How to fix Ideal Boiler L2 Fault Code

What does an Ideal boiler L2 fault code mean?

The Ideal boiler L2 fault code means that there is no flame to ignite the gas, resulting in your boiler shutting down as a precaution.

Boilers burn gas in order to heat the water they use to provide hot water for your radiators and hot water outlets. If a boiler can’t ignite, then it can’t do its job. If you get an Ideal boiler L2 fault code, then your boiler won’t work until the issue is resolved.

Along with an L2 fault code, depending on the model of the Ideal boiler, a message saying “IGNITION LOCKOUT” might appear. An “Ignition Lockout” message, means that the boiler has tried to ignite three times and failed and has now shut down as a safety measure.

Can I fix an Ideal boiler L2 fault code myself?

An Ideal boiler L2 fault code could have been triggered by one of a number of reasons, some of which, such as a frozen condensate pipe or some issues resulting in there being no gas for the boiler to burn, may be able to be fixed by the homeowner, but more often than not, the problem causing an L2 fault code on your Ideal boiler will need to be fixed by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. Only Gas Safe engineers are legally permitted to open a boiler’s casing or work on gas pipes, and most of the problems that cause the Ideal boiler L2 fault code are caused by a gas issue.

What causes an Ideal boiler L2 fault code?

An Ideal boiler L2 fault code may have been triggered by one of the following reasons:

• A faulty or damaged ignition lead
• A faulty or damaged gas valve
• A faulty or damaged flame sensor
• No gas for the boiler to burn
• The condensate pipe is blocked
• Low gas pressure

Faulty or damaged ignition lead

If the ignition lead is faulty or damaged and doesn’t spark, your boiler will display an L2 fault before shutting down. The reason for this is that the gas valve would have released gas expecting it to be ignited immediately, and as the ignition hasn’t sparked to burn the gas, the boiler will shut down as a precaution as a build up of gas is dangerous.

The ignition lead causes the spark that lights the flame to begin the process of heating the water.

A damaged or faulty ignition lead can only be detected by a qualified boiler engineer.

What causes a faulty or damaged ignition lead?

The main causes of an ignition lead not working properly is a gas leak or a loose connection. If you smell gas around your boiler, then it could be an indication that there is a problem with your ignition lead or of another serious issue that will need to be looked into.

How to fix Ideal boiler L2 fault code caused by a faulty or damaged ignition lead

If a faulty or damaged ignition lead is causing your Ideal boiler L2 fault code, then you will need to call a Gas Safe engineer to inspect and fix your boiler.

As the ignition lead is located inside the boiler, it is necessary to remove the front casing to access some specific parts. By law, only a Gas Safe registered engineer can remove the front casing of a boiler.

Faulty or damaged gas valve

If the gas valve releases too little or too much gas, an L2 fault code will appear and the boiler will lockout.

As previously mentioned, the gas valve in your boiler opens to release gas to be ignited. The gas valve has to release the right amount of gas for the boiler to work properly.

The reason for your boiler to lockout is because it is extremely dangerous if too much gas gets released before being ignited, as it could cause an explosion.

How to fix Ideal boiler L2 fault code caused by a faulty or damaged gas valve

A faulty or damaged gas valve can only be fixed by a Gas Safe engineer. The engineer will either adjust the gas valve or in some cases, have to replace it. The cost of replacing the gas valve on your boiler, including labour, could cost around £300.

Faulty or damaged flame sensor

The flame sensor in your boiler sends a signal to the boiler’s circuit board to let it know if a flame has or hasn’t been detected. If the boiler doesn’t receive information from the flame sensor telling it that a flame was lit, then the boiler will immediately shut down.

The reason for the boiler shutting down is because it would be dangerous for it to continue emitting gas without knowing if it has been ignited yet or not. A build up of gas is extremely hazardous.

How to fix Ideal boiler L2 fault code caused by a faulty or damaged flame sensor

As mentioned before, only a Gas Safe engineer is legally permitted to remove a boiler’s casing, so you will not be able to fix this issue without a qualified engineer.

No gas for the boiler to burn

Your boiler needs to burn fuel to heat the water it uses. If you have a gas boiler then, as the name suggests, your boiler’s fuel will be gas. If there is no gas to burn, then your boiler will not be able to heat the water for your central heating system and hot water taps. If this is the case, your Ideal boiler will display an L2 fault code and lockout.

How will I know if my boiler is out of gas?

Try turning on other appliances that use gas, such as the cooker, to see whether there is a gas supply issue or if the issue is only with the boiler. If your other appliances are also not working, then there may be an issue with the supply of gas to your home, such as;

No credit on your account

If you are on a prepayment meter, your account must be in credit at all times, otherwise the meter will turn off and there will be no supply of gas to your home.

Prepayment meters, also known as 'pay-as-you-go' meters are a type of energy meter that requires users to pay for their energy before they use it. Energy is added by using a smartcard, token or key that can be topped up at a shop or through a smartphone app.

If you've run out of credit, you may activate your emergency credit, but once that gets used and if you still haven’t topped up your meter, your gas will disconnect and go off supply. If this happens, there will be no gas for your boiler to light which will trigger an L2 fault code.

If your Ideal boiler has an L2 fault code, check to see if you have credit on your meter. If you are out of credit, the simple way to fix the Ideal boiler L2 fault code is to top up your smartcard, token or key and re-insert it into your prepay meter. Once you have done this, your gas supply should automatically reconnect. If this was the cause of your Ideal boiler L2 fault code, the issue should now be fixed.

An issue with your gas supply

If your gas appliances aren’t firing up and you are in credit with your energy company, then gas may not be coming into your home.

If no gas is being fed to your appliances, you first need to check that the gas is on. To do this, you will need to locate your gas meter.

Most gas meters can be found:

• Inside a meter box outside the front or side of a property
• Inside your home in the cupboard under the stairs
• Under the kitchen sink
• In the garage

Once you have found your gas meter, you should be able to see the isolation valve. The isolation valve is usually a red lever and is used to turn off the supply of gas to your house in case of an emergency. If the lever is in line with the pipe, then the gas supply is on and flowing. If the lever is at a 90-degree angle to the pipe, then the gas supply has been turned off.

If the lever is on and you have no gas in your home, then you will need to call your energy provider to get to the bottom of the issue.

If the lever is off, then you should contact your gas provider to find out if there is any reason why someone may have turned it off. If they confirm there is no reason why it should be off and deem it safe to turn it back on, turn the lever so it is in line with the pipe and gas should start flowing into your home again. Go back inside your home and check your gas appliances to see if they are now working properly.

Blocked condensate pipe

During times of very cold weather, the water leaving the condensate pipe could freeze. If this happens, the wastewater will not be able to flow out of the boiler into the drainage and will cause your boiler to shut down and display an L2 fault code.

A condensate pipe transports wastewater from your boiler to the drainage system outside your home. The condensate pipe is located outside your property, so it is prone to outside factors affecting it.

How will I know if my condensate pipe is frozen?

If you hear a gurgling/gargling noise coming from your boiler before it shuts down and displays the L2 fault code, then this could be an indication that your condensate pipe is blocked.

You can also tell if it is frozen by sight or touch. You can conduct an inspection of the pipe to find out if it's frozen. The condensate pipe is located outside your property on the nearest wall to your boiler. It usually looks like a thin, white pipe starting from the wall, then heading down into a drain.

How to fix Ideal boiler L2 fault code caused by a blocked condensate pipe

If your condensate pipe is blocked due to frozen water, you will be able to unblock it simply by thawing the ice with hot water. You can do this by following these two simple steps:

1. Boil your kettle and let it cool down slightly. Make sure the water isn’t boiling as it could crack the pipe.


2. Pour the hot water over the condensate pipe. You may need to do this a few times until the ice has thawed. You will know that the blockage has been cleared if you see water leaving the pipe.

Once the ice has melted and the wastewater has been released, turn off the boiler for 30 seconds, then turn it back on. The L2 fault code should now have cleared and your boiler should be back up and running.

How to prevent a condensate pipe from freezing

A good way to protect your condensate pipe from freezing is to insulate it with waterproof lagging. Waterproof lagging is a weather resistant tubing that stops the water flowing through the pipe from freezing.

Foam pipe insulation can be purchased from most DIY shops for only a few pounds, and can easily be installed by yourself.

Low gas pressure

If the gas pressure flowing through the pipes to your boiler is too low, it could result in there being too little gas being available to be ignited. If this is the case, your Ideal boiler with lockout and show the L2 fault code.

Possible causes for low gas pressure

1. Outdated gas pipes

A reason for low gas pressure could be because you've had a new Ideal boiler installed that has a greater demand for gas pressure and the pipework hasn’t been upgraded to meet the increased demand. For example, if you previously had a 30kW boiler but have now upgraded to a 36kW boiler, your boiler will require more gas due to the higher output.

If your gas pipes aren’t the correct size, they will need to be replaced by a gas safe engineer.

2. Gas leaks

A gas leak anywhere along your gas pipeline or within the boiler will cause the pressure to drop. Gas leaks are often caused by faulty or poorly fitted appliances, loose connections or damaged or corroded gas pipes.

Possible signs of a gas leak:

• The smell of strong sulphur-like odour
• You hear a hissing/whistling sound near a gas pipe
• Your carbon monoxide detector is alarming
• Bubbles on a gas pipe
• A corroded or damaged gas pipe
• Plants and flowers dying unexpectedly

You may also be getting higher gas bills than normal, as gas will be constantly escaping from the gas lines or appliances.

3. An issue with your gas supplier

There could be an issue on your gas supplier's end that is limiting the gas pressure being supplied to your property.

Contact your gas supplier to find out if there is an issue with your account, if they are not supplying gas at a high enough pressure to your property, or if they are experiencing a gas supply problem.

Ideal boiler L2 fault code conclusion

As you have read, there could be a number of reasons why your Ideal boiler is displaying an L2 fault code. Most of these problems can only be diagnosed and fixed by a boiler engineer. We must remind you that only Gas Safe Registered engineers are permitted to open a boiler's casing, so please do not try to fix those issues yourself.

Having your boiler serviced annually will be able to highlight some issues that may cause an L2 fault code if they aren’t addressed.

Carrying out a visual inspection of your boiler and pipework and spotting any potential L2 fault code causes, like corroding pipework and loose gas pipe connections, and having them fixed before they become a problem, can help prevent future L2 problems arising.

Click here for a look at other Ideal boiler fault codes and how to resolve them.