‍Vaillent Ecotec Plus and Ecotec Pro:

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‍These boilers despite having a reputation for reliability, still go wrong occasionally. I know this because I’ve owned a few over the years and had the odd breakdown myself! 

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‍There are two distinct types of Ecotec boiler. The Ecotec Plus is a “heat only” boiler which means it runs a conventional radiators radiator and hot water cylinder system. The Ecotec Pro is a combi boiler which lights when you turn a hot tap ON, and needs no hot water cylinder.

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‍There is an early and a late version of each. The early versions have a (rather pointless) fold-down flap on the front of the boiler, covering up the user controls. The later version has no flap and the user controls are directly on the front panel. I’m not sure of any technical differences between the two versions yet - they look the same inside! 

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‍Common faults and fixes:

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‍1) Error message F22 on display screen:

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‍This means the the boiler thinks the water pressure in the system is too low. This is often true as this boiler is usually fitted to a “sealed system” with no header tank, so any minor water losses from the system need to be replaced periodically by the user. There will usually be a “filling loop” fitted below the boiler, this being a silver-coloured flexible pipe with a valve at one or both ends. The valve(s) need to be turned ON for a short while until the F22 error code goes away then turned back OFF again. 

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‍2) Error message F22 still there after topping up:

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‍The pressure sensor in the Ecotec is terribly prone to blocking up if the system water is less than immaculately clean. Once blocked it no longer senses the system pressure correctly, or at all so F22 won’t go away. A new sensor is the best solution but removing and cleaning the blocked sensor may well get the boiler running again if urgent. Here are some photos showing a blocked sensor causing F22, and a new one for comparison:

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‍3) Burner door gasket failure:

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‍Not so common now but in the early days of this boiler (along with other brands if boilers using the same heat exchanger), had a flexible seal on the burner assembly door which failed allowing flue gas to escape into the outer combustion chamber of the boiler. The water vapour in the flue gas would condense onto everything in the outer chamber and spoil any or all components, sometimes wrecking the boiler. An upgraded burner door seal kit using a graphite-based seal design needs to be fitted at first service of any boiler still having this original flexible burner door seal.

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‍4) Flue failure:

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‍I’ve seen two Ecotec boilers with extended flues that have failed, leaking condensate. On both Ecotecs the seals on the inner (exhaust) tube started leaking condensate into the outer air supply tube about five years after installation. On one boiler the leaking condensate corroded directly through the outer air supply tube and was found during a landlord gas safety inspection. On the other, the condensate drained via the air supply tube back into the boiler causing a breakdown by damaging a sensor and corroding through some conductors in the wiring loom. In both cases a whole new extended flue was required and in the latter, a new wiring loom and sensor. Both were expensive repairs.

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‍If you’d like me to visit and fix your Vaillant Ecotec, get in touch. My number is 07866 766364. (A text to this number reaches me quickest.)

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