Are you looking for help with your faulty Ideal boiler?
Having a faulty boiler is never fun, and well… it’s hardly ideal (pardon the pun) to be left without heating or hot water – especially if you have a family to care for.
So, if you’re having trouble with your Ideal boiler, this blog aims to cover five of the most common faults – along with some fixes you can try at home or with the help of a professional Gas Safe registered heating engineer.
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.
About Ideal boilers
This particular British boiler brand claims to have over 100 years’ experience in the heating industry, and their boilers have been around as long as I can remember.
They used to be well-known for making bullet proof products with cast iron heat exchangers that went on and on for years, but back in the day these were of course heat-only regular boilers.
The biggest problems and faults came up with their system and combi boilers, going back around 15 – 18 years ago. Nowadays, their boilers are fairly reliable with much better guarantees.
So, if your old Ideal boiler is giving you hassle, try some of the following tips…
Common Fault 1: Boiler fails to ignite
This is a common fault with Ideal Response combi boilers, and you can usually identify it when you hear the boiler sparking and attempting to light three times before going into boiler lockout. An orange light will also display.
The Fix: This is a cylinderical burner with the ignition and flame sensor underneath. The problem occurs when dirt and carbon build up on the ignition and flame sensor probes, and the boiler must be stripped down so these can be cleaned.
Common Fault 2: Boiler is leaking water
If the water is leaking below your boiler, I’m afraid it’s probably bad news, as this boiler is prone to leaking when there’s a split heat exchanger.
The Fix: Unfortunately, this is a very labour intensified job, and very expensive – that is, if you can find a replacement heat exchanger, as these are now obsolete. You may have to look at replacing the boiler entirely.
Common Fault 3: Boiler doesn’t switch on
If you have an Ideal Isar or Ideal Icos boiler, this is actually down to faulty electrics, as the boiler is simply failing to fire up. This is normally due to the PCB itself, as the oriented circuit boards are prone to problems.
The Fix: In this case, you will need to replace the PCB. Please note, the original ones were black, while the replacements are orange. If you have the orange one, it’s most likely another electrical problem and you should call an engineer to take a look.
Common Fault 4: Very loud explosive noise on ignition
Again, this is a common fault with Ideal Isar and Icos boilers, and can be really quite startling. This is similar to the problem mentioned above with the Ideal Response, as the sensors have failed and the boiler did not light on the first or second attempt – however, on the third attempt there happened to be a lot of gas in the chamber which causes explosive ignition.
The Fix: Replace the ignition leads and the flame sensor, before adjusting the gas valve and fan speed as per the manufacturer’s instructions. You may need to call a heating engineer if you’re not comfortable doing this yourself.
Common Fault 5: Leaking boiler boiler, gurgling noises
If your Ideal Isar or Icos boiler is leaking and you can also hear gurgling sounds, it could be due to blocked waterways from the boiler to the condensate – usually down to these waterways being filled with deposits.
The Fix: Strip the plate at the bottom from the boiler, and watch carefully for any water running out. Next, remove the condensate trap and clear the blockage.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found this blog post useful when troubleshooting your old, faulty Ideal boiler. Hopefully one of the above fixes will do the trick, however if you’re in ANY doubt, please call an experienced heating engineer. Remember, unless you’re dealing with low pressure or a faulty condensate, it’s best to call in an expert.
If you have any specific questions or are having trouble with other aspects of your Ideal boiler, please feel free to leave me a comment below, or get in touch with me directly.
I have a Ideal Logic which keeps losing water pressure.I have to fill it every day.We cannot see any leaks anywhere.What could the problem be ?
Split heat exchanger would cause this. On a logic, the leaking water would be collected in the sump and would drain through the condensate trap and then away without you ever seeing it.
