Instant Pot Pressure Cooker F14 Error Code Fix

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What This Error Means

F14 means Internal Sensor / Control Board Fault.

The cooker can’t read its temperature correctly, so it refuses to heat or build pressure for safety.

Official Fix

Here’s what the manual and support script basically tell you to do:

  • Unplug it. Now. Kill power at the outlet and let it sit for 1–2 minutes. This does a hard reset.
  • Pull the inner pot. Take out the stainless pot, trivet, and anything else inside.
  • Check for wet mess in the base. Look down at the heater plate and center sensor post:
    • If you see water, soup, or starch, dry it completely with paper towel.
    • Do not pour water in the bare base. That kills boards fast.
  • Let the base air-dry. If it was wet at all, leave it unplugged, lid off, inner pot out for at least 24 hours so the electronics dry out.
  • Check the power feed.
    • Inspect the power cord for cuts, burns, or loose plug ends.
    • Test a different wall outlet you know is good. No power strips or sketchy adapters.
  • Inspect the sensor area (no tools yet).
    • Make sure the center metal sensor post isn’t bent sideways.
    • Make sure the heater plate isn’t obviously warped or burnt through.
  • Re-seat everything clean.
    • Drop the dry inner pot back in. Bottom must sit flat on the heater plate.
    • Check the sealing ring in the lid is seated and not half-popped out.
  • Do a water test.
    • Add 2 cups of water.
    • Close lid, set to Pressure Cook/Manual for 5–10 minutes.
    • If it heats, pressurizes, and doesn’t flash F14, you’re good.
  • If F14 comes back right away or every run: Official line is: stop using it and contact Instant Pot support. They assume a failed internal sensor or control board and will steer you to a warranty claim or replacement.

If you’re under warranty, stop here and go through Instant Pot support. Anything deeper can void coverage.

The Technician’s Trick

This is the stuff techs actually do when they’re not reading from the script. If you’re not comfortable opening things with mains voltage inside, stop at the official fix.

  • Unplug and wait. Cord out, then give it 5–10 minutes so internal caps bleed off. No power while you’re in there.
  • Pop the bottom cover.
    • Flip it over on a towel.
    • Remove the screws on the base plate and lift the cover off.
    • Now you see the control board, heater leads, and thermal fuse.
  • Look for the usual crime scenes.
    • White crust, sticky gunk, or rust around the board or connectors = old spill that can short the sensor circuit.
    • Brown or black char marks = overheated board or heater.
  • Clean the board and sensor connectors.
    • Use 90%+ isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs.
    • Clean off any dried soup/starch around the sensor wires and board pins.
    • Let it dry completely (10–20 minutes minimum).
  • Check the thermal fuse and heater circuit. (multimeter time)
    • Pull one lead off the thermal fuse and check continuity. Open (infinite) = blown fuse. That can throw sensor/board faults like F14.
    • Check the heater ring for continuity. If it’s open, the board will freak out.
  • Check the temperature sensor contact.
    • On many models there’s a flat sensor or disc pressed against the underside of the inner-pot area.
    • If the bracket is bent and not touching well, the board gets nonsense readings.
    • Gently bend the bracket so the sensor presses firmly against the metal—snug, not crushed.
  • Rebuild and retest with water only.
    • Reassemble the base.
    • Flip it upright, reinstall inner pot, add 2 cups of water.
    • Plug in and run a 5–10 minute pressure cook test.
    • If F14 is gone and it reaches pressure and releases normally, you’ve probably saved it.
  • When the trick doesn’t work:
    • If you still get F14 after a clean, dry, and good-contact check, the control board or sensor is usually toast.
    • At that point you’re looking at swapping the board/sensor, or replacing the whole cooker.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Unit under ~5 years old, no burn marks on the board or heater, and you can clear F14 with cleaning/drying or a cheap sensor/thermal fuse swap.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Out of warranty, mid-range model, needs a new control board but the rest is clean; board cost plus your time starts creeping close to a new cooker price.
  • ❌ Replace: Old unit (6–7+ years), obvious heat damage or corrosion, or board + heater + labor would land anywhere near the cost of a new Instant Pot.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

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