An E160 on a Baxi boiler is a fan fault — a safety shutdown that happens when the boiler can't confirm the fan is spinning at the right speed. Here's what it means and what to do.
If your Baxi boiler has gone cold and the display is showing E160, the boiler is telling you it has a problem with its fan. Rather than carry on regardless, the boiler has deliberately shut itself down. That's the safety system doing exactly what it should — and it means the fault needs a proper diagnosis, not a workaround.
E160 is Baxi's fan fault code. Inside the boiler, the fan draws air in for combustion and pushes the products of combustion out through the flue. The boiler's control board (PCB) constantly checks the fan's speed using a sensor. If the fan isn't spinning, is spinning too slowly, or the board can't read a reliable speed signal, the boiler can't safely burn gas — so it locks out and displays E160.
This is a safety shutdown, not a glitch to be cleared and ignored. Without a properly running fan, combustion gases — including carbon monoxide — can't be removed reliably, so the boiler refuses to fire. The lockout is protecting you. The fix is to find out why the fan isn't reporting the right speed, and that's a job for a registered engineer.
Carbon monoxide is dangerous and you cannot smell it. If you feel unwell — headaches, dizziness, nausea — or you smell gas, leave the property, open windows where safe to do so, and call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999. Make sure you have a working CO alarm fitted near your boiler.
There is no safe DIY fix for a fan fault — the fan sits inside the sealed combustion side of the boiler, behind the casing, and that area is strictly for a Gas Safe registered engineer. What you can do is one simple check:
Do not remove the boiler casing, touch the fan, or poke around the wiring or PCB. The casing seals the combustion circuit, and opening it is gas work. Leave it shut and book an engineer.
Golden rule: anything behind the casing — the fan, flue, gas valve, combustion sensors, PCB and wiring — must only be worked on by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Always ask to see their ID card and check it on the Gas Safe Register.
An engineer attending an E160 will usually be looking at one of these causes:
Diagnosis matters here. The engineer will test the fan, check the wiring and confirm the speed signal before replacing anything, so you only pay for the part that's actually at fault.
Costs vary by region, boiler model and how the engineer charges, so treat the figures below as indicative for 2026.
| Job | Typical cost (indicative) |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic / call-out | £70 – £120 |
| Replacement fan (part) | £90 – £200 |
| Fan replacement fitted (part + labour) | £180 – £350 |
| Wiring / connector repair | £70 – £150 |
| PCB replacement fitted | £300 – £500+ |
This is where cover earns its keep. A typical boiler-cover policy with parts and labour included would handle a fan replacement as a single claim, usually for the cost of an excess rather than the full repair bill. If you're weighing it up, our guide on whether boiler cover is worth it walks through the maths, and you can compare boiler cover from our selected panel of providers in one place.
You can't make a fan last forever, but you can catch wear early. An annual service by a Gas Safe engineer lets them spot a fan that's getting noisy or slow before it fails completely, and many boiler-cover policies include that yearly service as standard. New to cover? Start with what boiler cover actually includes so you know what's protected.
No. Reset once. If E160 returns, that's a genuine fault and the boiler has locked out for safety. Repeatedly resetting won't fix a worn fan or a wiring fault, and the boiler is shutting down to protect you, so it should stay off until an engineer has looked at it.
The boiler won't fire while it's in lockout, so it isn't producing heat or hot water. Don't try to force it to run or open the casing. Leave it off and arrange for a Gas Safe registered engineer to attend.
No. The fan is part of the sealed combustion circuit behind the casing, and any work there is gas work that must legally be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Fitting a fan yourself would be unsafe and illegal.
Most policies that include parts and labour would cover a fan replacement, subject to your excess and the policy terms — for example, exclusions for pre-existing faults or boilers over a certain age. Check the specific policy wording before you buy and compare what each plan includes.
There's no fixed lifespan, but fans commonly last several years to well over a decade depending on how hard the boiler works and how well it's maintained. An annual service helps an engineer catch a tiring fan before it triggers an E160 lockout.
Boiler cover can turn a one-off fan or PCB repair into a predictable monthly cost, often with an annual service included. Compare plans from our selected panel and see what each one covers.
Compare boiler coverThis article is general information, not advice. We compare a selected panel of providers, not the whole market, and may earn a commission when you buy through our links. Always have gas appliances checked and repaired by a Gas Safe registered engineer.