The short answer
A Goodman or Amana gas furnace in Northern Virginia blowing cold air is running its blower without its burners. The most common reason isn’t a fault: the thermostat’s fan is set to On, so the blower runs between heating cycles. If the fan is on Auto, the burners stopped for a reason, and the light on the board tells you which: an overheated furnace, a flame that won’t stay lit, or a tripped safety switch. A coated flame sensor is the usual repair, at $95 to $180, and a visit starts with a $99 diagnostic.
Check the fan setting first
Look at the thermostat. With the fan set to On instead of Auto, the blower runs all the time, and between heating cycles it pushes room temperature air through the ducts. Air at 68 degrees feels cold on your hand. Newer Goodman display boards show FAn while that’s happening, and the two-stage GMEC96 flashes its green light fast. Switch the fan to Auto. If warm air comes back on the next cycle, you’re done.
A little cool air at the end of a cycle is normal too. Goodman’s current boards keep the blower running 90 seconds by default after the burners shut off, and the air cools as the last heat comes out. At the start of a cycle the blower waits 30 seconds. Both delays are in Goodman’s current single-stage service manual.
The $67 Heating Check
We check your furnace, heat pump or boiler before winter. Through December 31. See the offer
The codes when the burners have stopped
If the fan is on Auto and the air is still cold, or there’s no heat at all, look through the little window in the lower door, or at the display on newer models.
Swipe to see all columns →
Swipe to see all columns →
| Code | What it means | Why air is still moving |
|---|---|---|
| 4 flashes, EE3, or red 4 on a GMEC96 | A limit switch is open: the furnace overheated | Goodman’s board turns the blower on until the limit cools and closes |
| 6 flashes, or E11 on display boards | The rollout switch is open: flame came out of the burner area | On older boards, Goodman runs the blower the whole time |
| 5 flashes, or EE4 | Flame sensed with no call for heat | On older boards, the blower and inducer run nonstop |
| EAL | The R-32 refrigerant sensor found a leak (Goodman says to check the indoor coil) | The furnace is in its leak mode and runs the fan only |
| 7 flashes, or EE6 | Weak flame signal | The burners keep dropping out between short runs |
| 1 flash, or EE0 | Lockout after 3 tries to light | No heat at all; the moving air is the fan, if it’s set to On |
From Goodman’s service manuals for the GMSS9 single-stage, GMEC96 two-stage, current single-stage furnaces. Every code for every Goodman board is in our Goodman furnace codes chart.
What causes it
Swipe to see all columns →
Swipe to see all columns →
| Cause | How you’d know | What fixing it costs |
|---|---|---|
| The fan is set to On | Cool between cycles, warm while the burners run; FAn on a display board | Nothing: set it to Auto |
| A clogged filter or closed registers | 4 flashes, EE3 or red 4; the burners quit, the blower keeps going | A new filter, which you can change yourself |
| A coated flame sensor | 7 flashes or EE6, then 1 flash or EE0; the burners light and drop out | $95 to $180 to clean it |
| A worn igniter | No orange glow when the burners should light; 1 flash or EE0 | $240 to $410 to replace it |
| A backed-up drain or a blocked vent pipe | 3 flashes or EE2; the inducer hums and nothing lights | $175 to $420 to clear a drain |
| No gas to the burners | 1 flash or EE0, and the gas stove or water heater is out too | Your gas company, if it’s the supply |
| A tripped rollout switch | 6 flashes or E11 | Priced in writing after the reason it tripped is found |
| A refrigerant leak at the AC coil | EAL on an R-32 system | Priced in writing before any work starts |
| Leaky ducts in the attic or crawlspace | Warm at the registers near the furnace, cool at the far ones; no code | Priced in writing before any work starts |
| The control board | Every other check passes | $550 to $1,180 for a new board |
What you can check yourself
Goodman’s manuals are written for trained technicians and say not to bypass any safety circuit, so the line for a homeowner is the outside of the furnace. Start here.
