Vaillant ecoTEC F32 fault code

Vaillant F32 fault code explained

One of the less common Vaillant boiler fault codes is the F32 fault code. This fault code will generally cause your Vaillant boiler to stop working, leaving you without central heating or hot water.

The following video is a short clip of a broken Vaillant ecoTEC Plus boiler displaying and F32 fault code.

If you look in the Vaillant ecoTEC installation manual under the F32 fault code it states the following;

“Fan defective or not connected – Check: Plug, cable harness, fan (blockage, function, correct speed), Hall sensor, PCB, flue gas route (blockage)”.

All Vaillant ecoTEC boilers have a fan. The fan only has one job to do, but it is one of the most important components on a Vaillant boiler. If you have a Vaillant boiler displaying an F32 fault code, it more than likely means that the fan has failed. Sometimes you may be able to get your boiler working intermittently with a reset, but most of the time an F32 fault code will not reset and your boiler will not work at all.

The printed circuit board needs to know if the fan is running and know exactly how fast the fan is spinning. The fan has sophisticated electronics built into it which communicates with the printed circuit board.

If the fan isn’t running at all or at the right speed, the printed circuit board will know this and shut the boiler down with an F32 fault code as a safety precaution. This is because the fan is vital to the boiler woking safely.

The F32 fault code on a Vaillant ecoTEC boiler can be caused by several things, including a faulty fan, faulty wiring harness or faulty fan – which is the most common cause. If the motor on the fan fails, or if the electronics fail then it will result in an F32 fault code. Whilst the fan only has one job to do, it has sophisticated electronics which enable it to vary it speed and communicate back to the printed circuit board the speed of the fan.

While a faulty fan is the most likely cause of the F32 fault code, a faulty printed circuit board can cause this fault as well. Neither the fan or printed circuit board are cheap components.

This is why it is important to get a suitable Gas Safe registered heating engineer with experience on Vaillant ecoTEC boilers, otherwise you could waste money fitting parts that are unnecessary.

When to call a gas engineer to fix your boiler

If you are experiencing the F32 fault code on your Vaillant boiler, it is important to take action as soon as possible. While some issues can be resolved by homeowners themselves, others require the expertise of a qualified Gas Safe registered heating engineer.

Because the F32 fault code can be caused by several different faulty parts, it is extremely important to get a suitable heating engineer with experience on Vaillant ecoTEC boilers, otherwise you could end up wasting money fitting parts to your boiler that are unnecessary.

So it usually best to get a qualified Vaillant trained heating engineer to have a look at your boiler at your earliest convenience.

How to prevent the F32 fault code

A lot of the time this fault code can be prevented by getting your Vaillant boiler serviced regularly, ideally on an annual basis. Getting the right engineer to service your boiler is key. Unfortunately the fan on a Vaillant ecoTEC boiler is a non servicable component, meaning that there is generally not much that can be done to extend its life.

A noisy fan may be an indication that the bearings on the fan are coming to the end of their life, but aside from that there is generally no way to tell if the fan is going to fail at some point in the near future.

Vaillant ecoTEC boilers affected by the F32 fault code

The F32 fault code on Vaillant ecoTEC boilers can affect any combination, system or heat-only boiler.

So this fault code can be found on any Vaillant ecoTEC Pro combination boilers, any ecoTEC plus 800 Series combination boilers or any ecoTEC plus 600 series system boilers and any 400 series heat-only boilers.

Below is a list of ecoTEC boilers affected by the F32 fault code;

• ecoTEC Pro 24 and ecoTEC Pro 28 natural gas combination boilers
• ecoTEC Plus 800 Series 824, 828, 831, 837 and 937 natural gas combination boilers
• ecoTEC Plus 800 Series 825, 832, 835, 838 and 938 natural gas combination boilers
• ecoTEC Plus 600 Series 612, 615, 618, 624, 630 and 637 natural gas system boilers
• ecoTEC Plus 400 Series 415, 418, 428 and 438 natural gas heat-only boilers

Frequently asked questions:

Is my boiler showing an F32 fault code worth repairing ?

Yes most of the time your broken Vaillant ecoTEC boiler displaying an F32 fault code will be worth repairing. Obviously the cost to repair your boiler will be determined by which parts need to be replaced.

You would need a competent, Gas Safe registered heating engineer to have a look at your boiler and make an assessment to determine exactly which parts might need to be replaced.

Before replacing your boiler it is always worth getting a suitable Gas Safe registered heating engineer with experience working on Vaillant ecoTEC boilers to make an assessment of your boiler so you can determine whether it is worth fixing or not.

Can I repair the F32 fault code myself?

No unfortunately not, in most cases repairing the F32 fault code will require removing the cover of your boiler to replace parts which you are not legally allowed to do unless you are a Gas Safe registered heating engineer. You may be able to reset your boiler and it may work for some time.

Is the F32 fault code dangerous?

No the F32 fault code is not inherently dangerous. Modern Vaillant boilers are designed with fail safes in place to make sure that the boiler will only work if it safe to do so, the F32 fault code is such a fail safe.