Braemar fault code 58
Zone motor / damper fault.
What 58 actually means
A zone motor or damper has faulted. One of the motorised dampers in the ductwork is not moving to where the controller has asked it to go.
What causes it
- Damper motor seized, most often after water has got into it
- Motor drawing too much current and being cut off
- Wiring damaged in the roof space
- Damper blade jammed by debris or a duct that has shifted
Most likely first. That order is from what we actually find on site, not from the manual.
Safe to check yourself
No tools, no covers off, nothing to do with gas, refrigerant or wiring.
- Note which zone is misbehaving, which saves us finding it
- Check whether that zone is stuck open or stuck shut, which is a useful clue
What we check on site
So you know what you’re paying for.
- Current draw on each damper motor in turn
- Damper blade movement by hand
- Wiring continuity to the affected zone
- Board zone output test
Can you keep using it?
Yes, mostly. The rest of the house keeps working and the affected zone is stuck open or shut. Worth fixing, not worth panicking about, unless the stuck zone is causing the heater to overheat, in which case you will start seeing code 23 as well.
What the fix usually involves
A damper motor swap in the roof space, usually under an hour once we have found which one it is.
Is it worth fixing?
That depends almost entirely on how old the unit is. Past about ten years on hot water and gas heating, and twelve on aircon, a significant repair usually costs more per remaining year than a replacement does — and it’s the same point at which the VEU rebate is worth the most, because old inefficient appliances are exactly what the scheme pays to remove. If yours is young and the fault is a component, we’ll fix it and say so.
Repair or replace? The 10-year rule, and what the rebate is worth →