Noritz NRCP Code Er38
Circuit board memory error. Noritz calls this abnormal operation — a memory error on the circuit board. The remedy is a single line with a conclusion built in: try the main power switch off and on, and if the same error code returns, the circuit board needs to be replaced.
Also displayed as: 38, E38
Part replacementThe verdict
Replace a part
One free attempt, then the most expensive part in the appliance. Noritz offers no middle diagnosis here, so the power cycle is worth doing properly — off at the breaker, a full minute, back on — before accepting the answer.
Typical cost: $0–$900
US estimate for parts and labor. Prices vary by region and by who does the work — see how we estimate costs.
What the manual says
The meaning above is transcribed from the manufacturer's diagnostic documentation for the NRCP — not averaged across the brand.
Source: Noritz Service Manual — NRCP111-DV / NRCP98-DV (Rev. 09/19) (p. 62), read Sep 2026 — the manufacturer's own documentation for this exact series.
What you can safely check
- Switch off at the breaker, wait a full minute, and switch back on.
- Run a hot tap and see whether Er38 returns.
- If it returns, book a service call — Noritz's own conclusion is that the board needs replacing.
Code Er38 on other Noritz series
Other Noritz series report code Er38 under the same fault name, but each manual is transcribed separately and they do not read alike:
Don't confuse this with
One other Noritz NRCP code points at the circuit board too. They are different components in different places, and ordering a part against the wrong one is the most common way this fault gets expensive: