which can unfortunately be time-consuming, as it can be difficult to remove. Once you get this far, you may be tempted to try only changing the washers, but usually this does not solve the problem.
I’ve personally worked on these particularl boilers in the past, which is why I don’t recommend replacing the washers if you encounter this issue.
Because it’s a fairly major job to get into the plate heat exchanger, I’d always recommend replacing the whole housing unit for a definite fix – it may seem more costly but will save time and money in the long run.
Common Fault 3: Baxi 133HE Plus – loud banging noise
This is a common fault with HE Plus models, including the 133HE Plus. If you encounter a loud banging sound when the boiler ignites – or it simply fires up and shuts down, it could be due to the mineral fibre burner that is prone to degenerating – usually after around 5 – 7 years.
The Fix: The fibre burner should be replaced with great caution, as this burner is particularly fragile. DO NOT touch the top or try to brush or clean it.
Common Fault 4: Baxi 100e and Baxi Bacelona – ignition problems
These particular Baxi models are particularly prone to ignition problems and constantly locking out. It could be down to the boiler’s combustion chamber seals, as these can wear over time.
The Fix: If the chamber seals are worn, degenerated or splitreplace them. Hopefully that should solve the problem.
Common Fault 5: Baxi 105e combi boiler – no hot water
If your Baxi 105e combi boiler is failing to provide you with hot water, or the water is only heating up when the central heating is turned on, it could be a problem with your diaphragm washer.
The Fix: The diaphragm washer can be replaced using a service kit. It can be a fiddly job, so you may want to just replace the entire diverter valve. See our blog on how to diagnose a faulty diverter valve for more information.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found this blog to be of some use when dealing with your faulty Baxi boiler. A lot of the problems above stemmed from Baxi, like many companies, having some reliability and teething issues with early condensing boilers.
However, all of these issues have since been addressed, and now they are so confident in their products that they’re now offering a 10-year no quibble guarantee for their Platinum range.
Got a specific question about your faulty Baxi boiler? Just pop me a comment down below, and I’ll do my best to help!
Boiler keeps putting central heating on with out switches being moved
Bought a new Platinum boiler last July. It works well, but has developed a serious noise problem. A Baxi engineer came round last week and said the ‘combustion was out’ He adjusted this and also checked the gas meter, etc. The problem remains; a second visit booked, but the sounds continue to be very stressful: and oddly, they’re more or less on the hour, a tuning up sort of loud hum lasting 1-2 minutes. At a loss.
hi I have a baxi 321 rs which is 32 years and going strong however has had only 3 pumps replaced in its life span the tank in the loft is overflowing due to the expansion tank when hot and making noise when the hot water alone is on put not when the central heating is on any suggestions.
Baxi 133he when I run hot water off the boiler shuts down over heats and I have to wait and then re set it. This happens far to often
I have a baxi solo 3 pfl 50 this is the number I got from the front of the boiler.
I’ve gas engineers in,firstly they said the pump had gone,now they’re saying it could be the timer, and the timer has blown the pub in the boiler,which would mean a new boiler. Although there supposed getting the parts,to try and fix everything, can you help in anyway
Thanking you in advance
Sounds to me like someone is chassing their tail here.
If the Timer has blown the Water pump I would take a deep breath, why? because as an Electrical Engineer a Water pump will take a lot to Blow it up, you might be able to blow up the Capacitor within the Pump Housing, but this is an easy part to change.
ANSWER:
Check the windings of the PUMP with a multimeter
Check the insulation to earth of the PUMP
If Pump not good, then change the PUMP and then remove the TIMER and Connect the Switch Live back to the BOILER
Hey Presto, boiler should work in 24/7 mode without a timer.
Hope his help
Mr Spence Eng
My main combi 30 Eco boiler runs fine then one day it will not fire up because pressure has dropped so you top it up then it runs fine then suddenly the pressure will rise to above 3bar when heating is on sounds fine no bangs hisses or anything dosent release the pressure valve and doesn’t over heat then will return back to normal pressure one heatings gone off then can go back to normal for a month or so .is something sticking and causing this to happen ????
This fault is so nasty, it keeps you guessing what is going on.
But trust me one thing is definitely going on, YOU ARE LOOSING WATER from the pressurised Boiler
ANWSER:
1) Check Boiler for leaks, put your fingers around the pipes at the Boiler
2) Check all radiators at valves and pipework
3) Go outside and look to see if the Boiler is Blowing off Water Via the Pressure Safety Valve.