- The thermostat. Heat, set a few degrees warmer than the room, fan on Auto, fresh batteries.
- Video the light before you open anything. Taking off the lower door cuts the power on most Goodman furnaces, and on older boards the code goes with it.
- The filter. If you can’t see light through it, replace it. Our filter guide covers which one to buy.
- The registers. Open them all, and pull rugs and furniture off them.
- The pipes outside on a high efficiency furnace: clear of snow, leaves and nests.
- One reset, then stop. Turn the thermostat off for about 10 seconds and back on. Our reset guide has the details. A furnace that needs resetting every day has a problem that needs fixing.
If it’s 6 flashes or E11, don’t reset the rollout switch yourself. It trips when flame comes out where it shouldn’t, and the reason gets found first. If you smell gas, get everyone out and call the gas company from outside. If a carbon monoxide alarm is going off, that comes first.
What a tech does on the visit
The tech reads the code and the stored faults, checks the thermostat and its wiring, and watches the furnace try to light. From there it follows the code: a microamp reading on the flame sensor, an igniter check, the vent pipes and the drain for a pressure switch code, the filter, duct static and temperature rise for a limit code, and the burners and the flue before anyone resets a rollout switch. You get the price in writing first.
If the furnace is old enough that repairs keep stacking up, a new furnace is $4,285 to $14,040. From about $71 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. The tech will tell you which way the numbers point. Our heating check is $67 per system through December 31, for a furnace, heat pump or boiler.
We fix Goodman and Amana furnaces across Northern Virginia, in Ashburn, Leesburg, Sterling, Herndon, Chantilly, Fairfax, Arlington and Manassas. Every furnace repair price we charge is on our heating page.
Cold air from any system, furnace or heat pump, is in our cold air in winter guide. A Goodman heat pump that won’t heat has its own post, and the lockout, pressure switch and rollout switch codes each have one too.
More Goodman and Amana, one problem at a time: pressure switch: 3 flashes or EE2; limit switch: 4 flashes or EE3; lockout and weak flame: 1 flash, EE0, EE6; solid red light, no light or rapid flashing; rollout switch: 6 flashes or E11; Goodman heat pump and AC codes; flame sensor: 7 flashes or EE6; display codes: 1dL, 9H, F02; how to reset a Goodman furnace; inducer motor noises and codes; troubleshooting by symptom; Amana furnace codes; a Goodman heat pump that won’t heat; a Goodman furnace that keeps shutting off; how old is my Goodman: the serial number. Other brands are in our error codes and warning lights guide.
Get it fixed
Call (703) 997-9757 and we’ll get a tech out to find out why your Goodman furnace is blowing cold air. We answer day or night. Rather book online? Pick a time here and a box of warm cookies comes with the visit. A repair visit starts with our $99 diagnostic, and you get the price in writing before any work starts. Already have a quote? We’ll give you a free second opinion. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
Why is my Goodman furnace blowing cold air?
Most often the thermostat fan is set to On, so the blower runs between heating cycles. If it’s on Auto, the burners have stopped: a tripped limit from a clogged filter, a coated flame sensor, or a safety switch. The light on the board tells you which.
Why does my furnace blow cool air at the end of a cycle?
That’s normal for a minute or two. Goodman’s current boards run the blower 90 seconds by default after the burners shut off, and the air cools as the last heat comes out.
My Goodman furnace says EAL and only the fan runs. What’s wrong?
Your system has an R-32 refrigerant sensor, and it found a leak. Goodman says to check the indoor coil. The furnace stops heating and runs the fan, and it resumes after a 5 minute delay once the sensor stops seeing refrigerant, but the leak still needs a tech.
How much does it cost to fix a Goodman furnace blowing cold air?
Often nothing: set the fan to Auto or change the filter. A flame sensor cleaning is $95 to $180, an igniter is $240 to $410, and a control board is $550 to $1,180. The diagnostic is $99, and the price is in writing before any work starts.
