Pit Boss Error Code ErR: What and How To Fix It?

If your pit boss pellet smoker keeps displaying the error “ERR” on its screen and you don’t know how to resolve it, you’ve come to the right place.

This pit boss error code ErR is quite common in Pit Boss smokers. And it’s nothing to make you feel scared when it shows up on your unit. The error code ErR is mainly caused by your Pit Boss temperature probe wire not connecting. This means that the temperature probe and its connection are the first places to look into to resolve the issue.

This guide will give you more details on what this error on your pit boss grill means, what causes it, and how you can fix it to get your smoker back up and running smoothly again.

What Does Err Mean On Pit Boss Grill?

The ErR error on the Pit boss grill means the temperature probe of your pellet smoker isn’t connecting. It shows that something is off with your temperature probe or its connection. The ErR code may also indicate an uncleaned or damaged temperature probe.

Keep in mind that this ErR error code means the same thing as the Er1 error code.

Thus, whenever the ErR message ops up on your pit box grill display, check the temperature probe and its connection or simply the temperature probe wires.

How to Fix ERR Error Code on Pit Boss Pellet Grill?

Now that you have discovered what this error code means in your grill, the next thing you wanna know is how to fix it and clear the message from your pellet grill.

You can employ the various methods outlined below to fix this error.

1. Check the probe connection

The ErR playing on your pit boss could be nothing more than just a loose connection for your temperature probe. Check whether the probe is properly connected to your grill control board, and the error might go away.

To check the connection, however, you’ll need access to the unit’s electric component situated at the back of the hopper.

Take out the screws holding the panel of the control board in place. Once you have access to the connectors for the probe wire, make sure that all of them are connected securely.

Also, make sure they’re directly connected to the digital control board.

If this isn’t the case, simply crimp them in, and your smoker will be back in business.

Try starting the unit again to see how it looks. If the error has cleared, your smoker should display flashing dots on the screen to indicate that it’s in start-up mode. And once these dots go off, the unit starts operating at your desired temperature.

2. Clean the probe

Pit boss recommends cleaning the temperature probe of its smokers after every 2-3 grilling sections. However, most grillers overlook this simple maintenance task. If you let the temperature sensor get dirty, it won’t function well, and it’s likely to hit back with ERR message.

Check the status of the probe. Is it clean? Or has the carbon residue accumulated over it? Tiny carbon amounts won’t interfere with the probe functioning most of the time.

If you’ve used your unit for quite a long without cleaning it, and it is harboring a lot of buildups, then you just got the culprit behind that ErR message on the LCD screen.

Get rid of all the carbon present and give the probe a thorough cleanup. A scrub pad and soapy water are all you need to get the temperature probe cleaned up.

3. Inspect the RTD temperature probe for damage

Another possible reason you’re receiving this error message is that your temperature is damaged. When accessing the electric control board to check the connectors, you should also inspect the probe for any damages.

Check whether the probe is bent or touching the sides of your grill. This may also interfere with its ability to sense the grill temperatures correctly.

The probe is usually made of fine wire and can be pretty fragile, especially when you keep moving your grill around. This increases its chances of breaking. Inspect it closely to see if it’s in good shape or has suffered any damage.

If there are no damages, test the RTD temperature probe to see whether it’s functioning well. To do this, you’ll need to cross-reference its temperature reading with that of another temperature sensor.

For instance, you can rely on the analog temperature dial built into your Pit Boss smoker. Compare the smoker temperature readouts as displayed by both sensors.

But keep in mind that variations can occur when comparing these two temperature readings since the analog dial sits far higher than the smoker cooking grate.

A more accurate test would be to use a heat gun that relies on infrared technology to accurately read the temperature. Aim the heat gun directly at your smoker probe to minimize temperature variations between the two.

If you get readouts varying within a few degrees of each other, the probe is working well. In case of significant variations, however, your temperature sensor is faulty!