Rectify 1 to 3 items above to fix your problem
If fault persists then you have a leak under the floor.
Try this, buy a LEAK SEALER, put this into the furthest radiator via the bleed valve when the Heating is up to temp.
Hope this helpS
Mr Spence Eng
My Baxi 130 HE is coming up with the L8 error code (primary flow CH circuit) so my central heating isn’t working. Is it easy to fix?
Got heat exchanger loose on baxi 105e instant but cannot manipulate around gas valve as manual suggests ,what else do I have to remove exactly to get it out?
Baxi solo 15 HE keeps tripping out mainly when the hot water is on it has done it 8 times in half hour one day then can go fine for days it has just been serviced and the engineer replaced the insulation panels and new seals on the coudence(am reading this off the bill and his writing not too good ) tray comb door but it still does it we have increased the water pressure so are keeping an eye on it but any other ideas about it would be good
Ring them, ask them to come back, explain that since the Service things are not good.
They will come or should come with the intent of doing a Freebie to see if they missed something or did something to cause the problem.
Hope this Helps
Mr Spence Eng
No heating or hot water, when asking for heating the diverted energises for a second then drops off. Even if I hold a screw driver against the micros witch the plunger still goes up and down, the fan runs constant but the pump only runs when the plunger is energised
Hello, I have a 105e combi, the heating works fine but the hot water will only work if the preheat is on – it didn’t used to do this, have you come across it before? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
have a baxi combi instant 105e year 2002 heating coming on sometimes when set on timer plus does not turn on to constant heat to get heating on have to turn power off and reset boiler have had new timer ,new circuit board ,new pump fitted by british gas any help please thanks steve
Stab in the dark here, but at first it really sounds like the “TIMER” is incorrectly wired
Get who ever put the New Timer on, to come back and check their handy work, any reputable company will do this FREE of CHARGE without trying to rip you off or charge you for something that they should have spotted when they installed the Timer.
If you had an off the shelve plumber install the Timer, then the chances are he/she will be clueless when it comes to checking out the wiring connections, it always amazes me that Plumbers not being Electricians get involved in this side of the System, but wow help anyone touching a Boiler without a Gas Certificate and they scream rape from the rooftop.
Hope this helps
Mr Spence Eng
My Baxi I think has locked out and I think it’s the thermostat that has gone. Are they easy to replace? I haven’t been able to get a plumber for love or money for 6 weeks now as all booked for months. It’s a nightmare with no heating and hot water and we are getting ill due to the freezing cold. Any help would be much appreciated.
two screws on the bottom, just loosen them & the Receiver or the thermostat we be released, remove & order replacement on line, no wires to undo, so simple.
Hi I have a fairly new baxi combi boiler. it is almost in a year now. The heating and hot water works fine, but every so often it make a large shuddering noise. The house almost shakes with all the vibration that is coming from the boiler. This can last for 30 seconds to about 1 minute and then it is all silence again.
Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated.
Bleed the radiators, then bleed them again and again, starting at the furthest point whilst the boiler is running “HEATING”
Take care not to overbleed the radiators as you will need to top up the Boiler “LOOP” to keep the system pressure to the correct 2bar.
Hope this helps
Mr Spence Eng
my baxi 105e will not go above 50degrees for central heating but hot water is ok
That temp for your CH sounds like it may have been pre set by the Commissioning Eng that installed the Boiler or who has recently Serviced the Boiler.
Organise a Boiler Service by a REALLY COMPETENT QUALIFIED CERTIFIED ENGINEER who is working on your Boiler Make, day in day out
Not all Chefs are equal and the same applies to Corgi Plumbers, the industry has some right Muppet’s ripping off householders on a day to day basis.
Hope this Helps
Mr Spence Eng
I have noticed with my baxi boiler that when the shower is running the radiators turn off. Is this normal?
Yes. The combi boiler can produce central heating OR hot water. Cannot do the two in same time.
Yes, the Boiler will always shut off the Heating when HOT WATER is called for.
Hope this helps
Mr Spence Eng
Grandma’s boiler seems to fire ok in the morning but over the day the upstairs radiators seem hit and downstairs not. In afternoon it only fires if I switch it off and back on again .
Sounds to me like your Pump is either not working or the system is full of sludge
Try adding an inhibita [oils the pipework] if this fails then you will need to change the Water Pump located within the Boiler, not a big job with the right tools should only take an hour tops and another hour to balance and bleed the system.
