Emergency
F3 on Viessmann Vitodens 111-W

Your boiler has detected that a flame is present before it has actually been told to start, which prevents it from safely igniting.

Act immediately

Turn off your boiler and stop using gas appliances. Call a Gas Safe engineer now. This fault can be dangerous if ignored.

What the manual says

Manufacturer manual

Flame signal is already present at burner start

From this model's manual
Verified against the Viessmann Vitodens 111 W installation & service manual, page 57.
Plain-English guidance below. Severity, DIY steps, costs and parts are our interpretation to help you act, not text from the manual.

Engineer required

This is a emergency severity fault. Stop using the boiler and call a Gas Safe registered engineer. Do not attempt gas-related repairs yourself.

Find a Gas Safe engineer
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