This fault can involve incomplete combustion and carbon monoxide.
If anyone in the property feels sick, dizzy or drowsy, or you can smell gas: open the windows, leave the building, and do not switch anything on or off. Then call the National Gas Emergency Service.
0800 111 999Baxi E160 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
Fan fault on every three-digit Baxi. The boiler will not light without proof the fan is moving combustion air. No householder reset on any generation; fan, wiring or board.
Stop — this needs an engineer
Get a Gas Safe registered engineer to look at your Baxi E160
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. Find a Gas Safe registered engineer through the Gas Safe Register, and ask to see their registration card when they arrive — it is the register, not the van, that tells you they are qualified.
What E160 means
E160 is "Fan Fault" on the selector-switch Duo-tec HE and Platinum and "Fan fault" on the 600, 800, Compact and Duo-tec 2, and Baxi's professional page says simply "Fan fault". Baxi boilers are fan-assisted: the fan draws air through the burner and pushes the combustion products out along the flue, and the board will not open the gas valve until it has proof the fan is turning at the speed it asked for. On the selector-switch generation that proof is partly the air pressure switch (Platinum) and partly the fan's own tachometer signal; on the digital-display boilers it is the tacho alone. E160 is the board reporting that the fan did not start, did not reach speed, or lost its signal.
Baxi do not let the householder reset it on any generation. The Platinum user guide lists E160 among the codes that "indicate faulty components — you should make a note of the displayed error code and contact your installer or service engineer"; on the 600, 800 and Compact it carries the spanner symbol. The 600 Combi fault-finding flow for 160 is a wiring check before anything else — "Fan connections correct at fan & PCB X11 and X23 connectors — see Wiring Diagram. Make connections", then "Fan jammed or faulty wiring", then a supply check at the board — and only then the fan itself.
The fan on the 600 and 800 is Baxi part 7683926. This page is rated danger for the same reason Baxi lock the boiler out: a fan that is not proven is a burner that might run without its combustion air being taken away, and a boiler that shows E160 intermittently — starts, stops, starts — should be treated as a boiler with a failing fan, not one that is fine most of the time.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Fan connections or wiring | Baxi's first check. Plugs at the fan and at PCB connectors X11 and X23 on the 600; a connector that has worked loose or a lead damaged where it bends over the fan housing. | Common |
| Fan motor worn or seized | Bearings wear over years and the fan becomes slow to start or noisy, then stops. "Fan jammed" in Baxi's flow. The 600 and 800 fan is part 7683926. | Common |
| Tacho signal lost | The fan turns but the speed signal does not reach the board, so the board reports a fan fault on a fan that is running. A wiring or fan-electronics fault. | Occasional |
| PCB fan drive | The board's fan supply or its speed control has failed. Baxi's flow reaches it after the connections and the fan have been proven. | Rare |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£80–£320
Time on site
1 hour
Connector repair within a call-out, £80–£150. Fan (Baxi 7683926 on the 600 and 800) fitted £200–£320. PCB £250–£400.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Parts you may need
We may earn a commission if you buy a part through one of these links. It does not change what you pay, and it does not affect which parts we list.
Baxi / Potterton / Main fan assembly
7683926£110–£220Authorised Baxi parts distributor
Price checked 28 September 2026
Baxi / Potterton / Main main PCB
£150–£320Authorised Baxi parts distributor
Price checked 28 September 2026
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Related Baxi fault codes
- E130Stop — call an engineer"Flue NTC operated": the flue gas got too hot and the boiler shut down. Baxi allow one reset on every generation, then it is a heat exchanger or flue problem for an engineer.Related: fan and flue
- E28Get it checkedFlue thermistor fault — and on the Platinum ranges also the air pressure switch, a blocked flue or a blocked condensate drain. Which meaning applies depends on which Baxi you have.Related: fan and flue
- E.04.13Stop — call an engineerFan blocked or over speed on the Baxi 200/400 Combi and Combi 2. Baxi's remedy is the fan-and-PCB connection, then the air-gas unit. No householder fix; do not keep resetting.Related: fan and flue
- E.01.20Stop — call an engineer"Maximum flue gas temperature reached" on the Baxi 200/400 Combi and Combi 2. Baxi's cause is a heat exchanger blocked on the flue side; the fix is a strip and clean, not a reset.Related: fan and flue
- E133Get it checkedBaxi's ignition lockout: "the gas supply has been interrupted, ignition has failed or the flame has not been detected". Check the gas is on, reset once. If it returns, stop.Related: same brand
- E118Get it checkedLow water pressure on the digital-display Baxis: 600, 800, Duo-tec 2, Compact, Assure, Megaflo. Defined by Baxi as primary pressure under 0.5 bar. Repressurise and it clears itself.Related: same brand
Own a Baxi boiler? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
- Manufacturer support portal
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.