Hope that helps
Mr Spence Eng
Hi, we have just changed a gas bottle as we ran out, the code that can up to tell us that wasn’t igniting due to no gas will not stop flashing, tried to reset the boiler but this doesn’t seem to work. We have checked that gas is linked up properly and is fine but we aren’t getting any heating or hot water still…help please thanks
Sounds like trapped air has entered the system
Open the windows, door and then crank open the “Entry Pipe” at the Boiler
Gas will smell and prove it is at the Boiler, lock up “Entry Pipe” at the Boiler and wait 5min for air to clear before trying to re-ignite boiler.
TOP TIP
1) Place a mix of washing up liqued and water 50/50 mix and apply by brush to the nut you have opened when closed to prove that there are no leaks
2) Take a very Accurate Gas Reading and the same reading should be there in 10min time, proving that no leaks are present within the building
3) Place you nose near to any pipe work being examined, the Human Nose is one of the best Gas Meters out there.
Hope this helps
Mr Spence Eng
Can I service my Baxi condensing boiler myself , if so how ?
My Baxi Maxflow Combi FS which was installed circa 2000 and has been regularly serviced occasionally does not fire up when the central heating calls for heat, resulting in red reset button lighting up. Pushing this button to reset does start the boiler. What is the likely cause?
Back 105e keeps losing pressure but can’t find any leaks I was buy the boiler when the hot tap was turned on and the pressure went up on the gauge any suggestions
Back neta tec error code 128
Hi. I have a 60/100 Baxi combination HE LPG wall mounted boiler. It runs hot water ok but will only run rads if set on lowest. If set higher it runs up to temp then stops and shows E168. Gas supply ok and electric supply is OK.
My baxi condensing boiler flashing error E53
Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated
Baxi He30 condensing boiler has died just short of 4 years old! Clearly not good. After 7 visits from Home Energy Services and 2 lots of repairs it was then deemed too expensive to do a final repair. Just prior to the 2nd lot of repairs I emailed Baxi for advice from their engineers, nothing! I have sent 2 further letters to the CEO and another email, through their website yesterday. Does anyone have any idea how to get a response from this company?
I have now installed a Vaillant, but the Baxi is in the garage if their engineers want to take it away and set it up in their workshops!!
Hi we have a baxi platinum 24 He, which works fine with the hot water. When you put the heating on, the pressure fluctuates, sometimes you top it up then later it will over pressurise plumber seems unable to sort it out. We seem to be using a lot of water according to the meter to keep it running. Any help appreciated
My Baxi boiler/hotwater heater loses pressure at the blowoff valve. I replaced the valve and the unit still loses pressure which forces me to refill the unit every other day. Is there an adjustment I can make at the expansion tank and how do I get to the tank.
Mark
My Neta tec has error code 133 because my gas ran out while the unit was running , i have put in credit but i cant reset it , how can i do this and why is it so difficult? i am four days without heat again. useless.
We have a Bali Bermuda inset boiler 50/3.It is about 2o years old.As we are in our late 80’s,we do not want the upset of having a new boiler.It seems to be working O.K.,but is making a hissing noise when the burner is on.Is this a problem which needs fixing?
My baxi boiler with storage tank when heating swetch on boiler not respond when hot water switch on then respond but boiler on and off without fire what’s wrong with the boiler
Clive hi My baxi cuts out on E125 then runs o/k for while pressure o/k bled rads any advice
boiler n tec baxi is leaking badly. is there anyway to turn water off on the boiler rather than the mains supply?
My boiler is leaking from one of the valves.
Baxi 105e Led above the crossed out radiator keeps going to red indicating central heating sensor fault can anyone help
Hi our boiler keeps making a banging sound its only 1 year old we have had our plumber back to it but he cannot find the problem
we have also had two water leaks aswell
kind regards gordon holmes
If you need to ask then I have to say NO you cannot service the Boiler yourself.
Ask yourself if you can service your car or your Burglar Alarm, if yes, then get yourself on line and download a manual, then you will be good to go.
Hope this Helps
Mr Spence Eng
Hi I have no power to my boiler .have changed fuse but still nothing any advice would really be appreciated
What does “E1” “33” mean?Boiler is not firing up.
I have baxi solo 15he with the dripping fault so I will chage the trap housing.
I have also noticed some water on the top of the boiler housing itself ??
Can this be due to the housing creating condensation ?
