Worcester Bosch 2980 fault codewhat it means and how to fix it
Super lock-out. Five locking faults were reset inside fifteen minutes while the boiler saw a potentially safety-critical condition, so it has locked itself against further resets. Only an engineer can clear it.
Stop — this needs an engineer
Get a Gas Safe registered engineer to look at your Worcester Bosch 2980
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 2980 means
2980 exists because people keep pressing reset. Worcester's Greenstar 8000+ and 4000 combi tables define it precisely: super lock-out occurs when a potential safety-critical condition is detected and five locking faults are reset within a fifteen-minute period. The display reads Locking fault: to unlock hold up and down arrow keys pressed simultaneously for 3 s, followed by Boiler locked, contact a qualified heating engineer, and the user guide gives it a caution box of its own — if 2980 is visible, contact a qualified heating engineer immediately, do not attempt to remedy the fault, otherwise there is a chance this could lead to a serious safety-related fault; heating and hot water will not be available until remedied.
The 2981 that follows is the boiler confirming it is still in super lock-out after the power has been cycled. The clearing procedure is written for the engineer and depends on the original fault having been diagnosed and remedied and the complete system, including sensors and harnesses, checked: only then is the boiler powered off and on, 2981 appears, the up and down arrows are held for three seconds, and after twenty-two seconds a further reset is performed.
The point is that the code is not the fault. Something else — an ignition lockout, a flue fault, an overheat — happened five times and was reset five times without being fixed, and the boiler has decided that the sixth attempt should not be yours to make. What the engineer needs is the history menu, which will show the five faults underneath.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| A locking fault reset five times without being fixed | The definition. Repeated resets of an ignition lockout such as 227 or 2951, a flue fault such as 2910, or an overheat such as 224 inside fifteen minutes. | Common |
| Frozen condensate pipe in a cold snap | The classic way to reach five resets: the boiler fails to light, is reset, fails again. The condensate pipe is thawed by the householder, but the count has already been reached. | Common |
| Power cycled to try to clear a lockout | Switching the boiler off and on does not escape the super lock-out; the boiler comes back showing 2981. | Occasional |
Can you fix it yourself?
Stop — this needs an engineer
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£90–£480
Time on site
1h 30m
The engineer's visit £90–£160, plus whatever the underlying fault turns out to be — an electrode, a gas valve, a flue repair.
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.
Worcester Bosch Greenstar electrode set
87161431020£22–£52Authorised Worcester parts distributor
Price checked 28 September 2026
Worcester Bosch Greenstar control board (PCB)
£250–£450Authorised Worcester parts distributor
Price checked 28 September 2026
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Related Worcester Bosch fault codes
- Blue light flashingGet it checkedOn a Greenstar with no display, the blue light is the fault code. Steady means healthy; a flashing pattern, read with the reset button, is a diagnosis Worcester publish in the installation instructions.Related: electronics and power
- F0Get it checkedThe boiler has found a fault inside its own electronics and stopped. F0 covers the control board and the burner control unit, and it needs an engineer.Related: electronics and power
- A7Get it checkedThe hot water temperature sensor has failed. Heating usually carries on as normal while the hot water runs cold, scalding, or swings between the two.Related: electronics and power
- Red light flashingGet it checkedOn a Worcester built before the Greenstar era, the flashing lights are the fault code. Slow means a lockout you can reset once; fast means a fault the boiler is waiting out or an engineer's.Related: electronics and power
- 9U 233Get it checkedThe heat control module is loose, missing or faulty. This small plug-in part carries the identity of your boiler, and nothing runs without it.Related: electronics and power
- Fd 231Get it checkedPower to the boiler was cut while it sat in a lockout, so a fault happened before the interruption. On older Greenstars, Fd simply means the reset button was pressed by mistake.Related: electronics and power
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Related guides
Common questions about Worcester Bosch 2980
Can I clear 2980 myself?
No. Worcester's user guide says do not attempt to remedy the fault. The unlock sequence is published in the installation instructions for the engineer and only works once the underlying fault has been diagnosed and remedied.
What is 2981?
The same condition after a power cycle. The boiler is still in super lock-out and is saying so. The engineer's procedure expects to see it.
Which Worcester boilers have a super lock-out?
The Greenstar 8000+ and 8000+ Style, the Greenstar 4000 combi and the Greenstar 2000, whose tables publish 2980 and 2981. The 8000 Life and 8000 Style tables read for these pages do not include it.
Will I lose heating and hot water?
Yes, until an engineer clears it. Worcester say so in the user guide. Ringing Worcester is free if the boiler is under guarantee.
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.