Medium
S.53 on Vaillant ecoTEC Pro / ecoTEC Plus

Your boiler is pausing temporarily because it is struggling to circulate water quickly enough to keep the system cool.

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

Boiler is in waiting period of modulation f block function due to water shortage

From this model's manual
Verified against the Vaillant Ecotec Combi installation & service manual, page 43.
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's sensors detect that the temperature inside the heat exchanger is rising too quickly, which usually means water isn't flowing through the system fast enough to carry the heat away. The most common reasons for this are a failing internal pump, a build-up of sludge or debris blocking the pipes, or air trapped within the unit. To prevent overheating, the boiler temporarily pauses its operation to allow the temperature to drop back down to a safe level.

This issue is frequently noticed during the first cold spell of autumn when the heating is turned back on after being idle all summer, which can cause internal pump parts to seize.

DIY fix possible

Check that the boiler pressure is between 1.0 and 1.5 bar on the displayEnsure all radiator valves (TRVs) are fully open to allow water flowCheck that the blue isolation valves underneath the boiler are in the 'open' position

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