British Gas EA fault code

British Gas EA fault code explained

The EA fault code is an ignition fault code and one is probably one of the most common fault codes found on a British Gas boiler.

If you have a British Gas boiler there is a very good chance that you may experience the EA fault code at some point.

The British Gas EA fault code talked about on this page is specifically related to the 532 model, the 537 model and the 542 model of British Gas boiler.

These British Gas boilers are essentially Worcester Bosch Greenstar CDI boilers rebranded as British Gas boilers.

Hence they are identical, there is no difference between them and the fault codes and issues these boilers suffer from are exactly the same as the Worcester Bosch boilers they are based on.

This EA fault code will cause your British Gas boiler to stop working, leaving you without central heating or hot water.

The EA fault code essentially means that no flame inside the burner has been detected by the printed circuit board.

Also if the burner on the boiler has lit but gone out afterwards it will display the EA fault code.

If you look in the British Gas installation manual under the EA fault code it states the following;

“Flame not detected – Is gas cock turned on? Check: gas supply pressure, power supply, igniter electrode and lead, ionisation sensing electrode and lead”

British Gas boilers like most modern boilers have a failsafe built into them to ensure that the boiler works safely.

One of the fail safes in place is flame detection which is done via a process called flame rectification.

If the printed circuit board on the boiler doesn’t detect a flame then the boiler will attempt to light the burner three times, and if unsuccessful the boiler will shut down and display an EA fault code.

Like many fault codes, the EA fault code does not actually tell you exactly what is wrong with the boiler.

Unfortunately there are quite a few different possible cause of the EA fault code on a British Gas boiler.

Possible causes include some of the following possibilities;

No gas supply to boiler(gas turned off), faulty gas valve, faulty printed circuit board(PCB), faulty spark electrode lead, blocked condensate trap, blocked or frozen condensate pipework or dirty ignition electrodes.

So as you can see there are many different components on a boiler that can cause the EA fault code.

In our experience working on British Gas boilers, the number one cause of the EA fault code in general is either gas turned off, frozen blocked condensate pipework or gas valve.

Aside from that the spark electrode assembly can foul up or fail, requiring cleaning or replacement.

There is also a non return valve called a “bearing plate membrane”, which sits above the fan which can often fail or start to fail causing an intermittent EA fault code.

The bearing plate membrane should be inspected and replaced if necessary on a routine boiler service.

This is why it is important to get a suitable Gas Safe registered heating engineer with experience on British Gas boilers, otherwise you could waste money fitting parts that are unnecessary.

When to call a gas engineer to fix your boiler

If you are experiencing the EA fault code on your British Gas boiler, it is important to take action as soon as possible. While some issues can be resolved by homeowners themselves, others require the expertise of a qualified Gas Safe registered heating engineer.

Because the EA fault code can be caused by several different faulty parts, it is extremely important to get a suitable heating engineer with experience on British Gas boilers, otherwise you could end up wasting money fitting parts to your boiler that are unnecessary.

Often you will be able to reset your boiler and get it working again if it’s showing an EA fault code .

However in general this is just a short term solution and usually your boiler will probably stop working altogether at some point, leaving you without hot water and heating.

So it usually best to get a qualified heating engineer to have a look at your boiler at your earliest convenience.

How to prevent the EA fault code

A lot of the time certain faults on a British Gas boiler can be prevented with regular annual servicing and maintenance. This is especially true of the EA fault code as.

Some of the parts on a Greenstar CDI boiler that can cause the EA fault code are non serviceable components.

These include; the gas valve, printed circuit board and ignition lead. There is nothing that can be done on a routine boiler service to make these parts last any longer. However there are quite a few things that can be checked.

What an engineer can do on routine servicing of your boiler to help prevent the EA fault code include; ensuring the condensate trap and pipework are clean and have no blockages, ensuring the spark electrode assembly and heat exchanger are clean and that the boiler combustion parameters are correct by check them with a flue gas analyser.

Also one of the most common things to check and replace if necessary is the bearing plate membrane non return valve that sits above the fan.

British Gas boilers affected by the EA fault code

Below is a list of British Gas boilers that can be affected by the EA fault code;

• British Gas 532, 537 and 542 combination boilers

Frequently asked questions:

Is my boiler showing an EA fault code worth repairing ?

Yes definitely, most of the time your broken British Gas boiler displaying an EA fault code will be worth repairing. Obviously the cost to repair your boiler will be determined by which parts need to be replaced.

You would need a competent, Gas Safe registered heating engineer to have a look at your boiler and make an assessment to determine exactly which parts might need to be replaced.

Before replacing your boiler it is always worth getting a suitable Gas Safe registered heating engineer, with experience working on British Gas boilers, to make an assessment of your boiler so you can determine whether it is worth fixing not.

Can I repair the EA fault code myself?

Sometimes you can solve an EA fault code yourself, you can ensure there is no issue with your gas supply by checking other gas appliances. If your boiler has a condensate pipe that runs externally you could check to make sure it hasn’t frozen.

Aside from that repairing the EA fault code will usually require removing the cover of your boiler to replace parts which you are not legally allowed to do unless you are a Gas Safe registered heating engineer.

Is the EA fault code dangerous?

No definitely not , the EA fault code on a British Gas boiler is not inherently dangerous, it’s the opposite.

Modern British Gas boilers are designed with fail safes in place to make sure that the boiler will only work if it safe to do so.

If you are having issues with an intermittent EA fault code, resetting the boiler is often only a short term solution to your problem, and your boiler may stop working altogether at some point.

As such if your boiler is coming up with an EA fault code, the best thing to do it get it repaired at your earliest convenience, by a suitable Gas Safe registered heating engineer – ideally one that has experience working on British Gas boilers.