The short answer
Most Goodman and Amana gas furnaces in Northern Virginia don’t have a reset button. To reset one, write down the code first, then turn the thermostat down or off for about 10 seconds and back up. If that doesn’t do it, turn off the furnace switch for a few seconds and back on. The board also resets itself an hour after a lockout. Reset it once. If the same code comes back, the furnace is telling you something is wrong, and resetting it again won’t fix it.
Before you reset anything
Take a phone video of the light or a photo of the display. On the older boards, Goodman says the flash code stops the moment power is cut, and on the newer ones, taking the door off can lose the stored code. That code tells the tech where to start, and our Goodman furnace codes chart tells you what it means.
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How to reset it, board by board
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| Your furnace | How the board resets | From Goodman’s manual |
|---|---|---|
| Older single-stage (GMSS9, GMS8 and the Amana twins) | Thermostat off for more than 5 and less than 20 seconds, or the furnace switch off for at least 5 seconds. It also resets itself after one hour. | GMSS9 manual |
| Current display (GR9S, GD9S, GR9T, AR9S and similar) | Open and close the thermostat circuit: turn it down or off, then back up. No reset button on the board. | GR9S manual |
| Modulating (GRVM97, GDVM97) | Thermostat lowered for 1 to 20 seconds, or a power cycle. It resets itself after one hour. | GRVM97 manual |
| Two-stage GMEC96 (green, amber and red lights) | Thermostat or power, the same as the others. A LAST ERROR button shows the last code. | GMEC96 manual |
Goodman’s own words on the modulating board: if the problem that caused the lockout is still there, the control goes right back into lockout. On the GR9S, recycling the control usually brings back the same code.
A couple of Goodman safety switches do have a red button, and they’re the ones people find and push:
- The rollout switch, on the burner manifold. It trips when flame rolls out of the burner area, and it means something is blocking the exhaust or the heat exchanger. Our rollout switch page is the place to start. Don’t reset it without knowing why it tripped.
- The auxiliary limit, on the blower housing in some downflow and horizontal furnaces. Goodman says to reset it once, and if it opens a second time, a qualified servicer has to find out why. That’s a fire safety switch.
The main limit switch resets itself; there’s no button.
When not to reset it
- You smell gas. Get everyone out and call the gas company from outside.
- A carbon monoxide alarm is going off. That comes first.
- The rollout switch tripped, or the auxiliary limit tripped twice.
- It’s locked out more than once in a day. Goodman: a furnace that frequently has to be reset has a problem that should be corrected.
- You see scorch marks, melted wires or water inside the cabinet.
Why it keeps locking out
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| Cause | How you’d know | What fixing it costs |
|---|---|---|
| A coated flame sensor | Lights, runs a few seconds, shuts off; EE6 or 7 flashes before the lockout | $95 to $180 to clean it |
| A clogged condensate drain | Gurgling, water near the furnace, a pressure switch code | $175 to $420 to clear it |
| A worn igniter | No glow, or a slow, dim glow before the gas valve opens | $240 to $410 to replace it |
| A blocked vent or intake | Snow, leaves or a nest at the white pipes outside | Nothing if you can clear it; a pipe repair is priced in writing |
| The control board | Everything else checks out | $550 to $1,180 for a new board |
Each one has its own page: lockout, flame sensor, pressure switch and limit switch.
What a tech does on the visit
The tech reads the stored faults, watches a full start, and finds why it locked out instead of resetting it and leaving. You get the price in writing before any work starts. 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.
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; 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; a Goodman furnace blowing cold air; 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 keeps locking out. 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
Most Goodman and Amana furnaces don’t have one for a lockout. The red buttons you may find are the rollout switch and, on some models, the auxiliary limit, and both are safety switches, not reset buttons.
How do I reset my Goodman furnace?
Write the code down, then turn the thermostat off for about 10 seconds and back on. If that doesn’t work, turn off the furnace switch for a few seconds and back on. It also resets itself after an hour.
Why does my Goodman furnace keep locking out?
Usually a coated flame sensor, a clogged condensate drain, a worn igniter or a blocked vent. Resetting it again only buys another few minutes. The code tells a tech where to look.
Is it safe to keep resetting my furnace?
Once is fine. Over and over is not, because the lockout is a safety response. Never reset it with a gas smell, a carbon monoxide alarm, or a tripped rollout switch.
