The short answer
E292 on a Lennox furnace in Northern Virginia means the indoor blower motor couldn’t start. Lennox names two causes: a blower wheel that’s obstructed or seized motor bearings. The furnace goes into a one-hour soft lockout and tries again. If the blower still won’t start, the motor or the wheel needs a tech. Before you call, make sure the lower door is pushed all the way in, because a loose door stops everything too.
The Lennox blower and setup codes
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| Code | What Lennox says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| E292 | Indoor blower motor unable to start, obstructed wheel or seized bearings | One-hour soft lockout. The motor or the wheel. |
| E201 | Indoor blower communication failure | The board can’t talk to the motor. Can show after a power outage. If it doesn’t clear, the motor’s power or wiring. |
| E202 | Indoor blower motor mismatch | The motor doesn’t match the furnace size the board is set for. Often after a motor swap. |
| E203 | Appliance capacity or size not programmed | A board that was swapped and never set up. |
| E311 | Heat rate reduced to match indoor blower air flow | A warning, not a lockout. The furnace turned its own heat down because the blower couldn’t move enough air. |
| E313 | Indoor or outdoor unit capacity mismatch | A setup code on communicating systems. |
| E370 | Interlock switch sensed open for 2 minutes | The lower door isn’t pressing its switch. Seat the door. |
The $67 Heating Check
We check your furnace, heat pump or boiler before winter. Through December 31. See the offer
Start with E370 and E311
E370 is the door. The lower door on a Lennox presses a small switch when it’s on. If someone changed the filter and set the door back crooked, the switch stays open and the furnace stops after 2 minutes. Push the door until it seats. Lennox’s control picks back up once it sees power on that switch again.
E311 is the furnace asking for air. The blower is in what Lennox calls cutback, so a two-stage furnace drops to first stage. Lennox’s fix list starts with the filter and the ducts. Change the filter, open closed vents, and make sure the return grille isn’t blocked. Ignore E311 long enough and you start seeing E250 limit trips.
When it’s the blower itself
A blower that’s on its way out usually tells you first. It hums before it starts, it takes longer to get going, it runs slower than it used to, or it squeals. Sometimes there’s a hot electrical smell (furnace burning smell). Noise is its own list (furnace making noise).
Most variable-speed Lennox furnaces, the SL280V, EL296V and SLP99V, use a motor with its own electronics that talks to the board. That’s why E201 and E202 exist, and why a replacement motor has to be the right one and set up for your furnace, not just one that fits.
What you can check
Seat the lower door. Change the filter. Turn the furnace switch off, count to ten, and turn it back on to clear the lockout. Take a photo of the code before you reset anything. A reset can clear what’s showing, and that number saves the tech time and you money. If you hear the blower hum and not spin, turn the power off and leave it. A motor that’s stuck and powered gets hot.
What the fix usually costs
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| The fix | Our price |
|---|---|
| Blower wheel pulled and cleaned | $300 to $440 |
| Run capacitor replaced | $240 to $370 |
| Blower motor replaced | $670 to $2,400, most around $1,500 |
| Control board replaced | $550 to $1,180 |
The motor spread is a standard motor against a variable-speed one. The diagnostic is a flat $99. Our heating check is $67 per system, through December 31: furnace, heat pump or boiler. On a furnace, for $229 (regularly $467) we also pull the blower wheel and clean it blade by blade.
If the repair is a big one on an older furnace, get a second look before you spend it. Our free second opinion costs you nothing, and the estimator shows what a new system costs with $1,500 off already in the price. Thinking about brands? Lennox vs Trane lays out the difference.
Every Lennox code in one place: Lennox error codes.
The system we put in first
Built to take a beating. Put in by our crew.
Heat lamps, snow and rain on one outdoor unit: that’s Trane’s own film. We’re a Trane Comfort Specialist, on Trane’s own dealer locator, and when you pick a Trane, our crew puts it in.
Films: Trane’s own.
Call or book a Lennox repair
Call (703) 997-9757. We answer day or night. Or book online and pick a time. The diagnostic is a flat $99, and you see the repair price in writing before we touch anything. Furnace running fine and you want to keep it that way? Book the $67 heating check from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer (book by November 30) and a box of warm cookies comes with the visit. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276. More on Lennox repair in Northern Virginia.
Questions people ask
What does E292 mean on a Lennox furnace?
The indoor blower motor was unable to start, which Lennox puts down to an obstructed blower wheel or seized motor bearings. The furnace goes into a one-hour soft lockout and tries again.
What does E370 mean on a Lennox furnace?
The interlock switch, pressed by the lower door, has been open for 2 minutes. Push the door until it seats and the furnace picks back up.
What does E311 mean on a Lennox furnace?
Heat rate reduced to match indoor blower air flow. The furnace turned its own heat down because it couldn’t move enough air. Check the filter, the vents and the return.
How much does a Lennox blower motor replacement cost?
At our prices, $670 to $2,400, and most land around $1,500. A standard motor sits at the low end and a variable-speed one at the high end.