I have a Baxi solo15 HE A, it was installed end of November 2015 it ran without fault through to end April ’16, then not used again until end October ’16, Jan ’17 started leaking water from base of boiler, Baxi came to inspect and will return to repair in the next two weeks he told me.
I note this boiler is now discontinued, I also now know that they are prone to leak water from the heat exchanger according to the reports on the net. the Baxi engineer tells me that it is probably the water and when he returns as well as replacing the damaged/faulty components he’ll take a water sample, forgive me for being cynical, but is a boiler designed to heat water, thereby negates his theory that it’s the waters fault that the boiler leaks, not that I’m a boiler designer, but being just a layman this smacks of design flaw in the boiler, if it can’t heat water without the heat exchanger leaking, and this is after 7 months use 13 and a bit months from install.
It then begs the question, will it do it again in the next 13 months then outside of it’s two year warranty. I’ll post back after the repair with the engineers response.
When my Baxi Gas boiler is tuned off at 8.30 pm around 2.30 am the boiler makes a loud humming noise . If i tune the programme on constant hot water and heating and tuned back to timed 6.30am -8.30 pm for heating and for hot water 6.30am-9.00am and 4.30 -8.30 the loud humming noise goes .
my potterton 28 he as suddenly developed e133 done reset and today baxi have been out.He said there was water dripping off the flue and making the error code told me not to use and said it could be a seal in the flue i have read it would give another error code for this could you please advise
Hi,my hot water is fine,when I put heating on as well there is a hissing,air type sound,all rads heating ok no leaks just this noise,soon as I put heating off just leaving hot water on noise stops.its a baxi bermuda.
Baxi solo 3 pfl boiler runs for 1 hour then shuts down have put in a new pump if I shut the gas valve and open it again it fires up again
I have got a leak with my combi eco boiler it is just out off warranty .I have had a plumber out he said it could be a joint or it might be the whole unit has a crack and if he undid the joint it might crack more .
i need to replace the hot water diaphragm on a baxi cobi instant 105e, how do I drain the water from the boiler before I start, is it the flexible filling loop?
any advice is appreciated
My radiators get hot when heating is off if you run hot water on a back boiler 10e
My boiler has stopped working with error code LD?? Any ideas,??
I have a baxi 80e the hot water is slow at coming through it gets very hot then runs cold any ideas what the problem could be
Got a baxi 105e got hot water but when i turn central heating on the flame cuts out after about 2 to 3 mins
Our Baxi boiler we had it serviced a few months ago we started having problems so the plumber put stuff into the pipes as we have micro pipes we have things replaced but they are not the problem according to the plumber! As soon as the temperature gets to 0c the boiler has to be reset with the red light flashing and the 3rd green light then we have no heating! Until we reset it in the garage on why is this doing this? Can you or anyone help please. As we are now getting fed up with it our boiler is 4-1/2 years old!
Thanks for the above info. I am having an issue where the hot water suddenly goes cold, and comes back after a little while, could this be a setting or something faulty with the unit?
Baxi 105e is heating up water when pre-heat controler is set to off. The domestic hot water mode light is on constant
Hi
I have a Platinum 28HE combi, Hot water is fine but central heating fails to fire up, there are no error messages can you help
Hi
I have a Platinum 28HE, the hot water is fine but the central heating fails to fire up (even when the timer is set to 1, there are no error messages
can you hep
I’m getting no heating or hot water. All the usual noises start, but the flame light does not ignite. In heating mode after a number of seconds the fan light flashes, although everything sounds normal.
I have a baxi 105e which is 13 years old .
It works fine for heating and we have had very few problems .
It has recently developed a new problem of reduced hot water flow the water is hot just reduced flow to all the taps in the house , cold pressure is good , engineers have been twice only cleaned inlet filter and have no other solutions ??
I have a Baxi Combi 80e. The hot water makes a load noise like a banshee once it has started to heat, if I turn the tap to about half open the noise goes ( I have tried reducing the pressure on the main stopcock but that didn’t help) The central heating is working fine with no noise. Any ideas what it could be, thanks
We have a Baxi about 8 years old. Small leak from bottom and
keeps needing re pressurising
It’s insured
Engineer came said wire was
loose – we fixed it
Heat exchanger needs replacing
They refuse to do this unless
we power flush!
No evidence this is needed
No radiator cold spots
They won’t come back unless
I power flush with certificate
This feels like a scam to me
So tho insured I’m stuck with a
bill of 600 for new heat exchanger,
Inclined to buy new boiler.
Not Baxi
Cancel insurance or ask for
return of money Claim a £600
contribution from Baxi for
new boiler and go straight to
Small claims court after letter before action.
What’s your view on this please?
Bali 133 he combi will not switch from household water to heat unless furnace is manually shut off and the turned back on. The once desired room temp reached, unit goes back to household hot water and stays there even if room temp falls below thermostat setting.
My Baxi Solo 3PFL 30 80 switches off after 15 to 25 min., varies, regardless of where I have the temperature gauge and then comes back on. So if I just have it on for an hour it wont stay for that time as it did before. Can you tell me what is wrong.
My baxi neta tec combi boiler won’t spark up. I ran out of gas and the system switched itself off. After charging the gas card and getting gas going the ignition refuses to work. I have switched it on and off several times but no good.
BaxiDue Tec28
When hot water light is on (in boiler) and then you turn central heating on should the hot water light go out ?
I have a back main heat 12-24-Erp every now and again the thermostat will go out but the boiler stays on constantly and I have to turn it off at the time clock
Baxi Solo 2PF – boiler lockout
does work again after resetting but locks out again after 30 mins. Boiler was serviced two weeks ago and this has happened since. Should this have been spotted during the service?
what should the boiler pressure be? I have a gauge and red barrel tank near the boiler.
look forward to hearing from you
I have a Neta-tec GA combi boiler. The hot water control will not rise above 60 degrees, it will go lower but not higher, we could do with a little higher temperature. Any ideas please.
Pis help,the spanner and low water pressure sign.has appeared,i tried repressurising,,do i just need to repressure for longer than 2 mins?.
Baxi neta tech only 2and half yrs old
My baxi Bermuda back boiler will only heat up the hot water if I have the heating on. Gas engineer came out valve working electrics working can’t understand why hot water is not heating up.
Comment
Hi my Baxi 80E combination has a DHW problem sometimes when demanding water to the hot runs cold if l then run a hot tap near the boiler ie in the bathroom it then runs hot any ideas .?
My combi boiler stays on when hot tap is turned off and sometimes ignites when I run the cold tap
Hi I have a Baxi Solo 80 PF wihich takes a few attempts to ignite during the start up sequence. This seems to be worse (more attempts) when it is cold. When it does ignite all other functions are normal. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated. Bob.
I have a baxi 80e with non modulating heating and hot water…..was advised by baxi to change pcb but still happening…..getting primary thermistor tomorrow as advised to change this then the low voltage harness…….hopefully this works……have you had anything like this before….thanks
I have a baxi duo tec 28. The electrics tripped tonight (when a bulb went in the kitchen) and now the heating (radiators) won’t come on. The hot water seems okay though. Hope you can help!
We have a Baxi Duo Tec 28H – had a nightmare from the start (maybe due to plumbers though)! No error message flashing by Burner ON light is not working and therefore no heating through radiators. Hot water is working. Any ideas?
I have a Baxi combi bolier that is less than 3 years old. The boiler works fine, but when it first starts up, after about 10 minutes it starts making a vibrating or rumbling sound. I run the hot water tap for a couple of seconds and the noise stops (the boiler itself keeps working), and the noise never comes back while the bolier is active. It’s very odd. I mentioned it to a Baxi engineer when we had it serviced last year, but it hasn’t stopped doing this.
My combi 30 he heating works fine but no Hot Water???
i have a baci platinum 28kwh combi boiler. It fires up and heats the water and then turns off. 2-3 minutes later it fires up again. it does this constantly. Any ideas?
My baxi duo tec 24 boiler isn’t giving us any hot water or heating? Boiler tries to fire up and can hear it clicking and the ignition but nothing happens?? We have gas and engineers don’t know what the issue could be?
Hi I have a baxi 105 e combi and the flame keeps going out . Sometimes I have to keep turning tap on and off untill it ignites . If it doesn’t igite it flashes on the 50 fan and flue fault . Can anyone help me ? What is this fault ? New boiler or not ?
We’ve got a Baxi boiler for not even 2 years, it’s leaking like crazy, although we have had the pipes replaced 2 times already… What’s more genius, it happens always during the weekends & holidays… Imaging you finally get a holiday, and lying at sunny beach, your neighbours called…
If you don’t want to have your flat destroyed, and neighbours downstairs complained, a friendly reminder, never buy Baxi… Our bloody experience… 🙁
why are these postings being allowed, no one is answering them???
Who is monitoring this site, I am guessing no one?