Split heat exchange the water is going down the condense pipe
I had the same issue and everyone kept telling me there was a leak that I could never find. We ended up living with it for at least 5 years .. When we came to fit a new kitchen I removed the old units to find pipework behind the old units where a radiator once was .. The one end had a quarter turn valve that was just seeping water .. That was the problem all along. As it was a just post war house on trench footings the water was going down a hold under the pipe hence we could not see any leak or any sign of a leak .. Take it from me there is a leak you just have to find it .. If it’s concrete floors it could possibly be debris as that was one of our thoughts .. Empty and flush the whole system and try to find every join and every piece of pipe to inspect if it continues .. It could be in an outside wall which should show signs of damp inside or out .. Good luck!
Hi,my boiler is about 7 to 8 years old just a sudden we can not reset and I did try to switch it of from the mains and switch it back on and on the panel it was show 0 and then start counting down from 4 and the next thing is showing opposite direction of L..Not igniting
Your main heat exchanger is leaking internally, you won’t see a leak anywhere as the primary water runs into the sump, then into the trap and down the condensate pipe.
The heat exchanger has suffered from thermal shock
What would you mean by a thermal shock, and how would you tell its the main heatexchanger or the secondry 1
noise of air in system when timer switches of pump over ride on
I have the same issue Avril have you found what the issue was?
Hi , Had similar problem with mothers Ideal Logic about 6 years old, as a retired Gas safe engineer I was able to monitor the loss of pressure which dropped 0.5 of a bar every 7 days, there was no sign of leakage on heating system & no water from expansion pipe , my mother has a service contract but because there was no water visual at base of combustion chamber the engineer was not convinced the heating exchanger was fractured & only leaked pressure when the boiler was hot,the water is converted to steam & goes out the flue,you will also notice the plume from flue is more visual, finaly got engineer to replace heat exchanger & this solved the problem,
hope this is of help.
heating came on outside programmed time
I have symbols H and 3 on my boiler what could it mean?
Had nothing but trouble from this ideal logic 30 since it was fitted.
Leaking as mentioned above (heating exchange cracks) and ignition failure and really loud backfire when it can’t light(scary)
This is now 5 yrs old and still problematic.
Don’t fit these boilers ?
Ideal logic keeps reading f2 and loud vibrations noise had it serviced and looked at by British gas man. And started doing it again . Any help as payed £60 a time on just call out
Get someone that has the time to look at it properly, i.e. Not a BG engineer. I’d start by checking the flueways for debris/bugs etc as have had a large dead wasp in the flue duct cause a screeching sound on a logic before.
Could be a blocked condense pipe
Hi , I have same problem with my ideal logic 15 which when running for a time during modulating on and off starting vibrating and F2 comes on. Boiler continues to run.
I have inspected, and cleaned condensate trap with no result.
Did you find a solution
Mine is similar ; did you get a fix
Had the same issue, it’s a blockage without a doubt, trap isn’t draining down condensate. it drove me mad, 4 head scratching corgi engineer visits later, my mate came round and found the fault, he cleaned out the trap (this is standard practice), swilled out the outlet pipe by squirting warm water into it then (pipe that goes up into the boiler) then letting it drain out all the metal deposits (repeated several times until water was clear coming out), he then got a piece of garden hose about a foot long, popped in the end of the condensate pipe which flows down to the sink / drain, squirted another litre of warm water down the other end of the hose (sports cap bottle does the job nicely) did this for about 5 minutes, each time giving it 2 or 3 almighty blows whilst the water was trickling down, cleared the blockage. For another 7 years later every service I insisted the engineer did this, never had a problem again till the day I sold the house.
Mine too (Ideal Logic 18, so far had the gas valve changed so £350 down and still identical problem), did you get to the bottom of this?
Intermittent in my case, worse on Sundays.
I had this problem with my isar, condense trap blocked causing water build up in combustion chamber, new trap, same problem, turned out to be blocked condense pipe going into drain under sink.
Blocked condensate trap, water in combustion chamber.
I have symbol L1 so often since Was fit in.Any ideas.Nobody could fix
Check your pressure on your boiler by looking at the pressure gage,should be just over 1 bar
I have an IDEAL logic 24 combi and it has just been diagnosed with a split heat exchanger. The water pressure drops continuously and it runs away into the condensate pipe.
