Common problems guide

The most common Glow-worm Ultracom sxi problems

The faults most likely to send a Glow-worm Ultracom sxi into lockout — with plain-English causes, what to check first, estimated repair costs and whether you need a Gas Safe engineer.

44 documented codes
6 most common
1 DIY-safe checks
5 engineer needed

The 6 most common faults

01
F1 High Engineer

Your boiler is failing to light because it cannot detect a flame, meaning you currently have no heating or hot water.

Why it happens: This fault occurs when the temperature sensor inside your hot water storage tank detects that the water has dropped to a near-freezing level. To protect the internal components from being damaged by expanding ice, the boiler temporarily pauses operation until the water temperature rises to a safe level. This is typically caused by extremely cold incoming mains water or a storage tank located in an unheated area like a garage or loft.

Est. cost
£150-350
Parts
Ignition electrode, Gas valve, Printed circuit board (PCB)
Full guide for F1
02
F22 High DIY-safe

Your boiler has detected that the water pressure inside the system has dropped too low to operate safely.

What to try first

Locate the filling loop (usually a silver braided hose with valves underneath the boiler).Open the valves slowly to allow mains water into the system until the pressure gauge reads between 1.0 and 1.5 bar.Close the valves firmly and check for any leaks.

Est. cost
£80-150
Parts
Pressure sensor, Filling loop valve
Full guide for F22
03
F11 High Engineer

Your boiler's electronic control centre has detected an internal communication error and has shut down for safety.

Est. cost
£250-450
Parts
Main printed circuit board (PCB), Wiring harness
Full guide for F11
04
F20 High Engineer

Your boiler has detected that it is getting too hot and has automatically shut down to prevent damage to its internal parts.

Est. cost
£180-350
Parts
NTC thermistor, Pump, Heat exchanger
Full guide for F20
05
F23 High Engineer

Your boiler has detected that the water inside the system is not circulating properly, meaning heat is not being moved from the boiler to your radiators or taps efficiently.

Est. cost
£150-350
Parts
Central Heating Pump, NTC Thermistor, Diverter Valve
Full guide for F23
06
F24 High Engineer

Your boiler is struggling to push water around your heating system correctly, which is causing it to shut down to protect itself from overheating.

Est. cost
£150-350
Parts
Central heating pump, NTC thermistor, Flow sensor
Full guide for F24

on the Glow-worm Ultracom sxi

Ignition electrodeGas valvePrinted circuit board (PCB)Pressure sensorFilling loop valveMain printed circuit board (PCB)

Based on parts cited in our fault code database. Your engineer will confirm what's actually needed after diagnosis.

Call a Gas Safe engineer if…

  • You can smell gas or see signs of a leak
  • The Glow-worm shows an Emergency or High severity code
  • The boiler keeps locking out after repeated resets
  • You've tried the DIY checks and the fault hasn't cleared
  • There's visible water leaking from the boiler
  • The flame is yellow or orange instead of blue

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See the full 44-code list for the Glow-worm Ultracom sxi