Low
S.20 on Vaillant ecoTEC Pro 28

Your boiler is simply letting you know that someone has turned on a hot tap or a shower and it is currently working to heat that water.

Monitor it

This is a minor fault. Keep an eye on it and mention it at your next annual boiler service. Reset the boiler and see if it clears.

What the manual says

Manufacturer manual

DHW demand. The domestic hot water demand is activated.

From this model's manual
Verified against the Vaillant/Vaillant Ecotec Pro 30 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 code is triggered when your boiler detects water flowing through your hot water pipes. It is a signal that the internal flow sensor has spotted a demand for hot water, prompted by someone opening a tap or starting a shower. The boiler is not broken; it is simply communicating that it is busy heating your water.

This status is slightly more common in winter when incoming mains water is much colder, meaning the boiler has to work at full power for longer to reach your desired temperature.

DIY fix possible

Turn off all hot water tapsCheck that the code changes to a different status (like S.0 or S.4)If the code stays on despite all taps being closed, check for a dripping tap or a leaking pipe

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Avoid the next call-out bill

A cover plan would handle faults like S.20: no call-out fees, no surprise bills.

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Related fault codes

All 148 fault codes on the ecoTEC Pro 28

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

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