This boiler is three years old. So therefore I certainly would not recommend IDEAL LOGIC boilers.! They are cheap and have a poor record over the last ten years with their COMBI`S.
I have now been told the whole heat exchanger needs replacing and I`m waiting to see if it will be done under IDEALS fixed repairs scheme. I have already paid IDEAL the £275 up front. The engineer has just departed.
I will add to this post when I find out.
My combi boiler has been a nightmare, low pressure all the time, ignition lockout, flame loss, pump overrun, boiler men out continuously costing me s fortune .. They claim to have fixed it but within days it’s back doing the same old thing !!
Thats a shame Susie, I am concerned about after costs with any boiler. I have decided now to get boiler cover with the AA. The policy seems about the best, the cheapest and they have a good reputation up to now. £11.99 per month with no excess to pay. It covers just the boiler and all fittings within it.
Time between original diagnosis of HEX leaking, to the repair job, (all going well) will be 7 days. I have just been notified that the repair will be next Wednesday.
I will be half content if this repair job actually fixes the leaking problem, and then pressure remains fairly constant. I wait with bated breath
The IDEAL engineer came yesterday, on time and replaced the main heat exchanger. Very professional, very polite and in a well kitted out IDEAL van. I have to say I cannot really fault their after sales service.
I`m really in two minds as to whether I would recommend IDEAL combis to anyone. They are cheaper than many and it is a pity the heat exchanger has let the side down, this time. If it wasn`t for the fixed price repair scheme from IDEAL I think the repair may have cost me twice the £275, I paid them.
And the rest! The part is not cheap and then there’s fitting too. Plus re-dosing of the system with the correct chemicals… £275 is a bargain.
My combi boiler heat the water but stops heating the water after a few minutes. But it stays on when the heating is bein used .whats the possible fault
My combi boiler goes off 4to5 minutes of being on. but will stay on when the heating is on .when it cuts off a letter d appears.what could be the fault
Hi there, I have a ideal isar he30, just replaced the trap after being blocked up with sludge, my new problem is the boiler seems to be ignoring the thermostat. I have replaced the thermostat with a WiFi one, it’s still a intermittent fault, the boiler keeps firing up and getting hotter than what thermostat is set at.
My Ideal Logic Plus boiler has lockout or loss of flame problem, and it must be reset frequently. Please advise. Thanks
My insurance sent a gas engineer round to fix my Ideal Isar boiler. It was flashing F L which is failure to ignite. The engineer tried to reset it and there was a pound bang and the circuit board had blown a fuse. On close inspection the wire had not been securely fixed. This is worrying as it had been serviced by a gas safe engineer earlier in the year. Now I’m waiting for the part.
When my ideal logic boiler which was fitted oct 2015 it was all fine but now when on central heating mode it makes an intermitant high pitched noise which stops when you run a hot tap. No fault codes are show and pressure is fine. Can you help?
where was yours leaking from and what model do you have please
We’ve had an Ideal mini boiler for about 7 years. No real issues in the past. However its now developed a rather annoying tendency to have temperature fluctuations from the shower & hot water. Plumber says the boiler seems to be working fine, but agrees the flow temperature fluctuates.
Can anybody please advise on a fix.
Hi
I have an ideal isar boiler and today all of sudden it stops the hot water. The heating is working 100% OK but the hot water is not coming. I restarted it twice but no difference.
Please advice ??
Had a complete system fitted september2013, ideal logic was recommended, nothing but problems ,boiler takes up to 50 mins to warm radiators,sometimes longer,occasionally I have to switch the system of and then restart after a few mins,not very good on cold mornings,l have the boiler serviced every year,as I have a 7year warranty which isn’t worth the paper it’s written on, ideal does,nt want to know neither does my installer, where do I go from here.
Hi my ideal boiler is making hot water but no heating .Any help.
I have an iideal combi boiler installed in 2009.
