Ideal F13 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
The board has lost proper communication with or control of the pump. Ideal group F13, F15 and F17 as one Pump Fault: check the pump wiring, and if that is sound replace the pump.
Take care
Get a Gas Safe registered engineer to look at your Ideal F13
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 F13 means
The Logic Combi2 pump is a modulating unit driven and monitored by the board over a control lead as well as a mains supply, and Ideal reserve three codes for it going wrong — F 13, F 15 and F 17 — which their fault-finding menu treats as one row, Pump Fault, with one remedy: check pump wiring, if OK replace pump. The three numbers are internal distinctions the manual does not expand, and the user guides for the text-screen Logic+ and Logic Max collapse them further to Pump Fault, Contact Installer. The Vogue platform has its own version, Pump Low Voltage Fault, with the same two-step remedy.
What separates this from F 12 is that the rotor is not reported as jammed; the pump is failing to respond, or responding wrongly, to what the board is asking. In practice the engineer's visit is short: prove the mains and the control lead at the pump connector, and if both are good the pump is changed.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Pump control or mains lead disturbed | Two connectors, one low-voltage and one 230 volt, and a loom that runs past hot pipework. Ideal's remedy starts with the wiring for good reason. | Common |
| Pump electronics failed | The modulating pumps carry their own control board, and when it fails the motor may still hum while telling the boiler nothing useful. | Common |
| Supply voltage at the pump out of range | The Vogue name for the same fault, Pump Low Voltage Fault, gives the mechanism away: a pump that is not seeing the voltage it needs reports itself faulty even though the pump is sound. | Occasional |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£70–£380
Time on site
1 hour
Re-making a connector £70–£110. A replacement modulating pump on a Logic Combi2 fitted £220–£380.
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.
Central heating circulating pump
CH-PUMP-15-60£90–£180Plumbing merchant
Price checked 28 September 2026
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Related Ideal fault codes
- L1Get it checkedThe boiler is not seeing enough water flow through it to run safely, so it has stopped. Usually a pump, an air lock, or a blocked filter.Related: overheat and circulation
- FDGet it checkedNo water flow has been detected. The pump is the prime suspect and this will become an overheat if it is left.Related: overheat and circulation
- L3Get it checkedThe boiler has stopped because it cannot detect water moving through it. Ideal's own steps are to fill the system to 1 bar with it cold, bleed the radiators and try again.Related: overheat and circulation
- L AGet it checkedThe overheat thermostat on an Isar, Icos, Mexico HE or Esprit has tripped and the boiler has locked out. Ideal say hold reset for two seconds; if it recurs, switch off and call the installer.Related: overheat and circulation
- FUGet it checkedThe water leaving the boiler is more than 50°C hotter than the water coming back, which means very little of it is moving. Check the valves are open before anyone condemns the pump.Related: overheat and circulation
- F12Get it checkedThe pump rotor is jammed. Ideal's remedy is to clear the blockage — on a modern Logic that is an engineer freeing or replacing a sealed pump head, not a screwdriver in a bleed screw.Related: overheat and circulation
Own an Ideal boiler? Save it and its codes come first next time.
Related guides
Common questions about Ideal F13
Is F15 or F17 different from F13?
Not in anything Ideal publish. The installation manual lists the three together — "F 13 or F 15 or F 17" — against a single Pump Fault remedy. Any of the three is this page.
Should I switch the boiler off?
It will have stopped itself if it cannot prove circulation. Leaving it powered does no harm and keeps frost protection alive; what you should not do is keep pressing Restart in the hope that the pump comes back.
Is it the same as FD or L3?
Those are flow codes: the board cannot see water moving. F 13 is a pump code: the board cannot get sense out of the pump. A jammed or dead pump can produce either, but F 13 tells the engineer where to look without a flow test.
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
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.