What it means
What EA is telling you
EA is by far the most common Worcester Bosch lockout. It means the boiler tried to light, failed to detect a flame within its safety window, and shut itself down deliberately.
That is the boiler doing its job — it will not keep pumping gas into a chamber that isn't lighting. The code itself doesn't tell you why the flame is missing, which is why guessing at parts is an expensive way to fix it.
The three usual causes are no gas reaching the burner, a dirty or failed flame sensing electrode, or a blocked condensate pipe forcing a lockout. In a cold snap the condensate is the single most likely culprit.
Before you call
Safe checks you can do yourself
- Check other gas appliances — if the hob won't light either, the problem is your gas supply, not the boiler
- Check you're not on a prepayment meter that has run out of credit
- In freezing weather, look for a white plastic pipe leaving the house — if it's frozen, pour warm (never boiling) water along it
- Press and hold the reset button for around three seconds, once only
- If it locks out to EA again after one reset, stop resetting and call an engineer
Never remove the boiler casing or work on the sealed combustion chamber yourself — by law that’s Gas Safe registered engineers only. If you smell gas, call 0800 111 999 immediately.
How we fix it
What we do on the visit
- Gas pressure and gas rate tested at the appliance with a manometer
- Flame sensing electrode cleaned, re-gapped or replaced
- Ignition leads and spark generator checked
- Condensate run cleared, re-routed or lagged so it stops refreezing
- Gas valve tested and replaced only if it has genuinely failed
How urgent is it?
Not dangerous, but you have no heating or hot water until it's fixed. Same-day slots available.
Costs
What a repair costs
Our diagnostic visit is £99 inc VAT and it comes off the bill if we carry out the repair. We give you a fixed price before touching anything — no hourly rates, no surprises on the invoice.
We’re Gas Safe registered, Which? Trusted Trader endorsed and rated 4.9 across 206+ reviews. We carry the common Worcester Bosch and Viessmann spares on the van, so most faults are fixed on the first visit rather than booked back in.
Common questions
Can I keep resetting a Worcester EA fault?
Reset it once. Repeatedly resetting a boiler that keeps locking out sends unburnt gas into the combustion chamber each attempt and can damage the ignition components. If it fails twice, it needs an engineer.
How much does it cost to fix an EA fault code?
Our diagnostic visit is £99 inc VAT and comes off the bill if we do the repair. Most EA faults are a clean, a condensate clear or an electrode, typically £99–£220 inc VAT all in.
Is an EA fault worth repairing on an old boiler?
If the boiler is under about 12 years old and parts are available, almost always yes. Beyond that we'll tell you honestly what the repair costs against a replacement rather than selling you a new boiler by default.
Book it in
Get an engineer out
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60 second boiler quote
No callbacks unless you want one
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