Ideal Boiler F9 Fault Code
The Ideal fault code F9 unconfigured printed circuit board (PCB) Q & A or require an engineer for an emergency boiler repair.
The Ideal Boiler Fault Code F9 Error Common Q & A
Just below, we have a list of common questions relating to the F9 fault code on the Ideal boiler.
- What does the F9 fault code mean on my Ideal boiler?
- What is the PCB on my boiler?
- How do I reset my boiler to fix the F9 fault code?
- What does an unconfigured PCB mean?
- What can cause an unconfigured PCB fault on my boiler?
- The boiler has also been showing a “BCC” fault, what does that mean?
- What is the most likely problem with the boiler’s chip card?
- What faults can occur with boiler chip cards?
- Could the F9 fault be a broken PCB?
- What problems can occur with PCBs on Ideal boilers?
- If I need a new PCB in my Ideal boiler, how much is it likely to cost?
What does the F9 fault code mean on my Ideal boiler
When your boiler recognises a problem, it displays a fault code.
The F9 fault code on your Ideal boiler relates to an unconfigured printed circuit board (PCB).
What is the PCB on my boiler
The PCB is the component that controls the electrical components in your boiler. If PCB isn’t installed correctly or is malfunctioning, the boiler won’t work.
There are lots of electrical components in your boiler including the fan, pump, gas valve, air pressure switch and even temperature sensors.
Under normal operation, the PCB gives and receives signals to these components for the boiler to work.
For example, it tells the pump that water is heated and ready to be pumped. But, before that happens, the fan needs to start so dangerous gases are vented out of the flue.
And, there are a range of sensors that ensure the boiler is operating safely. If it’s not, the signal they give to the boiler’s PCB will mean that the boiler will lock out.
A typical example might be the air pressure switch. If this notices air pressure in the boiler isn’t in its operating range, it sends that signal to the PCB. The PCB will then shut down the boiler and display a fault code.
How do I reset my boiler to fix the F9 fault code
You shouldn’t reset your Ideal boiler to try and fix the problem. Resetting a boiler will sometimes clear the fault code, but wrongly.
The boiler lock out and fault code system is designed as a safety feature. If the boiler locks out, that’s because it’s working in a manner that could cause further damage to the boiler.
More importantly, if the boiler continues to operate, it could be dangerous.
After a lock out, the fault code helps a boiler engineer diagnose and fix the problem. A reset might trick the boiler into thinking the problem is fixed temporarily, even when it’s not.
So, you should always speak to a Gas Safe engineer. They’ll fix the problem and reset the boiler to check the problem has been rectified.
What does an unconfigured PCB mean
This means the boiler isn’t recognising the PCB. It’s not synced correctly and when this is the case, it won’t work in the manner it should.
The signals it should be giving and receiving won’t be present, and therefore, the parts in the boiler won’t be working when they should be.
What can cause an unconfigured PCB fault on my boiler
The most obvious answer would be a new PCB installation. So, if the PCB has recently been replaced, it’s likely that it’s not been configured correctly to work with your boiler.
If you’ve had a PCB fitted recently, the boiler engineer will need to reconfigure the component so that it works with your boiler.
And, this is a long-shot, but there’s a small chance the PCB isn’t the correct one for your boiler. If the PCB won’t configure, it’s worth checking part numbers against your boiler to ensure it’s the correct model of PCB.
The boiler has also been showing a “BCC” fault, what does that mean
If you’ve noticed other fault codes popping up on the display panel recently, it’s likely they relate to a BCC fault. The BCC fault codes for Ideal boilers are C0 and C2.
The BCC in your boiler is known as a boiler chip card. The printed circuit board fitted to your boiler is likely generic.
By that, we mean it’s fitted to lots of different boilers, not just one specific model. For these generic PCBs to work with a range of boilers, they use something called a boiler chip card.
It’s this chip card that helps sync the PCB with your exact boiler. It’s the middle-man that allows the boiler to communicate with the PCB.
When there’s a fault with the BCC or it’s not configured/installed correctly the boiler isn’t going to recognise the printed circuit board, and therefore, it’s going to lock out.
What is the most likely problem with the boiler’s chip card
If you’re seeing the C0 fault code and now the F9 fault code, this again relates to an incorrect installation of the PCB/chip card.
Whilst the PCB and boiler chip card might be in place, they haven’t been configured correctly. A boiler engineer will need to reconfigure the BCC and the printed circuit board.
However, if your boiler is showing a C2 fault code, that’s a code that directly relates to a boiler chip card fault.
What faults can occur with boiler chip cards
The first and most obvious thing for your boiler engineer to check is that the boiler chip card hasn’t worked itself loose. Boilers vibrate, and these vibrations can cause components, wiring and connections to come loose.
If the boiler chip card has worked itself loose (even by a tiny amount), it won’t be giving the printed circuit board the information it needs to operate correctly.
Your Gas Safe engineer will be able to reinsert the boiler chip card to fix the fault.
If that still doesn’t fix the problem, there’s a good chance it’s the boiler chip card that needs replacing.
Could the F9 fault be a broken PCB
If your boiler hasn’t had a new circuit board fitted, there is a chance that this is a faulty PCB.
Typically, we’d expect to see a different fault code for a broken PCB, rather than one specifically showing an activation fault.
The big problem with having a faulty PCB, is it’s likely it’s operation (and therefore the fault codes it displays) are incorrect. It can only display the right fault codes if it’s working correctly, and in this case, it isn’t.
So, whilst the code relates to an activation fault, the fault may lie with the PCB itself.
What problems can occur with PCBs on Ideal boilers
If the boiler engineer has fixed a boiler chip card fault whereby the BCC was loose, they’ll need to investigate further. And usually, a visual inspect is a good place to start.
If the boiler chip card has worked itself loose due to boiler vibrations, other parts could have done the same; including the wiring and connections on the PCB.
If any loose connections or damaged sections of wiring are found, the boiler engineer will be able to re-secure them and reset the boiler to fix the fault.
Beyond this basic visual inspection, a boiler engineer can use a multi-meter to test the PCB. This determines whether the PCB is getting power.
If the PCB is getting intermittent power, that’s going to cause all kinds of problems.
A fluctuation in power (and therefore, the signals the PCB gives and receives) will lead to intermittent boiler operation. This could be anything from the heating turning off before radiators get hot, or the boiler cycling on and off for no real reason.
If I need a new PCB in my Ideal boiler, how much is it likely to cost
Your boiler’s printed circuit board is one of the most expensive components in your boiler.
In general, you could expect to budget £400-500 for a replacement. The exact price will depend on the type of PCB and the cost of that individual PCB.
We’d expect the replacement to take around 1 working day.
But, when there are seriously expensive faults like this, we always advise having your Gas Safe engineer check over the other components in your boiler.
If even one other part is showing signs of excessive wear (such as the boiler’s pump), the total cost of the fix is getting dangerously close to a replacement boiler.
Other Ideal boiler issues
For more boiler issues regarding the Idea Boiler then please visit the Ideal Boiler Problems And Cures page.