The short answer
A Payne furnace in Northern Virginia flashes its trouble codes on a light behind the small window in the lower door, and its newer boards also show a three-digit code on a small display. Payne is made by Carrier, and the codes read the same way: count the short flashes for the first digit and the long flashes for the second. Most of them point at three things: the vent and condensate drain, the airflow through the filter, or the flame.
What you’ll notice
- The inducer, the small fan on top, starts and runs, but the burners don’t light.
- The burners light, then go out a few seconds later.
- The furnace runs for a while on a cold night, then quits and won’t start again for hours.
- The light behind the window blinks a pattern and pauses, or the display shows a code like 13.1.
The $67 Heating Check
We check your furnace, heat pump or boiler before winter. Through December 31. See the offer
How to read the code
Look through the small window in the lower door. Short flashes are the first digit and long flashes are the second, so 31 is 3 short and 1 long, then a pause before it repeats. Payne’s PG80MSU and boards like it also show a three-digit code on a small display: the first two digits are the flash code and the third narrows it down, like 31.4. They keep the code through a power cut, and a technician can pull the last 7 faults from the board’s memory. Older Payne furnaces with a red light, like the PG9MAA, erase the code the moment the power goes off, so count it before you open the door or flip the switch. A steady light is normal, and rapid flashing means the line voltage polarity is reversed.
Payne furnace codes
This is the status code table from the service label in Payne’s PG80MSU manual, in our words. The third digit is only on the display.
Swipe to see all columns →
Swipe to see all columns →
| Code | What Payne’s table says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 10.1, rapid flash | Line voltage polarity fault | Call: it needs wiring work |
| 12.1 | A heat call was on at power up, or within 5 minutes of it | Wait a few minutes |
| 13.1 | Limit lockout: a switch opened in the limit circuit | Check the filter and registers, then call |
| 14.1 | Ignition lockout after 4 tries in a row | Call: often the flame sensor or igniter |
| 14.2, 14.3 | The flame kept dropping out during a heat call | Call |
| 14.4 | Lockout after 7 losses of pressure during a heat call | Check the vent ends and drain, then call |
| 21.1 | The gas valve is getting power when it shouldn’t | Turn the furnace off and call |
| 22.1 | False flame: flame sensed when there shouldn’t be any | Turn the furnace off and call |
| 23.3 | Pressure detected when there shouldn’t be any | Call |
| 24.1 | Fuse fault: the 3-amp fuse on the board | Call if a new fuse blows again |
| 31.4, 31.5 | Lost the draft pressure before or after the blower came on | Check the vent ends and the condensate drain |
| 34.1 to 34.4 | Ignition fault, or the flame was lost after it lit | Usually the flame sensor; call |
| 42.1 to 42.3 | The inducer motor’s speed reading is missing or too high | Call: the inducer or its wiring |
| 45.1 to 45.3 | Control failure | Cycle the power once; if 45 comes back, the board is replaced |
| 46.1 | A momentary loss of power | Nothing, unless it keeps happening |
Codes 25 and 27 on that table are programming faults on the board itself, for a technician. On a 45, Payne’s own instruction is to cycle the power, and if 45 repeats, replace the control.
What you can safely check
- Count the code first, especially on an older Payne with a red light.
- Pull the filter. A clogged one is the most common reason a limit opens.
- Open every supply register and clear the return grille. Closing rooms off raises the furnace’s temperature.
- Look at the white PVC pipe ends outside for leaves, snow or ice, and at the condensate hose and pump beside the furnace.
- Make sure the lower door is on tight: the door switch cuts power to the board when it’s off.
- Turn the furnace switch off for 30 seconds, back on, and let it try once.
What not to do
Never jump or bypass a safety switch to get heat back. Each one is there to stop the furnace from burning gas when something is wrong, and the wrong thing is often exhaust, which carries carbon monoxide. Payne’s manual says plainly not to bypass the main limit, the rollout switches or any other safety control, and not to tape the door switch. The fuse is a 3-amp automotive fuse and nothing bigger. If you smell gas, don’t flip any switches: leave the house and call your gas company or 911 from outside.
What a technician does
On the newer boards we read the fault history from the FLt menu: the last 7 faults, kept for 72 hours of powered operation after the last one. Then we measure: the draft the inducer pulls, the flame signal in microamps, the temperature rise across the furnace and the gas pressure. The numbers tell us whether it’s the drain, the vent, the airflow, the flame sensor, the inducer or the board.
What it costs to have us look
A repair visit starts with a flat $99 diagnostic, and you get the price of the fix before we touch anything. Payne is made by Carrier, so our Carrier repair page lists what the common furnace repairs cost. Our heating check is $67 per system, through December 31: furnace, heat pump or boiler.
Related: the Payne pressure switch, flame sensor problems, condensate drain clogs, why a furnace light blinks and our Carrier furnace code list, which reads the same way. Other brands are on our error code and warning light guide.
Every code meaning here comes from Payne’s own documents: PG80MSU installation and service manual and PG9MAA installation instructions.
Call or book
Call (703) 997-9757 and tell us the code you counted, or book online from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer 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.
Questions people ask
How do I read the codes on a Payne furnace?
Count the flashes behind the small window in the lower door. Short flashes are the first digit and long flashes the second. Newer boards also show three digits on a small display.
Does a Payne furnace lose its code when the power goes off?
Older Payne furnaces with a red light do, so count the code before you open the door or flip the switch. Newer boards like the PG80MSU keep the code and store the last 7 faults.
What does code 13 mean on a Payne furnace?
A switch in the limit circuit opened and the furnace locked out. A clogged filter or closed registers are the first things to check.
Is Payne the same as Carrier?
Payne is made by Carrier, and its furnace codes read the same way as Carrier’s. Repairs and parts are close to the same too.
How much does it cost to have a Payne furnace checked?
The visit starts with a flat $99 diagnostic, and you get the price of the repair before any work starts.