You’ll need to get a new model to replace the faulty one and get your pellet smoker up and running again.

4. Additional Solutions For the ErR Error Message on Pit Boss:

Though the main areas to look for when dealing with ERR error revolve around the temperature probe, there are additional quick fixes that may also save your life.

Try these and see if they can help clear the error message from the smoker display.

• Plug the grill direct into the power source. Some Pit Boss users have discovered that plugging the grill into the extension cord rather than directly to the wall power outlet can bring up the error message. This is because the extension cord might not properly handle your unit.
• Unplug it for 30 minutes. You may also try this quick fix of unplugging your grill and letting it rest for up to 30 minutes. If your unit comes with fuzzy logic in its controller, it may help clear the error. Try plugging in your pit boss again into the outlet and see if the issue has been resolved.

Pro Tip: Reach out to Pit Boss customer care!

If none of the above solutions seem to work for you, then you’ve one more option. And that’s contacting the pit boss customer care for help.

A good number of users who have reached out due to this problem claim that the company says it’s a bad auger motor and sends a new one to replace the old, faulty model.

And if that doesn’t resolve the issue, they’re happy to offer alternative methods of fixing it. Simply put, they should be able to handle the problem you’re having with your specific smoker model.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to replace a temperature probe?

If you discover that your RTD temperature probe is faulty, then you need to replace it with a new one to keep your smoker running smoothly. This is how you carry out the probe replacement:

• Start by removing the grill hopper for easy access to the RTD probe
• Next, remove the probe wires from the hopper. Use a flathead screw to remove the screws holding the wires in place for easy disconnection.
• Take off the screws holding the probe plate at the back of your grill. This will make the plate easily come off.
• Now remove the nuts and screws holding your probe in place. Pull out the probe its wires of the.
• Install the new temperature probe in the place of the old one. Reverse the above process to screw the new probe in place and correctly connect it to the control board.

2. How to test a temperature probe?

You can test your probe by comparing its reading with the built-in analog temperature dial. However, this might not give you accurate results since the dial temperature is situated far from the cooking grates.

A more accurate method would involve the heat gun. Simply aim as close as possible to your temperature probe and check the temperature reading. Slight variations mean the sensor is alight. But wide variations mean a faulty probe.

Testing your temperature probe is crucial to ensure it gives out the most accurate readings for perfectly grilled foods.

3. What is the average price of a temperature probe?

The probes are highly affordable. The average cost of a decent temperature probe for a smoker is $50. This probe will help you accurately get the internal temperature of your grill. If you’re on a tight budget, you can get a model at a lower price of around $20, but it may not function as well as a $50 model.

4. How to clean a temperature probe to avoid Error code ErR?

To clean a temperature probe, you can use an SOS pad or wet washcloth. Wet any of them in soapy water and wring it completely before you use it on the probe. This will keep you from dripping water on your grill electric components.

Use the pad/cloth to scrub all the black residue present. Work your way around the sensor and eliminate all the carbon present. Be sure not to put too much pressure on the sensor or even pull up on it as it may end up breaking.

A dirty temperature probe can be the reason behind the error code ErR. However, cleaning it up will help resolve the error and enable your pit boss to run smoothly again.

Also you can check how to deep clean Pit Boss Pellet grill?

Final Verdict

The pit boss error code ErR is quite common and nothing to panic about when it shows up on the smoker screen. Unlike what most people believe, this error code doesn’t mean that you have a bad unit.

As we’ve just discussed above, this error is usually a warning sign that your temperature probe and its connectors are off. You can fix it by securely connecting the probe wires. And if this doesn’t help, you can try additional fixes like cleaning up the probe, inspecting it for damage, or even testing it to see if it’s faulty.

If you try all the above solutions and nothing works, contact Pit Boss customer care. They will offer you professional advice and assistance. Overall, the above fixes will most likely resolve the ErR error message and get your smoker back up and running. And you might not even need to reach out to the manufacturer.

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