I have no hot water or central heating and the display on the boiler shows L F with a small spanner. When I press re start the LED Display changes to 46 : 15 with a small spanner sign. Can anybody help on what to do next ?
Hi
I have constant heating but my water starts running warm then goes cold. I have bled all my radiators but no change. Any ideas plz!!
Vicci
I am having major problems with the domestic hot water on my Ideal 30 combi boiler which is approx. 3 years old. I have to turn the hot water tap on full for a period of time before I get any hot water if I am lucky. Some times we get hot water which then starts to go cold. We have had the water flow sensor replaced but are still getting the same problem with no fault code. I am now loosing the will to live!!
I am having major problems with the domestic hot water on my Ideal 30 combi boiler which is approx. 3 years old. I have to turn the hot water tap on full for a period of time before I get any hot water if I am lucky. Some times we get hot water which then starts to go cold. We have had the water flow sensor replaced but are still getting the same problem with no fault code. I am now loosing the will to live!!
I am having major problems with the domestic hot water on my Ideal 30 combi boiler which is approx. 3 years old. I have to turn the hot water tap on full for a period of time before I get any hot water if I am lucky. Some times we get hot water which then starts to go cold. We have had the water flow sensor replaced but are still getting the same problem with no fault code. I am now loosing the will to live!!
I am having major problems with the domestic hot water on my Ideal 30 combi boiler which is approx. 3 years old. I have to turn the hot water tap on full for a period of time before I get any hot water if I am lucky. Some times we get hot water which then starts to go cold. We have had the water flow sensor replaced but are still getting the same problem with no fault code. I am now loosing the will to live!!
Hi got a logic 12 heat, displays 0 won’t light up. After a few attempts at resetting it came on but after an hour went of agin. Now won’t light up again.
I have an ideal icos he24.
The status is C and the burner ignites, the blue led stays on.
But after 30 seconds it starts flashing and the boiler starts clunking.
Its making heat but I’m. Not getting any hot water and the radiators aren’t getting heat.
Woukd this be the pump at fault?
Thanks.
Is realy shit brand. I’ve got to many problems in 3 years
Keeps cutting out and coming up with F1?
Emailed Ideal about pressure loss, not had the decency to reply.
Had boiler fault tonight and not even been fitted a year, checked other sources online and it was ignition lock out saying check other gas appliances .. All are fine? The condensate pipe runs internally but if this is external in the winter it’s almost certainly frozen. Where the inch white pipe goes into the bottom of the boiler pull it out after you place a bucket under to catch the water .. Re set and works fine .. There must be a blockage into the soil stack as I said its internal which I will investigate but I was very grateful for the post as it we just getting ready to go out and it’s now running fine with the water dripping into the bucket .. So it’s worth trying that as I think condensate issues are common especially with newer boiler and in the winter time .. There is a fair amount of water coming out so I can why they freeze even with upto 40mm pipes outside.
Every time the heating comes on there is a popping sound which only goes off when the temperature is reached
I have ideal combi and it won’t reset and on the panel it was showing 4 L the L is written opposite direction. Any advice
I have an ideal icos HE18 boiler and it’s not working, I had a guy out, apparently it’s the circuit board, anyway he can get a new board replace the old and fit the new one for £325.00 does that sound reasonable only I haven’t a clue?
I only had Idea boiler for 6 month since then has being give me problems water pressure keep drop down special in the morning.The idea engineer has come out today and told me that you got a system leak in radiators or pipe, got another contractor to find a leak he told me there is NO leak at all
I really need help to solve this problems
Hi, I have an Ideal logic 18 boiler that has today decided not to fire up. The window on the front is showing a zero and according to the manual it means there is no call for heat or hot water, yet all thermo’s are fully on. I tried the reset procedure to no avail and checked the outside condenser pipe for blockage which appears clear. I read your common faults list and noticed that boiler start up failure could be due to faulty electrics. I’m now wondering if this could be my problem as I found my Danfoss programmer doesn’t appear to be changing modes via the manual override buttons whereas I’m sure they used to. Any advice gratefully received, Kind Regards.
