FETCO Coffee Brewer Error Code 050: Shorted Temperature Probe

What does FETCO error code 050 mean?

A FETCO XTS brewer keeps the water in its tank at brewing temperature using a temperature probe. The control reads the probe constantly, and the reading must fall inside a sensible electrical range. Code 050 appears when the probe reads shorted, which is to say the circuit looks like a direct connection instead of a probe with measurable resistance. The control can no longer calculate a real water temperature, so it stops trusting it and posts the code. The manual lists the cause as probe failure and tells you to replace the probe. That is a simpler instruction than the open-probe code, 051, where the manual first asks you to check the connections. Cycling the power will not remove the error, because this brewer keeps it until you reset it. Once the probe has been replaced, go to PROGRAMMING, OTHER, ERROR CODES, Display Errors, and then Reset Errors. Until the error is reset, 050 can stay in the list even if the new probe reads correctly. Because a shorted reading can hide a heating problem, the brewer should not be run with it.

Affected models and control systems

This covers the FETCO CBS-2151XTS, CBS-2152XTS and CBS-2152-2XTS brewers, per the User's Guide for those models. Code 050 means shorted; code 051 means open, and the manual treats them differently.

Code numbers and their meaning can change between control generations. We match the full model and control before acting on a code.

What you may notice

• 050 shows among the error codes
• The brewer refuses to heat or to brew
• Water in the tank is not at brewing temperature
• The error returns after power cycling

Possible causes

Listed in FETCO's documentation

• Probe failure

Other likely causes — what usually sits behind error code 050 on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.

• Water has entered the probe housing or the lead insulation, creating a short to ground
• The probe lead is pinched or has worn through where it crosses a bracket
• A bent or crushed probe tip has shorted its internal element

Safe checks before calling for service

How a technician diagnoses error code 050

1. Read the error list and confirm 050 rather than 051.
2. With the brewer isolated, measure the probe resistance and compare it with the specification.
3. Inspect the lead and connector for pinching, moisture and damage.
4. Replace the probe as the manual directs once the reading confirms a short.
5. Reset errors in the menu, run a heat-up and verify a normal tank temperature.

How error code 050 differs from similar codes

050 is a shorted probe reading and the manual says replace the probe. 051 is an open probe, where the manual first asks for a connection check.

Technical reference

Maker documentation

FETCO owner support

Edition

May 2015 P129 rev 002 (also issued as October 2014 P129 rev 001)

Models / control

CBS-2150 XTS series (2151/2152/2152-2)

Section

Error Codes table, p. 13

Checked

October 2026

We use the maker's document to read the code and do not reproduce it. Always confirm the complete model and control before applying these steps.