Rational Combi Oven Error Code 38: Flame After Bottom Valve Closes
Ignition controller error 38 on a floor-standing gas SelfCookingCenter or iCombi oven means a flame current was measured ten seconds after the gas valve closed on the bottom hot air burner. Close the gas valve, and call the gas utility from outside if you smell gas. Phone us with the number shown and keep the covers fastened.
High: a critical gas error that may involve a valve that stays open and can lock cooking.
- Code
- Ignition controller error 38
- Maker
- Rational
- Equipment
- Combi ovens
- Applies to
- Automatic ignition controller (SCC / iCombi gas units)
What does Rational Ignition controller error 38 mean?
This is the bottom burner version of error 18. On a floor-standing gas Rational oven, the automatic ignition controller expects the bottom burner flame current to drop to nothing after the gas valve closes. Error 38 means it was still measured ten seconds later. Each occurrence adds one critical gas error toward Service 140, and repeated errors end in a cooking lockout. The reading could mean a flame really remained, or that the signal stayed false. The manual-based list covers a flame sensor and wiring on the bottom burner that keep a false signal, a bottom burner gas valve that closes slowly or sticks open, an ignition controller that reports flame after shutoff, and gas pressure or connections feeding the bottom burner unevenly. A floor-standing oven should not run on one burner while it reports critical errors, because the top burner would then carry a load it was not designed to carry alone and the bottom problem would stay hidden. Testing the bottom valve and signal is the way to separate a real flame from a false one.
Affected models and control systems
This applies to floor-standing gas Rational SelfCookingCenter and iCombi ovens with the automatic ignition controller, per Technical Information TI_2220. Other generations of ovens may number their messages 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
- Ignition controller error 38 on the display
- Bottom burner locked out after a cycle
- A Service 140 message after repeated errors
- Reduced heat from the lower part of the oven
Possible causes
Listed in Rational's documentation
- Flame sensor and wiring on the bottom burner keeping a false signal
- Bottom burner gas valve that closes slowly or sticks open
- Bottom burner ignition controller that reports flame after shutoff
- Gas pressure or connections feeding the bottom burner unevenly
Other likely causes — what usually sits behind Ignition controller error 38 on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- Debris near the bottom burner that holds a glow after shutoff
- Valve diaphragm stiffened so it closes late
- Gas pressure swings when nearby kitchen equipment turns off
Safe checks before calling for service
- Close the gas valve to the oven.
- If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility from outside.
- Do not run the oven on one burner while it reports critical errors.
- Phone us with the number shown, and keep the covers fastened.
How a technician diagnoses Ignition controller error 38
- Read the error log and the Service 140 count.
- Check supply pressure and connections.
- Inspect the bottom burner electrode, sensing wire and chamber.
- Test valve closing time and sealing.
- Measure the flame signal after shutoff.
- Replace the failed part, then run a cycle with a leak check.
- A bottom valve that sticks open leaves gas reaching the chamber, which is a hazard that needs test equipment.
- The ignition circuit and burner chamber contain high voltage and hot surfaces.
- Clearing a lockout without finding the cause leaves a gas safety problem in place.
How Ignition controller error 38 differs from similar codes
Error 38 is the bottom burner version of error 18 and applies to floor-standing models.
Technical reference
- Document
- Technical Information TI_2220 New gas service messages 140
- Edition
- TI_2220_en-GB V02.1, 05/2023 (sheet dated 21/09/2022, series 2022/20)
- Models / control
- Automatic ignition controller (SCC / iCombi gas units)
- Section
- Trigger criteria and warning levels, printed pp. 1-2 of 4 (Service 140.4 / 140.8); ignition controller error list 17, 18, 22, 37, 38, 42 on p. 3-4 near the end of the sheet
- 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.
Related Rational combi oven error codes
How is error 38 different from error 37?
Error 37 is flame before the valve opens, and 38 is flame ten seconds after it closes.
Is this a leak?
It might be, if the valve sticks open, or it might be a false signal. Shut the gas and have it tested.
Can I keep cooking on the top burner?
We advise not to while the oven reports critical errors.
Need help with Rational Ignition controller error 38?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.