Hi, re my previous message to you, issue now resolved. I sussed it out to be the zone valve not working properly, put it on to manual and hey presto! heat. Thanks anyway, and kind regards.
UPDATE
Well the HEX was exchanged and cost me £275 by IDEAL as I said.Two months on and it is now working but very noisy.The sound is like tacks rattling in a tin..sound coming from inside of boiler continuously.It isn`t expansion noises or pipes moving. I reckon it is the hex. This boiler is not fit for purpose …four years old and this is happening.
I am now looking for a RELIABLE boiler with a stainless steel hex…suggestions anyone.?
I have any Ideal Isar boiler and it shows LF flashing. It leaks water while stopped working. What will be the issue.
I contacted to an engineer, he asked me to replace one of the parts but my do not worked out that way because it has happened before and stopped and worked normally. I am really confused what to do. If you have an answer please give me your opinion.
Hi
What does it mean when your boiler keeps flashing a code of F/L
and I have no hot water or heating. I have called the gas company out 3 times and every time its a different answer from them.
Help I am at the end of my tether and I need heating and hot water !
Thank you
Replace the boiler only thing missing from Ideal boiler is no before the name.
My ideal logic + combi 30 was losing pressure constantly. Luckily it was still under warranty so the main heat exchanger was replaced. Very good service, polite and knowledgeable engineer in an Ideal sign written van. The boiler is only 4 years old and when the guy told me the price of the part I was so glad I still have warranty. Not sure I would go with ideal again though as I have had engineers out three times now. Thought maybe I have the Friday afternoon boiler but they do seem to be quite troublesome.
Four years is quite old for an not ideal boiler, these are extremely dangerous boilers and should be banned. the sumps crack all the time causing products of combustion to spill into the house.
My boiler keeps running even when the water and heating are off
I have the same problem here. The boiler kicks in every 7-10mins even though water and heating are off. I’m using Ideal HE35. Please help
you have got the hot water on standby. it will keep firing up to shorten the time it takes for the hot water to reach the taps. turn the left dial to the left
Central heating not working
my hot water is working, but heating wont come on.
I’ve had an Ideal boiler since 2000, no problems until now. I can’t get hot water until I have filled at least 4 bowls with water. The boiler is serviced every year on a contract with British Gas. I have had 4 engineers look at the boiler and they said the problem is because the water has to travel down the pipes hence the time it takes for the hot water to get to the kitchen. The pipes are the same length as they were before the problem started. I am on a water metre and I’m dreading my next bill. I was also told the water would be hotter in summer. I despair, the days of hot water are over……
my vogue c26 is using to much water. i should use 24 cuM per month ie but last used 40 bill up £120 per year tried all water co ,toilet outside tap no resuts . however i can hear water from boiler overflow .redirected over flow into a drum ,and it is overflowing 13 litres per week
boiler over flowing 13 literss per week from overflow pipe .why?
I have an Ideal S28 Combi Natural Gas boiler, which has driven me demented, and cleaned out my pockets…….it starts/ignites but fails to fire-up during cold weather spells. I have had several Gas Engineers , inspect the Unit at considerable expense – I could swear I have paid more in repair costs, than I originally paid for the Unit – and within days , here we go again.
Anybody out there with a similiar experience ??? and if so what so what was the outcome…
Ideal Icos Boiler keeps showing L9 then it goes to three horizontal lines. Four engineers have been out to this boiler in the last four weeks and still not working. Tearing my hair out.
With heating and water set to ‘off’ the boiler fires up all day sometimes with the pilot light being ignited sometimes not but in each case my smart meter display unit shows that gas is being used. Sometimes the gas being used is heavy and sometimes very light. There is a C showing on the boiler display which means that the boiler is waiting for a signal rather than the O which means it’s in standby. I have an Ideal Logic 15
C This means it has a signal for central heating.you have a tank/cylinder upstairs one of the zone valve end switches is stuck.
