Worcester Boiler Fault 227 (EA 227)
Fault 227 on a Worcester Bosch boiler means the boiler tried to light and did not see a flame. Worcester's code table describes it as "no flame signal after ignition", and it is a locking fault, so the boiler stays off until it is reset. You will often see it written as EA 227. The cause is frequently outside the boiler and easy to check, such as no gas or a frozen condensate pipe. If it comes back after a reset, the fault is inside the boiler and needs a Gas Safe engineer.
The short answer
What you can safely check
None of these involve opening the boiler, which only a Gas Safe registered engineer should do.
| Check | How | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Gas to the house | Try the hob or another gas appliance | If nothing lights, it is the supply, not the boiler |
| Prepayment meter | Check credit and emergency credit | A meter that has run out stops the gas |
| Emergency control valve | The lever at the meter should run in line with the pipe | Knocked across the pipe means the gas is off |
| Condensate pipe in frost | The plastic pipe outside, reachable from the ground | Frozen, it backs up and stops the boiler. Thaw with warm water. |
| Reset once | As your manual describes | Lights and stays lit: the cause was temporary. 227 again: call an engineer. |
What an engineer checks
If gas is reaching the house, the condensate is clear and 227 comes back, the cause is inside the appliance. Worcester's Greenstar 4000 instructions list what to check for this code: the gas supply and the pressure at the gas valve, the spark electrode and its lead, the flame sensing lead, the earthing, the condensate siphon, the flue and the heat exchanger. Worcester also advises checking the electrode's ceramic insulator for cracks. Every one of those is gas or combustion work and needs gas pressure readings and a flue gas analysis, which is a job for a Gas Safe engineer. Ours is registration 541116.
227 and its neighbours
Other codes in the same part of Worcester's table look similar but mean something different, which is why the engineer will ask for the exact number:
| Code | Worcester's description | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 224 | Maximal flue gas or heat exchanger thermostat has activated | Blocking |
| 227 | No flame signal after ignition | Locking |
| 228 | Flame signal without flame present | Locking |
| 234 | Gas valve electrical fault | Locking |
Source: Greenstar 4000 installation instructions, 6 720 891 162. Codes can differ between models, so check the table for yours. The full list of common codes is in our Worcester fault codes guide.
The cold-morning 227
If 227 appears on the first frosty morning of the year and the blue light is flashing, start with the condensate pipe. A condensing boiler drains mildly acidic water through a plastic pipe, and where it runs outside it can freeze overnight. Pour warm water slowly along the outside section from the top down, from the ground only, then reset. If it freezes every cold spell, the lasting fix is upsizing, lagging, shortening or re-routing the pipe inside, which our boiler repair engineers do as a standard job.
Repair or replace?
A fault that clears with one reset or a top-up costs nothing. A worn electrode or a recharged expansion vessel on a boiler a few years old is a routine repair. The sums change when the boiler is twelve to fifteen years old, the fault is a gas valve, heat exchanger or control board, or the same lockout keeps coming back. As a Worcester Bosch Accredited Installer we fit the Greenstar range from £2,000 for the Greenstar 1000 to £2,850 for the Greenstar 8000 Life, fitted, with guarantees of up to 12 years on the 8000 range (subject to Worcester's conditions). Every model and price is on our boiler prices page, and finance is available. Ask for the repair figure and the replacement figure side by side and decide with both in front of you.
Common questions
What does fault code 227 mean on a Worcester boiler?
No flame signal after ignition. The boiler tried to light, the flame sensor did not confirm a flame, and it locked out. It is often shown as EA 227. Worcester lists it as a locking fault, so the boiler needs a reset once the cause is cleared.
How do I fix EA 227 on my Worcester boiler?
Check the gas reaches the house (does the hob light, is there meter credit), check the condensate pipe outside is not frozen, then reset once. If 227 comes back, the fault is inside the boiler and needs a Gas Safe engineer.
Can low pressure cause fault 227?
227 is Worcester's no-flame code, so the usual causes are gas supply, ignition, flame sensing, condensate or flue problems rather than water pressure. It is still worth checking the pressure is about 1 to 1.5 bar cold before resetting, because low pressure stops the boiler too.
Is fault 227 expensive to fix?
It depends on the cause. A frozen condensate pipe or an empty prepayment meter costs nothing. A worn electrode is a routine repair. A gas valve or control board on an older boiler is where replacing the boiler starts to make sense.
Updated 18 October 2026
