Instant Pot Pressure Cooker F20 Error Code Fix

Here’s the straight answer: the official play is reset, clean, dry, test. If F20 stays, the brand wants you to stop using it and go to service or replacement.

• Unplug the cooker from the wall. That’s the first thing the manual tells you. Let it sit 20–30 minutes so pressure and temperature drop. Do not fight the lid if it feels locked.
• Pull out the stainless inner pot. Check the bottom for burnt-on food, heavy staining, or warping. A domed or badly warped base can mess with the sensor and trigger F-codes.
• Look inside the cooker base at the round heating plate and the small raised sensor disc in the center. Wipe both gently with a slightly damp cloth, then again with a dry cloth. You want: no food bits, no oil puddles, no foil, no crud.
• If you see any moisture in the base (spills, boil-overs, steam runoff), tip the unit slightly and wipe what you can reach. Then leave it unplugged, lid off, somewhere warm and dry for a few hours so the electronics can fully dry out.
• Pop the silicone sealing ring out of the lid. Inspect it: no tears, no flat spots, not stretched, not rock-hard, not burned. If it’s loose, deformed, or smells cooked, replace it.
• Strip the lid hardware: remove and clean the steam release valve and float valve parts. Food packed in there can confuse pressure readings and cause the control board to throw an F20 instead of trying to guess.
• Reassemble the lid, reinstall the sealing ring, and drop the inner pot back in. Make sure the pot sits flat on the heater plate. Rotate it a bit; it should not rock or tilt.
• Now plug the cooker directly into a good wall outlet. No power strips, no sketchy extension cords. Low or unstable voltage makes electronics act weird.
• Do a basic water test: add about 2 cups of water, close the lid, set to Pressure Cook (or Manual) on High for 5 minutes, and hit Start. Watch it while it heats.
• If it comes up to pressure, counts down, and finishes with no F20, you probably had moisture, gunk on the sensor, or a bad seal. Run a few normal cooks and see if it behaves.
• If F20 pops back up during the preheat or before it even gets really hot, that’s the textbook “internal sensor/control fault” case. The manual answer at that point: stop using it and contact Instant Pot (or your cooker brand) support for sensor/board service or a replacement unit.

If your cooker is still under warranty, do not open the case or start unscrewing the base. Official path is warranty claim or factory service, not DIY board surgery.