Pressure over 2 when heating is on
Pressure was above 2. The boiler made a noise and message flame loss. Ideal came out and said the white pipe. Condensing pipe I think is blocked. And I would have to get a local plumber to sort this out. However even though the pipe has been changed the pressure is still above 2 bar. Is this safe and ok. The house has been getting warm before and is still warm now
My ideal logic +30 is 6months out of warranty and has had four new parts fitted mainly due to flame loss, ignition lockout , heating not coming on then few weeks later no hot water . Now hot water won’t come on without heating being on . What a pain .
Ideal boiler HE18 will not fire up. The display is showing H6 but the fault finding section does not show anything relating to this
i have an ideal he 18 icos i switch it on in the morning it works fine delivers tank of hot water and that is it wont work again for the rest of the day it wont light ignition light continues to flash can any body help me
I have ideal 24. Pressure keeps dropping. Have had engineer out seven times. Looks like from advice from your site could be heat exchanger.
Only ideal condensing boiler heat exchangers split internally if yours is standard efficient you would see a leak if your heat exchanger was split.
A gas engineered came on 20 April to fit a replacement to my ideal combined boiler some kind of copper wire so we could have hot water and heating restored. Its been in two days now no hot water or heating
HELP As anybody got a Logic 15 and had problems with water being heated while radiators still working. Mine was obtained on a Government Grant 3 years ago. THANKS
My boiler is not flashing any signs and heats up I have hot water to my kitchen sink and my bathroom sink but not my bath or shower, it’s a slightly newer milder as it has a LCD screen on the front?
how much is a new DHW heat exchanger plate fitted on my ideal isar 30 kw?
my small control box for turning boiler on and off which stands on sideboard in my lounge is not working ,where can i get it fixed or replaced,it is 4year old Ideal Logic Combi 24.
Can get very hot water out of taps had new mixer shower fitted can only get warm water no where near hot enough
I have a Logic +combi 24 the hot water is very hot in the morning (good) then during the day it gets cooler so by evening I have to leave it running for a long time to get hot water,
this is a waste of water (I am on a water meter).
What is the reason ???
As a retired gas engineer with over 40 years experience I can say without any suggestions of bias that the ideal ISAR and it’s bothers and sister boilers are THE worst combination boilers I have ever came across.Even when striped and serviced properly every year we had boilers that were uneconomic to repair after five years.( Heat exchanger).I would advise people not to bother doing any major repair to these boilers .They are a money pit.Get yourself a new one from a manufacturer that gives at least a 7 and preferably 10 year warranty. I replaced my first Logic heatengine at the 30 month mark (the guarantee at that time was 24 months ) I am led to believe that this is not an isolated case but this was 4+ years ago so do not know if this is still an ongoing problem. This boiler now has an extended warranty in any case .
Ideal HE30 – Programmer / Display Panel Fault?
My boiler has a fault where the LCD display intermittently goes dead for some time then later comes back to normal operation. The boiler though still functions both for hot water and central heating when the panel is dead but cannot be monitored or controlled (except by the thermostat). Would this (most likely) be a programmer fault (part #35) or something else?
Cheers for any advise.
My HE30 boiler display intermittently dies and I can’t see it to control the boiler i.e to advance the timer program etc. It later comes back to life again and functions normally. Is this a common fault you are aware of in which case would it be a faulty display unit or more likely to be a faulty main PCB Control Unit? When the display isn’t working the boiler still functions ok and I can control the central heating via the thermostat. Hot water is fine too. Your advice would be appreciated.
Hi, had my ideal logic 30 since Nov 2012, had nothing but problems with it since, 3 call outs already, got no hot water in upstairs bathroom but was fobbed off by their customer service, rang back a week later & finally someone is coming out to look at it….in 4 days so nearly 2 weeks without hot water, disgusting company!
Ideal Logic 30 5 years ol , and just out of warranty. Continually shows fault 79 -Ignition Lock-out. Gas installer reluctant to believe fault. I will persist until he makes a visit.