Medium
S.46 on Vaillant ecoTEC pro 24 VUW GB 246/5-3

Your boiler has noticed an unstable flame when running at its lowest setting and is operating at a restricted level to prevent a complete breakdown.

Book a service

This fault should be looked at by a Gas Safe engineer within the next week or two. It may get worse if left.

What the manual says

Manufacturer manual

Comfort protection: Minimum load, loss of flame. Comfort protection mode for flame loss at minimum load is activated.

From this model's manual
Verified against the Vaillant/Vaillant Ecotec Pro 24 4704444 installation & service manual.
Plain-English guidance below. Severity, DIY steps, costs and parts are our interpretation to help you act, not text from the manual.

What causes this fault?

This fault occurs when the boiler struggles to maintain a steady flame while running at its lowest power level. The most common cause is a dirty or worn-out sensing probe that can no longer accurately detect the fire, or an incorrect mix of gas and air preventing a consistent burn.

DIY fix possible

Check that the gas supply is active and credit is on the meterPress the 'Reset' button (flame symbol) to clear the statusMonitor the boiler to see if the code returns or leads to an F.28 or F.29 faultContact a Gas Safe engineer if the problem persists for a full service and ionisation check

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Related fault codes

All 146 fault codes on the ecoTEC pro 24 VUW GB 246/5-3

Seeing a different code? Every code this model can display, in one place.

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