The short answer
On a Goodman or Amana gas furnace in Northern Virginia, 1 red flash on an older single-stage board or EE0 on a newer display means the furnace tried to light three times, failed, and locked itself out. The usual cause is a dirty flame sensor, which a tech cleans for $95 to $180. Next most likely is a cracked igniter, $240 to $410 to replace. EE6, or 7 flashes on the older board, is the early warning for the same problem: the flame signal is getting weak.
How a Goodman furnace lights, and where it fails
Every heating cycle runs the same steps. The thermostat calls. The inducer motor starts and the pressure switch closes. The igniter heats up and glows bright orange. The gas valve opens and the burners light with a soft whoosh. Within a few seconds the flame sensor, a thin metal rod sitting in the flame, has to prove there’s fire. If it can’t, the gas valve shuts.
Goodman’s boards try three times per call. After the third miss, the board locks out. The older single-stage boards and the GMEC96 clear the lockout on their own after an hour and try again, which is why a locked out furnace sometimes comes back by itself, then quits again that night.
The $67 Heating Check
We check your furnace, heat pump or boiler before winter. Through December 31. See the offer
The codes, board by board
Swipe to see all columns →
Swipe to see all columns →
| Your furnace shows | Which Goodman board | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 red flash | Older single-stage (GMSS9, GMS8 and the Amana twins) | Locked out after 3 failed tries to light |
| 7 red flashes | Older single-stage (GMSS9, GMS8 and the Amana twins) | Weak flame signal; the furnace still runs |
| EE0 | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Locked out after 3 failed tries to light |
| EE6 | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Weak flame signal |
| EEL | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Problem in the igniter circuit |
| EEn | Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Igniter open: burned out or unplugged |
| EE7 | Modulating (GRVM97, GDVM97) | Igniter fault or a poor ground |
| Red 7 | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Locked out: the flame never proved during ignition |
| Red 8 | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Locked out: the flame kept dropping after it lit |
| Red 12 | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | The board isn’t powering the igniter |
| Amber rapid flash | Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Low flame sense current |
From Goodman’s service manuals for the GMSS9 single-stage, GMEC96 two-stage, current single-stage, modulating furnaces. Every code for every Goodman board is in our Goodman furnace codes chart.
Watch the GMEC96. On that board, 1 red flash means the board sees flame when there shouldn’t be any, not a lockout. It’s the board where counting blinks trips people up most.
What you’ll notice
- You hear the inducer, see the igniter glow through the little window, hear the burners light, and a few seconds later they go out. Three times, then quiet.
- The igniter glows but nothing lights. That points at the gas supply or the gas valve.
- No glow at all. That’s the igniter or its circuit, and on a display board it usually shows EEL or EEn.
- A reset brings it back for a day or two, then it locks out again. That’s the classic dirty flame sensor, and our flame sensor guide goes deeper on it.
What causes it
Swipe to see all columns →
Swipe to see all columns →
| Cause | How you’d know | What fixing it costs |
|---|---|---|
| A coated flame sensor | Lights, runs a few seconds, shuts off; EE6 or 7 flashes showed up before the lockout | $95 to $180 to clean |
| A cracked or worn igniter | No orange glow, or a faint one; EEL or EEn | $240 to $410 to replace |
| No gas to the burners | The igniter glows and nothing lights; the gas valve at the furnace is off, or other gas appliances are out too | Nothing if a valve got bumped off; otherwise priced first |
| A blocked drain on a high efficiency furnace | Goodman lists the front cover pressure switch and the drain among the lockout checks | $175 to $420 to clear it, with a trap and a float switch added |
| Sensor wiring or a poor ground | The sensor is clean and the signal is still weak | Usually a small fix, priced first |
| Gas pressure or a lazy flame | Weak, yellow or wavering flames | Priced in writing before any work starts |
| A failed control board | Everything checks out and the board won’t power the igniter or the valve | $550 to $1,180 |
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. These are safe.
- The gas. The handle on the gas line at the furnace should line up with the pipe. Are your other gas appliances working?
- The thermostat. Set to Heat, set warmer than the room, fresh batteries. Thermostat problems cause more no-heat calls than people think.
- One reset, after you write the code down. Video the light first. Then turn the thermostat off for 10 seconds and back on. On the older boards, the furnace switch off for 5 seconds also clears it.
- If it locks out again, stop. Goodman’s manual is clear that frequent lockouts mean a problem exists. Resetting it every few hours only hides which one.
You’ll find plenty of videos of people sanding their own flame sensor. Goodman’s manuals mark the cleaning as qualified servicer only, done with steel wool, and the rod sits right beside the burners and the gas valve. A tech also asks the better question: why did it coat up?
What a tech does on the visit
The tech reads the flame signal in microamps on a meter and checks it against the spec for your board, cleans the sensor, tests the igniter, checks the gas pressure against the rating plate, looks at the burner flame, and checks the ground and the drain. If the flame looks wrong, Goodman’s own manual tells owners to call a qualified service agent at once, and that’s what the visit is for. You get the price in writing before any work starts. A sensor that coats up again fast has a reason, and the tech looks for it.
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.
Other Goodman codes, one at a time: pressure switch: 3 flashes or EE2; limit switch: 4 flashes or EE3; solid red light, no light or rapid flashing; rollout switch: 6 flashes or E11; Goodman heat pump and AC codes.
Get it fixed
Call (703) 997-9757 and we’ll get a tech out to get your Goodman furnace lighting again. 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
What does EE0 mean on a Goodman furnace?
The furnace tried to light three times on one call for heat and failed, so it locked out. The usual causes are a dirty flame sensor ($95 to $180 to clean), a cracked igniter, or no gas to the burners.
Why does my Goodman furnace light and then shut off?
Almost always the flame sensor. It’s a thin rod that has to prove the flame within a few seconds. A coating on it weakens the signal, the board thinks the flame went out, and it shuts the gas off.
What does 1 flash mean on a Goodman furnace?
It depends on the board. On the older single-stage boards it’s a lockout after 3 failed tries. On the two-stage GMEC96, 1 red flash means the board sees flame when there’s no call for heat. Check the model number inside the door.
What does EE6 mean on a Goodman furnace?
A weak flame signal. The furnace still runs, but it’s the warning before a lockout. Cleaning the flame sensor is $95 to $180.
How long does a Goodman furnace stay locked out?
On the older single-stage boards and the GMEC96, an hour, then it tries again. Turning the thermostat off and on clears it sooner. If it locks out again, the cause is still there.
